The world of professional wrestling lost one of its brightest (and baddest) voices on March 14, 2022, when two-time WWE Hall of Famer Scott Hall passed away at the age of 63 following complications from a seemingly routine hip surgery. Although death isn’t uncommon for wrestlers (especially for those of Hall’s era), his death stings nonetheless and millions of fans have been mourning the “Bad Guy’s” life, career, and legacy, in a variety of ways.
Almost immediately after news first broke of the WWE, WCW, AWA, and NJPW legend passing away, I fell down a rabbit hole of great moments from throughout his career, moments that I have been championing for years that now mean a whole lot more. Here are some of those…
Razor Ramon Puts Over The 1-2-3 Kid
Razor Ramon (Scott Hall’s persona during his first run with the WWF) joined the company in 1992 as a heel modeled after Tony Montana from Scarface with catchphrases like “Say good night to the Bad Guy” and a wardrobe that looked like something out of Miami’s Little Havana. For the first year of his run, Ramon was a vicious heel in feuds against the likes of Bret Hart and Bob Backlund in early 1993.
The tide began to change in May 1993 when Ramon went up against a jobber named “The Kid” (you now know him as Sean “X-Pac” Waltman) on a random episode of Monday Night Raw. But instead of making quick work of his younger and smaller opponent, Ramon was defeated by The Kid, essentially making him a star in an instant. Waltman would then be called The 1-2-3 Kid for his shocking victory and the two quickly formed a team.
Razor Ramon Captures His First WWF Intercontinental Championship
Razor Ramon will forever go down as one of the most successful and beloved Intercontinental Champions of all time, winning the strap on four different occasions between 1993 and his 1996 departure. But it all had to start somewhere and that is the October 11, 1993 episode of Monday Night Raw where the “Bad Guy” oozing machismo defeated Rick Martel to capture the vacant IC Title in a thrilling nearly 11-minute match.
What’s so great about this moment is that it cemented Razor Ramon’s spot in WWF and showed the world that the smooth-talking and tough-as-nails brawler was here to stay. It’s made all the better with the amazing commentary from Vince McMahon, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, and “Macho Man” Randy Savage.
Razor Ramon Defeats Shawn Michaels At WrestleMania 10
Whenever the discussion of greatest ladder matches of all time comes up, Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 10 is usually one of the first to be mentioned, and for good reason. The match, which was to determine the undisputed IC Champion (The Heartbreak Kid was “stripped” of the belt before The Bad Guy won in it the previous year), has since become a part of wrestling lore.
There is so much about this match that makes it special from the sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden to there only being one ladder (multiple ladders are featured in these matches now) to the chemistry shared by the two. Even in 2019, the two were still going on about its enormity in this WWE YouTube clip. It’s no surprise Dave Meltzer gave it five stars (the first time for WWF/WWE).
Scott Hall Makes His WCW Debut
On May 27, 1996, Scott Hall would forever change the face of professional wrestling when he showed up on WCW Monday Nitro and delivered one of the most important promos of all time. Just weeks after last being seen in WWF, Hall walked through the crowd and climbed into the ring with a microphone to say, “You people, you know who I am but you don’t know why I’m here.” Little did any of us know at the time, but Hall effectively kicked off the hottest era in the history of the sport with his explosive promo that ended with talk of a war.
Hall would be joined by Kevin Nash (formerly known as Diesel in WWF) a couple of weeks later and the two would issue a challenge for a six-man tag match at Bash at the Beach 1996 with their mystery partner.
The Formation Of The NWO
A little over a month after making his presence known in WCW, Scott Hall cemented his legacy alongside Kevin Nash and “Hollywood” Hogan when the trio formed the New World Order (NWO) faction at the conclusion of Bash at the Beach 1996. This is one of those moments that changed wrestling as we know it and showed that even the biggest of heroes could turn heel and get a second wind. Everything from the anticipation of The Outsiders’ mystery partner, to Hogan’s turn, to the trio being showered with trash make this iconic moment, not just for wrestling but for the ‘90s as a whole.
And while this moment is mostly remembered for Hogan turning on his fellow WCW wrestlers, it is still one that shows up in any video package about Scott Hall, whether it be during his two WWE Hall of Fame video packages, career retrospectives, or the touching video WWE released following his death.
Razor Ramon’s WWE Hall of Fame Speech
Following wrestling’s peak in popularity in the late 1990s, Scott Hall had a tough go of things. From being involved in the infamous “Plane Ride From Hell” to a series of career setbacks, things weren’t looking good for the Bad Guy. But that all changed in the early 2010s when, per ESPN, Hall moved in with Diamond Dallas Page, got sober, got in shape, and turned his life around. This culminated with Hall’s 2014 induction in the WWE Hall of Fame (as Razor Ramon), which provided for one of the most emotional moments in the event's history.
Looking back on his life in and out the ring, Hall talked about the highs and lows he had experienced before ending with a quote that you have surely seen floating around since his death: “Hard work pays off. Dreams come true. Bad times don’t last, but bad guys do.”
The world of professional wrestling is better off having known Scott Hall, and it's safe to say that no one will ever forget his career or the legacy he leaves behind. For now, we say goodbye to the "Bad Guy."
