There are times when power shifts in the wrestling world occur that don’t seem like they’ll be anything more than a new talent being added. Just like in other sports, one signing can make the difference as the individual has a chance to flourish in a new system, and Scott Hall was no different. This day in wrestling history, 5/27/96, saw Scott Hall return to WCW and appear on Monday Night Nitro. It also signaled the first dramatic shifting of power, but no one seemed to realize it yet. At least, not fully.
Fresh start
What makes this day in wrestling history really cool is the fact that sometimes changing promotions, teams, etc is good as it gives the talent a fresh slate and chance to grow. It also gives both companies an opportunity as the former home can bring in fresh talent that hasn’t been seen as much, while the new home can create new and fresh storylines to give their new acquisition a new lease on life.
Eric Bischoff has said that he wanted to take a more reality approach to how WCW did things compared to the WWE. Instead of comically outfitted plumbers, repo men, and others, he let the wrestlers use their real names and looked to Japan for inspiration. This combination created a maelstrom that ignited the Monday Night Wars and sent WCW and their wrestlers into the stratosphere, but we rarely hear the indepth reasons for the defections (as the WWE puts it) of wrestlers like The Bad Guy.
In his own words
(Special thanks to @awrestlinghistorian for the quote.)
“What I do remember about that is I gave my notice 90 days in advance in writing as required contractually, which meant I didn’t want the contract to roll over.
“It was a one year deal that kept rolling. It was ten matches at $150, $1,500 a year guarantee. Don’t get me wrong, the money was way better, but then I felt like I had grown as a performer. I felt like I was more of a part of the company. But my pay had started to plateau. So I went to Vince McMahon and said ‘Hey, boss, what do I need to do to improve? Is that my ring work? Is it my mic work? Because my pay has plateaued and I want to make big money like the guys who preceded me.’ And then he knew something was up.
“Then they summoned me to Connecticut for a meeting and I went in prepared. And this is when it was a private company, it’s not publicly traded. And in Vince’s mind if you made more, he literally made less. And I went, ‘Hey, boss, I’m no mathematician, but I do look at my merchandise statements. If we move the decimal point a little bit, would the McMahon family really notice? Because the whole family would notice anyway.’ He goes, ‘Nope. No. I’m not going to do it.’ I was like cool because right now things are great. I’m not hurt. I’m done and I’m going to WCW the next day. He goes, ‘Dammit, you still work for me. How much did those sons of bitches offer you?’
“I’m thinking, ‘What? Like months have gone. 90 days have gone by. You never said let’s work this out.’ I didn’t want to leave. I really didn’t want to leave. So the WCW contract was ‘If I choose to work for WCW, I’m guaranteed this amount, but I don’t have to come.’ If at the last minute I decided to stay with WWF, I can, but I just wanted a guarantee.” – Scott Hall RF shoot interview 2007.
Sadly, as is often the case, it appears to have come down to money. There will never be a lack of individuals saying they would’ve stayed if they were paid fairly. It’s a common thing in any sport, but in this case, it worked out for everybody. Especially the fans, as we got to see some of the best wrestling and entertainment ever.
If anyone hasn’t, we urge everyone to look up some of the old footage and enjoy this day in wrestling history as much as we do. You won’t regret it.
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