According to industry sources, Scott Hall, a member of the WWE Hall of Fame, was taken to the hospital and placed on life support Monday.
Hall, who is 63 years old, is most well-known for his role as the campy Cuban bad boy Razor Ramon. This was during pro wrestling's peak in popularity in late 20th century.
Hulk Hogan was part of the 1990s revolution, when he and other well-known performers, including Vince McMahon, moved from Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Federation, now World Wrestling Entertainment, to Ted Turner's World Championship Wrestling, which shaken the industry to its foundation.
While Turner's WCW was eventually demolished and took over by WWE, Hall's moves are still significant in the building of individual brands for performers.
Dwayne Johnson and Jesse Ventura, all pro wrestlers, have achieved fame beyond the mat.
"By the time Razor wrestled, Vince McMahon pretty nearly controlled the territory all by himself," stated Robert Thompson , a professor at Syracuse University. He regularly incorporates lessons from pro wrestling in his teaching of American TV History.
"It (Hall's departure to WCW) gave people an underlying sense of agency that there were others to go. Although it sounds obvious now, this was huge in the 1990s. You are not just a soldier in Vince's army.
Kevin Nash, Hall's tag team partner, stated that he loved Scott with all his heart and was prepared for the worst.
Nash posted on Instagram Monday morning that "my life was enriched by his take on life," along with a photo of his wrestle partner. He wasn't perfect, but he said that he was 'the last perfect person on the planet to nail to a cross.' "
The news of Hall's declining health quickly spread through pro-wrestling circles.
Johnson tweeted, "Scott Hall pulling to you my friend," "Stay strong! We need to get the "bad guy" back in the game.
