Scott Hall, the “Bad Guy” of professional wrestling who revolutionized the industry as a founding member of the New World Order faction, is dead. He was 63 years old.

The WWE announced his death on Monday night and aired a tribute video to his flagship program “Raw.” Hall, who also fought for the WWE as Razor Ramon, was twice inducted into the company’s Hall of Fame.

His longtime friend and NWO member Kevin Nash wrote on social media that Hall retired from life support on Monday after complications from hip replacement surgery.

Former WWE and WCW star Sean Waltman tweeted Monday“Left.”

Hall fought alcohol abuse for years and recounted his decades of substance abuse in a 2011 ESPN documentary in which he said, “He should have been killed 100 times.”

The wrestling world mourned Hall and some WWE stars paid tribute to his gestures and slogans on “Raw”.

“Scott Hall was an important figure among his contemporaries, a legend in and out of the ring,” he told WWE Hall of Famer. Mick Foley tweeted.

In the ring, few professional wrestlers oozed masculinity like the “Bad Guy.” Hall made his way through several wrestling territories in the 1980s before getting his big chance in 1992 when he signed with the then World Wrestling Federation. He was named Razor Ramon, an imitation of “Scarface” characters who modeled on one of the cool heels of wrestling.

With his dripping wet hair, his chopsticks and the ubiquitous chopsticks, Ramon affected the Cuban accent and quickly became the main event with matches against Bret Hart, Diesel and the 1-2-3 Kid. He won several championships during his five years and defeated Shawn Michaels in a historic match at WrestleMania in 1994. He won the Pro Wrestling Illustrated Match of the Year honors.

With promotional rival World Championship Wrestling taking WWE’s place for best wrestling company in the 1990s, Ted Turner’s company began making big contract offers to some of the biggest stars in the world. industry. WWE and WCW had never recognized each other on television until the rivalry escalated through what became known as “Monday Night Wars,” pitting Vince McMahon’s “Raw” against Ted Turner’s “Nitro.”

Hall made his biggest impact when he signed with WCW and made a surprise entry into the crowd on a May 27, 1996 episode of “Nitro.” Before the Internet fully pushed the curtain on the industry, Hall’s announcement, “You know who I am. But you don’t know why I’m here,” made fans really believe that WWE had invaded WCW.

Hall was soon joined by former WWE star Kevin Nash, the “Outsiders,” who claimed they had been sent for a hostile takeover of WCW. The angle gained major attention in July 1996 when his claims of a third man to help them lead the invasion turned out to be Hulk Hogan. Hogan became a villain and the trio formed the evil New World Order, helping WCW defeat the WWE in the standings for 83 consecutive weeks.

Hall later returned to the WWE and fought in other promotions, but his career was cut short by drugs and alcohol and several trips to rehab.

“I tell my kids this,‘ I can’t tell you not to drink and take drugs, they’re funny. It is fun. “They work,” Hall said in the documentary.

Hall was twice inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, once by his character Razor Ramon and again as part of the stable NWO.

His 2014 speech when he entered as Razor Ramon has been wildly cited by industry fighters and fans since his condition became known over the weekend.

“Hard work pays off,” Hall said. “Dreams come true. Bad times don’t last. But bad ones do.”

In:
• WWE
• obituary
• Scott Hall