Scott Hall Needs WWE's Help in Order to Conquer Personal Demons

With ESPN's E:60 set to profile him next week, former WWE, WCW and TNA star Scott Hall is back in the news. A clip of the show depicts Hall clearly under the influence of drugs or alcohol needing to be helped to the ring at an independent wrestling show.

Hall has battled addiction for many years, and while it cut his wrestling career short, it is now threatening to cut his life short as well. In a snippet of his interview with ESPN, Hall says that he doesn't "want to die," but that he isn't "afraid to die" either.

As a 52-year-old man, death certainly should be at the forefront of his mind. He has been unwilling or unable to overcome his addiction problems to this point, though, and if he doesn't change something soon, then death could certainly be right around the corner.

While addiction is a form of illness, it can't be defeated unless Hall is willing to get the necessary treatment and ultimately wants to get well, just like any other sickness. With that said, I believe there is only one entity that can save him now, and that is the WWE.

Although it would have been easy for the WWE to wipe its hands of Hall after releasing him 2002, the company has continued to reach out to and help him. He has gotten involved in WWE-sponsored rehabilitation on a couple of occasions, and while it hasn't fully worked to this point, it shows that the company at least cares.

It seems unlikely that Hall is going to save himself, so some of his closest friends like Triple H, Shawn Michaels and Kevin Nash (all of whom are still involved with WWE in some manner) need to make the decision for him and insist that he gives WWE's rehab program another try.

If they don't do that and do it quickly, then situation is likely to spiral even more out of control than it already is. If Hall is committed and shows improvement for some period of time, then I would suggest that the WWE gets him involved in the company again, even if its in a limited backstage role.

The wrestling business probably has a lot to do with why Hall got into drug and alcohol problems in the first place, because of its grueling schedule and lifestyle, but I think the best thing for him right now is to be involved in the business in a positive manner and to be around his closest friends.

At the very least, being involved in the WWE will allow Triple H to keep tabs on him. Hall obviously has to take some amount of responsibility for himself, but having a trusted confidant nearby at all times should help him that much more.

This situation would be akin to what Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton does to beat his addiction issues. Hamilton was once a heavy abuser of drugs and alcohol, but he turned his life around and is now one of Major League Baseball's best hitters.

To stay on track, Rangers assistant hitting coach Johnny Narron acts as his "accountability partner" to ensure that he doesn't have any relapses. It has worked quite well to this point, so I don't see why it couldn't be an effective tool for Hall.

With all that said, Hall simply can't get out of this downward spiral on his own. The only chance he has to salvage his life right now, in my opinion, be around a solid support system, and that support system is the WWE.