Scott Hall is one of those names in wrestling that everyone has a strong opinion on, be it positive, negative, or just plain fearful for the guy's life.

 

Let's face it -- if he passed away tomorrow, fans would be saddened.... but not shocked. Tales of his substance abuse are legendary in wrestling circles.

 

But after watching this two-disc RF Video shoot (produced in mid-to-late 2007), it becomes apparent that Scott Hall is more than a one-note joke and, in fact, The Bad Guy isn't that bad a guy after all. He's lucid, clear-headed and calm throughout the interview.

 

Somewhat surprisingly, Hall is a student of the game. He's one of a only few guys that can say he's plied his trade in the AWA, WCW, WWE, ECW and TNA (not to mention Germany, Florida, Puerto Rico and Japan) and only was able to do so because he was a strong, competent worker.

 

Beyond that, it becomes apparent that Hall has a good head for what works and doesn't work in the business, suggesting to me that he could have had a post-career booking gig a la his Clique cronies Triple H and Kevin Nash, had it not been for his substance issues.

 

Hall opens up on a wide range of subjects over the two-plus hours, ranging from his opinions on management (Verne Gagne, Vince McMahon, Eric Bischoff, Paul Heyman and Vince Russo are all discussed) to his defection to WCW in 1996 when he helped form the new World order, to the infamous "Plane Ride From Hell" that cost him his WWE gig in 2002.

 

Hall gives insight on events that previously hadn't been discussed in other interviews, such as McMahon's reaction to his Razor Ramon gimmick (would you believe that Tito Santana, of all people, helped come up with the name?) and where the name even came from.

 

He's also candid about his struggles with drugs and alcohol and whether he minds how public his demons have become.While Hall is quick to praise most of the people he's worked with over the years (not just his Clique or Wolfpac buddies), he's also not afraid to criticize those whom he felt lashed out at over the years, including Bret Hart, Rowdy Roddy Piper and Arn Anderson.

 

One other thing worth noting: Hall has a great sense of humor, and manages to crack up the camera crew on more than one occasion. He has a great natural charisma that goes past the stereotypical Bad Guy gimmick -- it's just not something that many fans have ever seen.

 

While the video production itself is nothing spectacular (it's Hall sitting in front of a camera, essentially), this is definitely a shoot interview that I would highly recommend. You'll surely want to remember this version of the guy, rather than the sad caricature of himself that he's become in recent years.