FOR MY VIDEO ON THE TOPIC: https://youtu.be/I2y8DApu_G4
Like Microsoft’s failed Spot smartwatch or Sega Channel’s On-Demand gaming service in 1994, Dan Spivey was ahead of his time.
And like the aforementioned dead tech, Spivey’s innovation and ability to change from the norm came to his detriment.
In the same way that in 2020 even my nan has a smartwatch to track her steps, and lots of big game technology companies have an on-demand gaming service like PS Now for Sony or Google Stadia. So, the wrestling world has similarly caught up too.
For his time, Dan Spivey was the Bray Wyatt of his generation. A mysterious character in Waylon Mercy – half back-water murderer, half cult-like leader.
With his Hawaiian shirts, slick-talking yet vague promos and greasy hair, you can see how one could draw more than a few similarities between Follow the buzzards Bray Wyatt and Waylon Mercy.
Dan Spivey was innovative in not just his performance outside the ring, throughout his career in WCW, WWE and All Japan Wrestling he created a movement that fits with his demonic character, years before Waylon Mercy even existed.
Pro Wrestling Wiki States: “The wrestler places his opponents head in between his legs then grabs the opponent's stomach and lifts his opponent over his shoulder and holds both his arms in a cross position over his head. The wrestler finally runs or falls to his/her knees and throws his opponent onto the mat back/neck first.”
Dan Spivey sadly never had the career that perhaps his ideas and creativity deserved. He passed on his legacy however in another way. By teaching the technique to a young athletic up and comer by the name of Scott Hall.
RAZOR’S EDGE
A man whose career spanned decades across the most popular time in the industry's history. Something that Scott Hall was no small part of.
From his time in the AWA, Scott Hall with his larger than life charisma and his larger than most stature. To his time in the late 80s in New Japan where Hall towered over competitors as an outsider American character.
Through his run as The Diamond Studd in WCW, using the crucifix powerbomb named the Diamond drop were Scott Hall gained notoriety and was quickly signed to a new deal with competitor WWF in 1992 after WCW seemingly had nothing for his character moving forward.
Later in 1992, Scott Hall appeared as Razor Ramon for the first time, a character based off of Tony Montana from Scarface, a Cuban bad guy, just oozing with love to hate him charisma. Razor Ramon had a great run as a historic Intercontinental champion and stayed with the WWF using his now named Razor’s Edge finisher, his now evolved crucifix powerbomb variant.
A key figure in the battle for dominance on television in the late 90s during the Monday Night Wars as one part of the massively influential Outsiders.
When Scott Hall and Kevin Nash left WWE in 1996 to join fierce rivals WCW and form one of the most influential and divisive factions in pro wrestling history the New World Order, aligning with perennial babyface (at the time at least) Hulk Hogan, another icon of WCW’s rivals WWF.
Where Scott Hall adapted the crucifix powerbomb once again into the aptly named Outsider’s Edge.
The Razor Ramon character belonged to WWF at the time, the company hilarious choosing to keep both Kevin Nash and Scott Hall’s on-screen personalities alive in the wake of the two men’s departure.
With these two hilarious and at the time much-hated replacements. One of whom, the man playing Nash – went on to become an industry legend and future hall of famer, big red machine Kane.
Scott Hall and Kevin Nash became just that as they transitioned to WCW, keeping their real names and assuming a lot more control over their matches and storylines.
The depth and breadth of Scott Hall’s importance to wrestling at this time are far too important and best left for another time.
Suffice to say, Scott Hall went on to have a brief spell in infamous wrestling promotion ECW in 2000 and made trips back to Japan in 2001.
Hall featured sporadically for several promotions over the next few years in the US, especially standing out in TNA where his crucifix powerbomb became known simply as ‘the edge’
In 2014 Razor Ramon was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and at the 2020 event, Scott Hall the man will be inducted as part of the NOW with Nash, Hogan and X-Pac.
The Diamond Drop, The Razor’s Edge, The Outsiders Edge. Whichever variant of Scott Hall’s you look at. It’s clear to see why so many mainly associate the crucifix powerbomb with this one man.
So influential is Scott Hall in the wrestling world, that in modern times, wrestling has seen a huge array of wrestlers put their opponents head between their legs, spin them up onto their backs and slam them down with a move that is biblical in its iconography as well as it’s destructive capabilities.
Sitout crucifix powerbomb
Some wrestlers choose to finish the crucifix move with a sit-down variant. Holding their opponent's arms back into a pin after slamming them into the mat.
The Niagara Bomb, Splash Mountain or Black tiger bomb has proven popular with fans as a move that shows a wrestler's technical prowess and physical strength, as well as looking spectacular.
In the 90s Eddie Guerrero and Matt Hardy sparingly used the moves to alight crowds.
Roman Reigns has used the move throughout his dominant run in WWE, through NXT and onto several Wrestlemania main events.
The Shield, with Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins, used a variant of the crucifix as a triple threat move to add punctuation to their gritty style of beat down.
Sheamus has the high-cross a version which he has used for a decade in his run as world champion. The size of the pale Irishman lends itself to the crucifix powerbomb, especially when added to the fact that Sheamus gets a bit of a run-up before delivering the final vertical domination to his opponents.
Lucha legend and Mexican wrestler extraordinaire Konan, with his, don’t give a hoot attitude even decided to take the move to the top rope.
Shawn Hernandez doesn’t even want to take the time to slam you with his version of the move, known as the Border Toss. Hernandez simply slings you away with the disdain that his character loves to show in his matches.
Perhaps the move the crucifix powerbomb in the minds of many like mine, will always remain most closely associated with one man Scott Hall.
But what a fitting tribute to a legend of the business, it is to see the razor’s edge still used in huge matches to this day, to the cheers of crowds around the world.
FOR MY VIDEO ON THE TOPIC: https://youtu.be/I2y8DApu_G4