WWE: Kevin Nash Is Not the Same Without Scott Hall on Monday Night RAW

Something’s not right. I watch Kevin Nash on RAW, week in and week out, and like many fans, I have enjoyed what I’ve seen so far. He’s in great shape, he can still talk, and even against CM Punk, who is in his prime, especially on the mic, Nash is doing a fairly good job of holding his own. So far, so good.

But, as I have been watching, soaking it all in, it suddenly occurred to me what has been missing.

Scott Hall. I miss Scott Hall. I can’t help it, I just do.

The current storyline running on Monday Night RAW involving Kevin Nash is different, it‘s entertaining, and it’s definitely keeping fans guessing. It’s good.

But, if Hall were there, it would be great.

Perhaps I should say if a healthy Hall were there, it would be great.

We’re all very aware of the problems that he has had, Scott has seemingly been fighting his demons most of his life in recent years. So much so, that to imagine him any other way is nearly impossible at this point.

He is just a shell of the man he once was in the business, and even though a return for him now, on the big stage of WWE is likely not going to happen, I find myself reminiscing about what used to be.

When I first saw Scott Hall wrestle, it was in the AWA. He and Curt Hennig were a good tag team, and were the World Tag Team Champions. Scott was big, in fact, he was jacked up, with his signature hairy chest, and a handlebar mustache.

He had a friendly smile, was very personable, and he played the face extremely well. He and Curt were two of the most popular wrestlers in the company, and he appeared to be one of the young workers who could carry the AWA in the void left by Hulk Hogan when he signed with WWE.

What a difference a gold chain and a toothpick makes.

Razor Ramon was just one of those WWF guys to me. Along with a lot of the other very colorful personalities of the day, he was outspoken, flamboyant, and very over the top. He essentially began as most of the talent employed by the company in those days.

He was a cartoon character.

It's not that I was put off by that presentation too much, as I am quite the fan of the animated feature. But, when it came to my wrestling, I preferred Jim Crockett Promotions, and the early days of WCW, until it became painfully obvious that no one knew how to run that company.

For me, Razor Ramon was just too much of a character, and frankly, I wasn’t interested.

Then I watched him work. I kept watching him. There was suddenly something very familiar about him, I couldn’t quite put it into words, but it was there. I knew him, but I wasn’t sure how.

One day, during a conversation with a friend of mine, Razor’s name came up. “You know that’s Scott Hall, right?” he said. I sat there for a moment, thought about it, drew from my accumulated years of watching the sport, and the knowledge I had gained thus far, and answered him.

“No way.”

I was shocked. Razor Ramon looked nothing like the Scott Hall I had seen years before. The transformation was stunning, and while it took a little getting used to, I was impressed with the way he was handling his new heel character.

When he and Nash jumped ship to WCW as The Outsiders, Hall kept the look, but just added more of himself to his character. Soon, instead of “oozing machismo,” Hall was just laid-back and cool.

I don’t remember one time that he uttered the words “hey yo,” that I didn’t smile. Scott Hall just had that affect on fans. He was fun to watch, and it was his unpredictable nature that kept fans on the edge of their seats whenever he was in the ring.

The friendship between Hall and Nash is legendary. In fact, it’s hard to say one last name without thinking of the other, like Lennon and McCartney.

They remain close to this day, and they will always be remembered for the impact that had on the industry when they entered WCW and revitalized the business.

Yes, seeing Nash in a WWE ring again is cool. Hearing the infamous nWo music playing when he hits the ramp is even cooler. But, any talk of a possible reformation of the nWo just doesn’t seem right, not without the other original Outsider in the mix.

If a new nWo were to indeed form, it would be in name only. Nash is very good on the mic, and he knows how to handle himself in a promo, but without Hall, it’s just not the same. I would daresay that Nash would also agree with that sentiment.

Every time I see Nash, I think of Hall, and how much I wish the guy that made me laugh and did it with such style 10 years ago, could somehow get himself right, and come back for all the fun now.

Here’s to one more for the good guy.