WWE said Monday that Scott Hall, a crucial figure in pro wrestling’s huge rise in the 1980s and 1990s, has died. As pro wrestling’s popularity soared in the late twentieth century, Hall, 63, was best known for portraying campy Cuban bad guy Razor Ramon. According to industry insiders acquainted with the issue, he had been hospitalized and was on life support. WWE issued a statement describing him as “a very important superstar” and expressing their sadness over his loss. There was no mention of a cause by the group.
When Hall and other well-known wrestlers, notably Hulk Hogan, switched from Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Federation, now World Wrestling Entertainment, to Ted Turner’s World Championship Wrestling upstart in the 1990s, they shook the industry to its foundations. Even though Turner’s WCW eventually folded and was acquired by WWE, Hall’s and others’ moves are still seen as pivotal in the development of distinct brands for performers. Wrestlers such as Hulk Hogan, Jesse Ventura, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson have achieved prominence outside of the ring. “By the time Razor was wrestling, Vince McMahon had pretty well taken over the territory on his own,” said Syracuse University professor Robert Thompson, who weaves pro wrestling concepts into his teaching of American television history.
“It gave people a sense of agency that there were other places to go,” Thompson said of Hall’s defection to WCW. “And while that may seem simple now, it was a major problem back then [in the 1990s]. You’re not merely one of Vince’s army’s soldiers.” Kevin Nash, Hall’s tag-team partner, stated he loves “Scott with all my heart.” “His outlook on life improved my life,” Nash said on Instagram early Monday morning, beside a photo of his wrestling partner. “He wasn’t flawless,” he often remarked, “but they nailed the last perfect person to walk the globe to a cross.”
Read More:
- Sen. Joe Manchin Opposes Sarah Bloom Raskin’s Fed Nominee
- Putin’s Desire To ‘Make His Country Larger’ Is Motivated By A ‘great Deal Of Love,’ According To Trump
- Taiwan’s Military Reservist Reform Is Given Additional Momentum By The Ukraine War
The news of Hall’s deteriorating condition swiftly traveled across pro wrestling’s tight-knit circles. Johnson tweeted Sunday, “Scott Hall, pulling for you my friend.” “Keep going! The ‘evil person’ must return to the game.” Wrestler Triple H said he was “gutted” and “lost a brother” on Monday night. “Scott, I adore you!! “I’ll catch up with you down the road,” the wrestler wrote on Twitter. “Scott Hall was a towering presence among his contemporaries – a legend inside and outside the ring,” said Mick Foley, who notably wrestled as Cactus Jack and Mankind.
