A Diamond Studd: Scott Hall’s Early Wrestling Career

Hall changed career paths after a fatal altercation at a bar he was working at and decided to become a professional wrestler. Already a physical specimen, Hall was hot-shotted in the business having his first official feud with Dusty Rhodes. Debuting in 1984 for NWA Florida territory, Championship Wrestling from Florida. Apart from CWF’s American Starship, Hall and partner Dan Spivey would adopt the names Eagle (Dan Spivey) and Coyote (Scott Hall). They would face some of CWF’s greatest opponents, The Zambuie Express, Black Bart & JJ Dillon, and The Assassin.

Scott Hall would finish out his debut year wrestling for Pro Wrestling USA against Billy Graham, Central States Wrestling, and NWA St. Louis. By this time in 1985, Hall joined one of the most notable organizations in North America, Verne Gagne’s AWA (American Wrestling Association). He would spend the next 4 years of his career wrestling for AWA as Big Scott Hall and Magnum. Given his similar aesthetic to Tom Selleck in Magnum Pi, Hall was best suited for this role of an intimidating charismatic monster babyface.

Gagne saw Hall’s potential growth to a superstardom level. He wanted Hall to be his next Hulk Hogan. During his time he would even incorporate similar mannerisms to Hogan for fans to get behind him as the next face of the company. He would form a team with Curt Hening, even winning the AWA World Tag Team Championships from Steve Regal and Jimmy Darvin in New Mexico. He would face AWA’s biggest stars at the time in Larry Zbyszko, Buddy Rose, Col. DeBeers, and Shawn Michaels.

Once the team parted ways Hall was quickly moved up the ranks contending for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship. Even though he challenged Stan Hansen and Rick Martell for the championship there was talk of him winning the championship. These talks fell through as it was said Hall hated the cold weather of the AWA territory and recognized that the company was slowly sinking. Hall would need to find somewhere else to work to keep his name relevant so on defeating Buddy Wolff by DQ he left the AWA for green pastures.

• AWA
• razor ramon
• Scott Hall
• WCW
• WWF
• wwe

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