Scott Hall, aka Razor Ramon, holds a very important place in WWE and WCW professional wrestling history. While Hall is generally regarded with esteem by both fans of wrestling and his colleagues within the industry, he's also one of the best overall performers to never hold a world championship during his illustrious 30-plus year career in the ring. Hall is best known for his time as a major star in WWE and the now defunct WCW, but he was by no means an overnight success.

Hall earned his first taste of widespread fame as part of the also now defunct AWA organization, wrestling there in the late 1980s, and reigning as one half of the tag team champions alongside fellow future great Curt Hennig, later known as Mr. Perfect in WWE. Hall also had a brief early stint in WCW in 1991, working under the ring name The Diamond Studd, and being managed by another future star in "Diamond" Dallas Page. It wasn't until joining the then WWF in 1992 as Razor Ramon, a Cuban immigrant heel character, that Hall finally achieved the wrestling stardom he deserved. After that, Hall would reach even greater heights.

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Scott Hall's tragic death in March 2022 emphasized how important the wrestler was on both a professional and personal level to those around him, with WWE itself giving tribute to Hall, and many who worked alongside him - or who were otherwise inspired by him - also adding their own testaments. Hall's passing is a huge loss for the wrestling world to bear, and leaves a remarkable legacy behind him, both in the WWE and WCW, having changed the face of wrestling in his time in both.

Razor Ramon Helped Make The Ladder Match What It Is Today

Razor Ramon vs Shawn Michaels in a Ladder Match at WWE WrestleMania 10

Scott Hall made waves immediately after debuting in WWE as Razor Ramon, nicknamed "The Bad Guy." He spent the first year of his WWE career ostensibly as a heel, but Hall's Ramon exuded cool so much that it quickly became almost impossible for most audiences to want to boo him. Ramon was cocky, confident, stylish, and the best part was, when he got in the ring, he was tough and skilled enough to back up his boasts. Ramon was a heel so cool that the audience turned him into a good guy long before the same happened to the likes of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and The Rock during the Attitude Era.

Hall was also just as gifted an in-ring performer as he was on the microphone, engaging in excellent matches as Razor Ramon with the likes of Bret Hart, The 1-2-3 Kid, and Rick Martel. Ramon had the most chemistry though with his real-life friend Shawn Michaels, with the two famously stealing the show at 1994's WrestleMania X event in a wild ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship. While this wasn't the invention of the concept, Ramon vs. Michaels was the first televised ladder match by a major company, and set the bar for all subsequent ladder matches to try and exceed. Today, ladder matches are a fan favorite stipulation, and regularly feature downright awe-inspiring stunts, but it all traces back to Ramon defeating Michaels. It's also worth noting that Ramon and Michaels had an arguably even better ladder rematch at SummerSlam 1995, with Michaels winning that time.

Scott Hall Co-Founding The nWo Arguably Saved Wrestling In The 1990s

Scott Hall, Hulk Hogan, and Kevin Nash Form nWo at WCW Bash at the Beach 1996

In spring 1996, Scott Hall left WWE behind, and with it the Razor Ramon character that WWE boss Vince McMahon owned. It ended up not really effecting him much, as almost every wrestling fan knew who he was on sight, and when Hall made a surprise appearance on WCW Monday Nitro, it dropped jaws. Back in 1996, in the early days of the internet, most fans didn't know Hall had even left WWE, much less that he had signed with WCW. It appeared like WWE was invading WCW when Hall arrived, and even more so when Kevin Nash (formerly WWE's Diesel) showed up soon after.

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At July 1996's Bash at the Beach pay-per-view, Hall and Nash united with a newly heel-turned Hulk (now Hollywood) Hogan to form the outlaw nWo (New World Order) faction, changing the face of wrestling. Both WWE and WCW had been struggling in the mid-1990s from a business standpoint, and wrestling had faded back into being a niche product after Hulkamania dominated the 1980s. While WWE's Attitude Era would later take wrestling to its greatest heights of mainstream popularity ever, the nWo invasion storyline arguably saved the industry, making wrestling cool again, and selling mountains of merchandise in the process. Hall was a huge part of this period, reigning atop WCW's tag team division with partner Nash as The Outsiders.

Scott Hall's Recovery From Addiction Inspired The Wrestling World

Scott Hall Joining the WWE Hall of Fame in 2014

Sadly, Scott Hall's professional wrestling journey also saw him face difficult personal battles. Hall struggled with substance abuse and alcoholism issues, and that became quite apparent during the later years of his career. Hall was infamously fired from WWE in May 2002 not long after he returned to the company, due to intoxication and inappropriate behavior on the "Flight From Hell" incident that was recently covered on Dark Side of the Ring. Thankfully, Hall was able to turn his life around in 2013 with help from his long-time friend and colleague "Diamond" Dallas Page, who had become something of a self-help and fitness guru since retiring from the ring.

Page helped Hall get sober and healthy, and the following year, Hall was deservedly inducted into WWE's Hall of Fame. Hall ended his acceptance speech with a powerful quote that's since become synonymous with him: "Hard work pays off. Dreams come true. Bad times don't last, but bad guys do." Hall, like many recovering addicts, relapsed a few times in the years since, but worked hard to try and stay on a better path overall. Scott Hall's legacy is not only as a Hall of Fame-caliber professional wrestler, but also an inspirational man who overcame the demons that so many struggle with every day. Whether it be as Razor Ramon, or a founding member of the nWo, Scott Hall stands tall as a truly special figure in wrestling history.

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