Scott Hall almost had a backstage Altercation with Benoit?

[bluebeach25]

I recently heard that Hall/Benoit had almost an backstage Altercation or heated Argument either before or after WM 18! Is this has ever been confirmed?

[cornettesracket]

Now that mentioned WM 18 that rings a bell. I think it is alleged to have happened in public. Hasn’t JR mentioned it on his podcast ?

[Jaws the Shark]

Jim Ross did indeed mention it on his podcast. Hall had got shitfaced the night before the show and Benoit, who obviously took it all extremely seriously and I don't think he and Hall liked one another very much, was less than impressed. I don't think there was an actual confrontation, just two people in the same place, one angry at the other.

[cjh]

According to Chris Jericho's first book, their heat stemmed from their time in WCW.  Hall got drunk and urinated on a pair of boots that belonged to Benoit.  Hall was also apparently dismissive and insulting towards Jericho until Benoit told Jericho to stand up to him.

[willywonka666]

Hall always came off as a jerk to me, drunk or sober-especially when he shit all over a wrestling fan in his commentary when watching a video. Yes, he had demons, but it couldn't have been a great environment with him running roughshod

[wildojinx]

Mar 9, 2023 7:58:08 GMT -5 Jaws the Shark said:

Jim Ross did indeed mention it on his podcast. Hall had got shitfaced the night before the show and Benoit, who obviously took it all extremely seriously and I don't think he and Hall liked one another very much, was less than impressed. I don't think there was an actual confrontation, just two people in the same place, one angry at the other.

It couldnt have been around WM18, Benoit wasnt at that show and was still injured around that time (he didnt return until late spring/early summer).

[Jaws the Shark]

Mar 9, 2023 9:15:59 GMT -5 wildojinx said:

Mar 9, 2023 7:58:08 GMT -5 Jaws the Shark said:

Jim Ross did indeed mention it on his podcast. Hall had got shitfaced the night before the show and Benoit, who obviously took it all extremely seriously and I don't think he and Hall liked one another very much, was less than impressed. I don't think there was an actual confrontation, just two people in the same place, one angry at the other.

It couldnt have been around WM18, Benoit wasnt at that show and was still injured around that time (he didnt return until late spring/early summer).

Ross reckons it was at a restaurant rather than at an actual event, but definitely said it was the night before, so I don't know if perhaps he was just around but didn't make a proper appearance because as you said, he was still laid off. I could be wrong but it didn't really sound like a tall tale, largely because nothing actually happened. I don't know, the only other people who were apparently there and know for sure what went on aren't around anymore.

[cjh]

Mar 9, 2023 9:15:59 GMT -5 wildojinx said:

Mar 9, 2023 7:58:08 GMT -5 Jaws the Shark said:

Jim Ross did indeed mention it on his podcast. Hall had got shitfaced the night before the show and Benoit, who obviously took it all extremely seriously and I don't think he and Hall liked one another very much, was less than impressed. I don't think there was an actual confrontation, just two people in the same place, one angry at the other.

It couldnt have been around WM18, Benoit wasnt at that show and was still injured around that time (he didnt return until late spring/early summer).

He was in attendance.  During Benoit's ring entrance at WM 19, Michael Cole noted that he and Tazz watched WM 18 with Benoit in one of the skyboxes.

[tafkaga]

Mar 9, 2023 8:09:08 GMT -5 cjh said:

According to Chris Jericho's first book, their heat stemmed from their time in WCW.  Hall got drunk and urinated on a pair of boots that belonged to Benoit.  Hall was also apparently dismissive and insulting towards Jericho until Benoit told Jericho to stand up to him.

I thought that was Scott Norton who told Jericho to stand up to Hall.

[cjh]

Mar 9, 2023 10:05:59 GMT -5 tafkaga said:

Mar 9, 2023 8:09:08 GMT -5 cjh said:

According to Chris Jericho's first book, their heat stemmed from their time in WCW.  Hall got drunk and urinated on a pair of boots that belonged to Benoit.  Hall was also apparently dismissive and insulting towards Jericho until Benoit told Jericho to stand up to him.

