This interview was conducted with Scott in New Japan Pro Wrestling in the late '90s, and is translated from a Japanese magazine- the translation is fairly loose (and not my doing) so... just bear with it.

***

Fumihiko Saito (S) : You've joined all matches for 2 tours of NJPW, continuously. Well... honestly, I'm so surprised...

Scott Hall (H) : ...why I should be back at this time?

S : No, no... it's suddenly, I mean.

H : It's not for money.

S : No, I guess not.

H : I've been thinking like this, if I'll retire or I'll wrestle one more time to my heart's content. It's for confirm my feeling about wrestling. Soon I got the feeling when I joined the tour last month (=March). Wow, I still can do this, I still can work a good job in this ring! That's why I came here to join another tour.

S : It sounds very nice. I'm glad to hear you wanted to confirm your feeling about wrestling.

H : NJPW is the one of first-class companies in the world. All wrestlers are top-athletes, and there are many wrestlers who I want to fight to in the ring. I'll be fine to wrestle, without chatting. I don't need TV interviews, I'll be able to success in the NJPW ring. I just want to fight, physical... so I don't need this interview.

S : No, please don't say that.

H : But you'll see what I'm talking if you watch me in the ring. Buy the ticket. Come to the arena. I'm not used by anyone. I'm independent. I'm so happy in this way. It's like a young boy who is searching for where to fight. I became a prowrestler not to being a rich. I wanted to wrestle, that's why I became a pro wrestler.

S : Yes, I guess so.

H : I was grown up in the base because my father was in the army. I hated my hair short, really hated the military uniform, or any uniforms. Don't you think you can wear anything you like? It's bad if you want your hair long? When I was a kid, I spent Orlando the most of my time. And I was a big fan of Dusty Rhodes, so I liked pro wrestlers' life styles.

S : American Dream, Dusty Rhodes...

H : Now the wrestling business became a really huge like a billion-dollar industry. I think it's wonderful but it's not the same as wrestling itself. Then my point should be myself in the ring. If I can enjoy wresting in the ring or not, that's the point. If not, I'd rather be staying at home and relax. I don't need audiences' voices, flatters by my fans, I don't need that kind of things anymore. Plus, I already earned much money.

S : So you just want to enjoy wrestling...

H : Yeah, because I found the passion for wrestling. After this tour finished, I'll join the match with Dusty Rhodes in Dothan, Alabama on May 5th. I'll meet Kev in Atlanta, then we'll drive to Alabama. When NJPW will have a big match in Fukuoka Dome for over 50,000 people, me and Kev will be in a very country town in Alabama.

S : It's good expression that *rediscovered for the passion*...

H : I guess NJPW really liked me. The contract was ready in the middle of the last tour. But I didn't sign, it's impossible for them to pay me as I want. So I said them, *don't worry, I'll be back to the next tour*. NJPW circuit is an ideal environment for American wrestlers, I think. For me, it's a *safety environment*, maybe.

S : Safety?

H : Because here in Japan, I can have first-class services by first-class companies all the time. I don't have to go for check-in when I arrive at a hotel, and when I get into the NJPW bus, then it takes me to a building. *Mr.Hall, your check-in has done*, *We're just arrived, Mr.Hall*...

S : Is it a big help for you not to drive to a building by yourself?

H : I don't drive a lot in America though. Kev used to drive, I was a navigator, and Kid was a DJ. He played the music.

S : That's the Wolfpac...

H : Shawn Michaels was my partner before Kev joined WWF. Me and Shawn used to move together for about 2 years, almost everyday. Then Kev joined, 2 years together, so I used to be with Shawn and Kev for 4 years. All day, all night, all year... We fought in the ring, but we were like brothers.

S : Several years in the middle of the 90's... We still remember the ladder match of you and Shawn at *SummerSlum* in Aug, 95. Is that you guys who did a ladder match first?

H : Well... if I say *yes*, Bret is going to get angry, I guess.

S : Then, the original was the one in Calgary, late in the 70's, Bret Hart vs Dynamite Kid, wasn't it?

H : And we made it better, and we did it better, I think. But I say *yes, our match was the first* to make Bret get angry. I don't know if he gets angry or laughs, if he read this.

S : I don't know either.

H : It's very important for him, that kind of thing. He's really serious about wrestling. He has noticed *who's the first guy to use this style, this lock, or the finisher* rather than money.

S : You met him again in WCW in Dec, 97.

H : I don't know if it was the right choice for him to go to WCW because he's a superstar who appeals to the audience by doing great matches. He used to love WWF from the bottom of his heart and lost where he love to wrestle. But there was no way.

S : That's the story we found in a film *Wrestling With Shadows*.

H : He's a second generation and what we say, the man from a wrestling family. His background is totally different from mine. He had to say *wrestling is not fake* at school, and had to fight to classmates. He's been protecting wrestling business since he was kid. My friend, Curt Henning was the same. He had to fight for his father. I'm not a second generation, so I've been watching this business objectively. The difference between us is more bigger than you guess.

S : Kev and X-Pac are not, they're the same as you.

H : The Outsiders are *shoot*. We're real friends. I need you to write what I'm saying now...

S : What?

H : WCW was #2 company. After Scott Hall and Kevin Nash moved from WWF, then WCW became #1. But they got our brother, Kid fired suddenly, while he was at home with a broken neck. They sent him only FedEx letter and said *you're fired*. So me and Kev lost our spirit to help WCW anymore. After we threw *Nitro's story* out, the audience rating was getting down quickly from the next week.

S : Yes, it's true.

H : Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage were already there, Nitro started Sep/96, me and Kev had contracts Jun/96, about 1 year later. Sting and Luger were there, but they couldn't help WCW. We made WCW changed as #1.

S : Yes, you're right.

H : But they got our friend fired. So we didn't want to carry WCW anymore. We visited Eric's office and said to him *Get us fired*. Kev took off his watch and he was ready to hit him. But Eric said he couldn't. So we got our money as in our contract, then I disappeared from TV, Kev disappeared from TV too, WCW destroyed... that's the history.

S : You want to say that there was a cause of WCW's destruction 2 years ago.

H : Eric told us *he was just an extra guy*. That's the big mistake! Kid is the one who is underestimated his talent the most in this business. Vince has understood Kid's potential ability so Kid was back to WWF alone, as X-Pac. Vince is very smart.

Scott: No, just check us out on June 19th, give it a shot. I'm interested in seeing what happens too. I don't know what is going on, but I just talked to Jeff a little while ago, and he sounded excited about some possibilities, so we'll see what happens.