Jul 14, 2016

A True Champion



Scott Hall
The Jerry Springer Show (January 1996)
One of the true highlights in professional wrestling that doesn't get talked about as much as it should was when Scott Hall was a guest on The Jerry Springer Show in the months leading up to Wrestlemania XII.  If that's all you heard about it, you might have an image in your mind that involves chair throwing and an all out brawl on stage to promote a big match at the pay-per-view, but that's not at all what happened.

Mr. Hall was working for the World Wrestling Federation in his Razor Ramon gimmick at the time.  He was the Intercontinental Champion, and he appeared on the daytime talk show to meet two young children who were HIV Positive: Hydeia Broadbent (left) and Tyler Small (right).  Tyler was a big wrestling fan, and the producers asked him who his favorite wrestler was when he was being booked to appear on the show.  He told them his favorite was Razor Ramon, and so Scott Hall appeared on the show in character as a surprise to meet the children.  In a moment that was not planned ahead of time, Mr. Hall made the decision to give his Intercontinental Championship Belt to the children on the show.  He didn't give them a replica... he gave them the actual title that was used on television.  In the years since, Mr. Hall has said in interviews that he was worried after the show that he was going to get in trouble for what he had done, but he was told by management that he did the right thing and that the company would have another belt made.

WWE.com staff writer Anthony Benigno recently caught up with Hydeia and Tyler for an interview twenty years after their appearance on The Jerry Springer Show.  They're both healthy and doing well, and Tyler still has the Intercontinental Championship Belt to this day.  Click here to read the article.