I thought that was Scott Norton who told Jericho to stand up to Hall.

 
Sorry, I mixed up two different stories.  Benoit told Jericho to disregard Hall when Hall was telling Jericho to do less in the ring and make his matches shorter.  Benoit said Hall was just lazy and wanted the other guys to be lazy, too.

[The Blue Nova]

Scott could be a jerk yes. But benoit isnt exactly a saint either the story of him bullying young talent..

[Jaws the Shark]

Mar 9, 2023 10:23:07 GMT -5 The Blue Nova said:

Scott could be a jerk yes. But benoit isnt exactly a saint either the story of him bullying young talent..

They both kind of epitomise two different types of toxicity in the industry. Hall let his success go to his head and grew an immense ego, and Benoit bought into the bullshit of "dis bidness" to such an extreme that his brain and body broke, and they both destroyed themselves and by extension, the people around them, Benoit obviously far worse than Hall.

And that's really sad.

[Deleted]

Mar 9, 2023 11:24:30 GMT -5 Jaws the Shark said:

Mar 9, 2023 10:23:07 GMT -5 The Blue Nova said:

Scott could be a jerk yes. But benoit isnt exactly a saint either the story of him bullying young talent..

They both kind of epitomise two different types of toxicity in the industry. Hall let his success go to his head and grew an immense ego, and Benoit bought into the bullshit of "dis bidness" to such an extreme that his brain and body broke, and they both destroyed themselves and by extension, the people around them, Benoit obviously far worse than Hall.

And that's really sad.

I think it shows some of the dangers of insular businesses like professional wrestling.  For better or worse, the guys who keep their health and their sanity are the ones who treat it exactly as a job and not their reason for existence. 

To put it bluntly: Brock Lesnar, Kevin Nash, and Bill Goldberg are all arguably better off than guys like Hogan and Flair who just can't let go. 

[tafkaga]

Mar 9, 2023 11:24:30 GMT -5 Jaws the Shark said:

Mar 9, 2023 10:23:07 GMT -5 The Blue Nova said:

Scott could be a jerk yes. But benoit isnt exactly a saint either the story of him bullying young talent..

They both kind of epitomise two different types of toxicity in the industry. Hall let his success go to his head and grew an immense ego, and Benoit bought into the bullshit of "dis bidness" to such an extreme that his brain and body broke, and they both destroyed themselves and by extension, the people around them, Benoit obviously far worse than Hall.

And that's really sad.

From rival camps too.  The old school larger than life personalities camp and the "vanilla midget" workrate camp.  The former of which was fighting off and trying to delegitimize the rise of the latter.  

[ThankGodForSidJustice]

Mar 9, 2023 10:05:59 GMT -5 tafkaga said:

Mar 9, 2023 8:09:08 GMT -5 cjh said:

According to Chris Jericho's first book, their heat stemmed from their time in WCW.  Hall got drunk and urinated on a pair of boots that belonged to Benoit.  Hall was also apparently dismissive and insulting towards Jericho until Benoit told Jericho to stand up to him.

I thought that was Scott Norton who told Jericho to stand up to Hall.

It was Norton. I think he told Jericho if he didn't stand up to Hall he would do it for him in front of the whole locker room and make him look like a p***y. It's weird with Jericho and Hall in that I remember a shoot with Hall where he said he changed the finish of a match to put over Jericho. However Jericho would bury him all the time and talk about what a jerk he was backstage.

When it comes to Hall and Benoit it's one of those deals where you aren't obligated to pick either side because they were both a-holes. Hall according to several accounts could be a pretty abrasive and obnoxious guy although there are a few good stories I've heard about him. Benoit was a murderous bully psycho. So by default I take Hall's side.

[Mochi Lone Wolf]

It’s weird they still had heat because one of Hall’s last WCW appearances was him tapping out to the crossface clean as a whistle on a random Nitro.