Scott Hall On What His Life Is Like Now, Possibly Working For WWE Or TNA, Razor Ramon, More
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Scott Hall, also known as Razor Ramon, joined Nani for Pandemonium on Wednesday night on VOC Nation Network. Hall will be appearing at the Big Event NY convention from 10AM-2PM on Saturday, 11/8 at the LaGuardia Plaza Hotel in Flushing, NY. You can listen to the entire interview at vocnation.com. Here are some highlights from the interview:
What his life is like right now:
"I couldn't be happier, actually. I mean, both of my kids are chasing their dreams. My daughter Cassidy is 19. She's a sophomore at the University of Central Florida down in Orlando so she's chasing her dream of higher education. You know, college ain't for everybody. It wasn't for me... it doesn't seem to be for Cody. So we moved to Atlanta & decided to focus on getting him into the indie scene & taking it from there. I'm happy to announce that Cody has been invited to train & live in Japan. He's been offered a spot in the dojo for New Japan Pro Wrestling. So things couldn't be scripted better. It's exactly how we talked about. We wanted Japan first & then maybe Europe & then NXT so , I mean, we're right on track with everything. Everything is going great for me. I feel like I'm going to wake up & someone is going to tell me it's a dream. But so far, I'm sleeping soundly.
If he will be going with his son, Cody, to Japan:
"Not initially. I mean, I would like to go over there when he debuts. He's just going to be training & you know, going to shows. He's not going to be having matches. It's just, initially, just training & stuff, which he's ready for. So I won't be going right away, no."
Whether he would ever take on any roles in Creative, Managing, or Color Commentator in WWE or TNA if it was offered to him:
"Yeah, I mean, I would certainly be flattered... I don't really think I'd consider a spot with TNA. No disrespect to TNA but I just wouldn't. I would love to work in the WWE but I don't know whether if that's ever going to happen. I find that I love working with the young guys. I remember now... like they bring the old-timers around. You know, they bring me around. I remember when I was actively on the roster & they would bring in Killer Kowalski or different guys would come in & I'd be like, 'Oh wow. Yeah. That's a legend. He's so cool.' They would just bring the old timers around just to have them at catering & stuff like that, just so the boys could mark out for them. I got to go to the Hulk's birthday at RAW &, of course, the Hall of Fame was really fun. It's really cool to be around these young guys & have these guys who are actively on the scene going, 'Man, I grew up watching you. You're the best' & all that & I never get tired of hearing that so I would welcome that. I think that I have something to offer but right now I'm just trying to work on getting & keeping my stuff straight."
If there is anyone who he looked up to:
"I remember I was a huge Dusty Rhodes' fan. Most of my pro-wrestling watching took place when I lived in Florida. I moved there when I was a teenager. I was a huge Dusty Rhodes' fan. I was a big 'Superstar' Billy Graham fan. There weren't really any factions or anything like that. I mean, I was a huge [Fabulous] Freebirds' fan & I kind of modeled the Wolfpac after the Freebirds. I thought they were so cool. Like, they had Freebirds' Rules on tag matches where you never knew which two of the three guys would defend the belts. They would just say, 'Hey, Freebirds' Rules' & that's it. I just liked the way they always were together. They traveled together. They really were friends. So, with me & Kev [Kevin Nash] & Pac [XPac], that was really cool how that all worked out & we were able to kind of mimic & give a tribute to the Freebirds. I'd say they're probably the most influential faction that I watched as a kid. [The host, Nani, then points out that the Fabulous Freebirds' are not in the WWE Hall of Fame] No, no, they're not. They're not & I think it's crazy how they could not be."
If there was anyone he wished he worked with or a program he wanted to be a part of:
"You know, a lot of people talk to me about how, 'You never were the World's Champion' & I'm thinking, when I look back on my career, I think I had two title shots my whole career... maybe three. I know I wrestled Bret [Hart] once when I was in what-was-then the WWF & I wrestled Sting like, once, in the NWO days. I think I always had some other belt. I always had a tag belt or a US belt or an IC [Intercontinental] belt & I was always on the pay-per-views defending that belt against somebody else. It just never worked out where I got any title matches but, I guess, looking back, that would be something that I would, you know, I wish would've happened. I would have gladly wrestled any of the guys who were champs but never really had the opportunity."
The rumor that he didn't want a World Champion title shot:
"No, I don't remember ever saying 'no' to one. I remember thinking that I'm not really a mark about it &, you know, I don't need it. I based my success on other things... not just belts. But I don't remember ever turning it down. But it just always worked out where, you know, I was part of the show in some other aspect & I thought I would contribute to my maximum & that happening, I didn't really worry about being 'The Man' or whatever. I always kind of looked at it like a team concept. You know, I don't care who scores the touchdown... if I made the block... as long as we all got Superbowl rings. You know, as long as we win then I don't care what my role is."
Whether the Razor Ramon & WCW's Scott Hall characters would have been as successful in today's wrestling world:
"I often think [about that]. I've watched so much wrestling now. I'm watching more wrestling lately than I have in years because, obviously, Cody watches everything &, you know, we sit & study it together. I wonder if the 'Razor [Ramon]' character would've transferred to today's wrestling fans... if that would've worked. Sometimes, I think it may have. When I watch old stuff, I go, 'God, I was young.' [laughs] But it's just like, I'm thinking, 'Wow.' There's no way to know those things without a time machine. It's one of those things you can sit around & go 'What if? What if?' & I'm trying not to do that to myself, these days. I'm just trying to embrace the career that I had, whatever lays in front of me, & just enjoying & hanging out with my kids & the success that they're having & watching them chase their dreams. Everything is 'Hall Good' at this end."
If someone told him 20 years ago that he would be doing yoga now, would he believe them:
"No, I wouldn't have believed them. In fact, I'm heading down there when I hang up from you. I only live about two blocks from Dally [Diamond Dallas Page]. I'm going to go down there & work out with him. You know, his business is really booming. Things are really going great for him & I'm so happy to see my friend enjoying his life & being successful. DDP Yoga is for real. It's helped me. I mean, when I arrived in Atlanta, I was in a wheelchair &, exactly one year after the hip surgery... exactly one year later, I walked across the stage at the Hall of Fame. DDP Yoga sure got a place in my heart."
His upcoming appearances & what is next for him:
"I'm going to be parading around at the Big Event [in New York] coming up this weekend & I'm really excited to see all the fans up in the Northeast. I get to choose my bookings now, which is a nice thing. I'm working every weekend in November because most of the shops are up in the Northeast & I just love being in that part of the country during the holidays. I love Manhattan at Christmas. I'm excited to see some old friends & eat some good food & just take in the city. Atlanta is a big city but it's still the south. You know, I need a little taste of the Northeast to get me going for the holidays."
A message for his fans:
"I just want to thank everyone for the support through thick & thin. I want to twist what Vince [McMahon] said. You know, remember the big steroid scandal when the federal government was pursuing the WWE? I was working for Vince at that time. It really was a punishing time for the territory. A lot of the money that wrestling company made was all going to the legal fund &, you know, payoffs weren't that good but we weathered through it. I remember Vince being on the steps of the courthouse when the trial was over. He had a neck brace on & stuff & he surrounded by his family & he said, 'It's just like wrestling. The good guy always wins.' Well, to me, it's just like wrestling... the Bad Guy always wins."