Scott Hall involved in incident at roasting event

Photo courtesy of obsessedwithwrestling.com


Late last night, it was reported by Wrestling Observer and Mixed Martial Arts contributer to Yahoo Sports, Dave Metzler, that last night's "Legends of the Ring VII" event, which was attended by the likes of Ric Flair, Raven, Nikolai Volkoff, The Iron Sheik, and others, ended in controversy after an incident involving Scott Hall (pictured above) and comedian Jimmy Graham.

According to the report, Hall, who had been heavily drinking, lost control when Graham, who once was a wrestler, made the following tasteless comment to Bill Apter while roasting the Iron Sheik..."Bill Apter, you look deader than Owen Hart."

Immediately after the comment was made, Hall charged the banquet table and started throwing punches at Graham. Hall then grabbed the microphone from Graham and began yelling about how Graham was disrespecting Owen Hart.

Security, police and former wrestler Jim Powers had to restrain Hall and take him out of the building. Hall was eventually escorted to his room but not before going on a cursing tirade that included him giving the DX Crotch Chop to King Kong Bundy after Bundy told him to let it go.

While I don't condone how Hall behaved or his drinking for that matter since he just got out of rehab on Vince McMahon and the WWE's bill, Graham is just as much at fault as Hall for making that tasteless remark.

Also, do not attempt to defend Graham by using "it was a roast" as an excuse because by doing so, one is condoning the use of anything, including racial slurs, in the name of good humor. That is illogical and totally dis-respectful on the part of the roaster, who in this situation, failed to use professional courtesy and decorum.

In addition, I am surprised that in a room full of wrestling legends, Hall was the only one who had a set to stand up and say something about the lack of respect Graham was exuding. Nothing can justify anyone using Hart's name in that matter and what point exactly was Graham trying to make by using Hart's name? It was un-creative and wouldn't have been funny using anyone's name.

Did Hall go overboard in his standing-up for Hart's good name? Yes, but one needs to take into account that Hall actually knew Hart both professionally and personally and anyone one of us would have become defensive and acted in a similar matter had someone made a tasteless joke at the expense of a lost loved one who was killed in a tragic matter.

UPDATE: Graham claims in his newest blog that the remark he made was as follows, "After Sheik and Hacksaw Jim Duggan were caught sniffing coke in the parking lot, his {Sheik} career fell faster than Owen Hart."

That remark is more offensive than the initial reported remark, showing this guy Graham is a first class jerk and is lucky Hall was the only person with a set to stand-up for Owen. As for the rest of the wrestlers in that room who remained silent when that joke was told, I've lost a lot of respect for them.