Scott Hall Talks WWE Performance Center Training
Appearing on X-Pac 12360, Scott Hall spoke with Sean Waltman about his week at the WWE Performance Center working with the new talent. Hall spent the week before Raw Reunion working at the center as a guest trainer and talking to Waltman, he praised new recruit Jordan Omogbehin who recently made his live debut. Highlights from the discussion, as well as the full podcast, are below:
On his work at the WWE Performance Center last week: “Yeah, it was great. I was actually in Orlando about eight or nine days, cause I went in early. But I spoke to Triple H in the past about, ‘Who’s training the big guys?’ So we had kind of a mini-big guy summit, where I got to watch films with the bigger guys and then have one-on-ones with some of them. Even get in the ring and talk about their different move sets, and what they got and stuff. And man, I tell you, I saw this new kid they have down there, Jordan [Omogbehin]. Great big kid, I think he’s — big kid, about 7’4’ about 440 [pounds], just a monster. I was there for his debut match, and I got to produce it. And it’s just that connection, you know how it is when you connect with a guy, and when he doesn’t know anything and you teach him something. And they come back through the curtain, and then you have a relationship with that person for the rest of your career. Even if you never have lunch together, you never travel together but you can point across the locker room and go ‘I’ll work with them.’ I mean, we all realized years ago, it’s not show friends, it’s show business, we all don’t have to get along, we have to do business together.”
On working with Omogbehin: “And the thing is…this kid Jordan, he’s such a big guy, but he’s young and he’s got a big smile on his face. I was talking with some of the other coaches and going, ‘God, this guy just doesn’t have enough prick in him’ … but when I told him, I said, ‘Lemme see your mean face.’ And he just squinted his eyes a little bit and quit smiling. And I went ‘Ooooh.’ Like, yeah. You know, he’s gonna be money … you know, I kind of talked to the guys whose job it was to highlight Jordan. And I said, ‘Hey man, you guys are really pros, you’re putting this guy over. Hey, in the future, he’s gonna sell out arenas and the whole company’s gonna make money. And you guys are the start of it.’ I had my pom-poms out, I was cheerleading, I was doing the whole thing.”
On what the most impressive thing to him was there and if he’s interested in becoming a full-time trainer at the PC: “The answer to #2 is yes, please. Most impressive thing down there? I think what I liked and what I’d try to encourage is all the other guys helping the other guys. Like big Jordan, ringwear came up. Like, ring costume. In the skull session [group feedback session], ’cause he just came out with like jeans and a shirt on. And this guy’s 7’4″, 440. And I just asked the other guys in the class, ‘Anybody got any comments on ring gear? Anybody, anybody?’ And nobody said anything. And I gauged it right away, they’re just being really respectful because he’s a young guy, and we’re all really sensitive, you know. So then one guy says ‘Well yeah, maybe next time just take your shirt off.’ I mean, it was just, to me it’s like little things like that. Just getting in guys’ ears is the part I love the most. Just planting the seed, and coming back and seeing how it works. I enjoy, like I said, I don’t want the advanced guys. I want the guys coming in the door.”
