How far could they have gone?

[Autobahn]

Two names: Jake Roberts and Scott Hall.

If they did not have their personal issues to deal with, how far career wise do you think they could have gone? What do you think they could have achieved?

[Gertner]

Parson's Wrestling World Champion

[XL]

Hall would probably have been WCW Champ at some point.

Hard to call on Jake. As good as he was, there were guys like Perfect and DiBiase who also didn't make it to the very top.

[DLVH84]

Hall would probably have been WCW Champ at some point.

Hard to call on Jake. As good as he was, there were guys like Perfect and DiBiase who also didn't make it to the very top.

Agreed. However, by that time, Scott Hall's injuries and personal demons were beginning to catch up to him.

[Corporate CockSnogger]

So, DLVH, you lived in Germany for five years when you were young. Have you lived in America since then?

[Hanso Amore]

Agreed. However, by that time, Scott Hall's injuries and personal demons were beginning to catch up to him.

Exactly. Hall started off o nthe top in WCW and "demons" held him back, but he was still a multi time tag champ and US champ. I dont know even sober if he would have ever been much bigger. Maybe he would have had a title feud with Nash, maybe not. WCW main event was crowded for a long time. I mean he wouldnt have sniffed a chance until after Hogan vs Sting.

Same with Roberts. He has some top level feuds. but when and where would a title run have happened? Maybe in WCW vs Sting.

In today's climate with Multiple champions changing more often its hard to remember that in the 80s and 90s you could be the top dog and never hold the strap.

[Rhaps]

I don't think it's fair to say that Dibiase "never made it to the top" for the best part of the late 80s and all the way through to 93 he was often involved in some sort of program with Hogan. Apart from actually *being* Hogan, I'm sure you can get any higher to the top than that.

[Schlomey]

Jake made it as far as Vince McMahon would allow. Once he started out popping his money makers he delegated him to the position of enhancement by getting guys ready to be fed to Hogan. Read any interview regarding the matter. They all say the same thing.

I agree with the comments about Hall above.

[Nicky Fives]

Jake would be in WWE right now as an agent helping the younger talents with ring psychology, but I don't see him achieving much more, other than a longer career..... Hall would have been a huge star....WWF, WCW, Japan, wherever he wanted.....

[The Condor]

I think they both got as far as they could go, taking into account the situations and times. Jake didn't fit the mold of Hogan, Warrior, Sid, Macho, etc... he was balding, had a pot belly and his promos were different from them, which might have made him the perfect heel for the time in actuality but it wasn't really going to happen.

As for Hall, always been a fan of his but even in WWF he was going to be the IC guy, gateway to mainevent just like Jake was. His best shot was in WCW but he ruined it for himself. To be fair though, when he was strung out the dude was damn entertaining.

[Joesgonnakillyou]

I don't think either man fucked up his prime years, and both were very successful.

It's like Hanso says, it was just a different era for Jake, although with Scott I kinda got this impression he was never seen as a world title guy. WCW had a pretty strict hierarchy, the fact he had never held a world title meant he never would.

Was Hall around for NWO silver and white? That was probably his best chance. Or around the time of David Arquette being champ?

[Ultra Mantis]

Jake didn't fit the mold of Hogan... he was balding

Not balding enough?

[whiteyford]

I think Hall got as far as he wanted, I can't believe if he actually wanted the WCW title during his prime years there he couldn't have gotten it, even if it was just to drop it to Hogan, pretty much every interview where he's come up it's always been put across that he didn't want or need it. Jake was just never the right fit for anything more than an IC/US title run, but like Hanso and a few others have said, it was a different era and not every top guy got a run with the belt.

[Rollermacka]

I think Hall got as far as he wanted, I can't believe if he actually wanted the WCW title during his prime years there he couldn't have gotten it, even if it was just to drop it to Hogan, pretty much every interview where he's come up it's always been put across that he didn't want or need it. Jake was just never the right fit for anything more than an IC/US title run, but like Hanso and a few others have said, it was a different era and not every top guy got a run with the belt.

I would agree that Hall pretty much went as far as he wanted. He could have gotten a short run with the WWE title in the early 90s when her was feuding with Bret. Same could be said in early 2000 when most of WCWs top stars were gone. Bret and Goldberg were injured, Sting, Flair, Macho and Hogan weren't around so they could have positioned him as the companies top heel.

[Emperor Smeat]

Ignoring all the backstage politicking involving Hogan and others, I agree with whiteyford that Hall could have easily had a WCW title reign but deferred a bunch of times in favor of others. I think had Hall stayed in the WWF, he could have a reign or two as the WWF champion since he was full of charisma that Vince likes and was good in the ring.

I think Roberts wouldn't in the WWF mostly because of how stacked the roster was at the time. Mr Perfect or the Million Dollar Man probably would have taken his spot as a potential champion out of the great stars who never held the title.

[whiteyford]

I think with Hall, it was a lot of unneeded pressure, he had his favoured nations contract so he was always going to be a top earner and I'm guessing he could work with whoever he wanted pretty much regardless, probably in the same boat if he hadn't jumped to WCW, he had enough clout in the back that he could of politcked his way there too.

Really just can't see Jake getting the world title anywhere but ECW and even then only as a transistional run, I love Jake but he was always surrounded by guys who needed the belt more.

[Curd]

I see Jake the Snake making a comeback mentoring nationally infamous independent wrestler Eric Hartsburg on making better life choices:
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/man-romney-face-tattoo-prepares-laser-removal-165623174--election.html

Hartsburg appeared to do a heel-face turn by claiming he didn't know his favored candidate was going to say *THAT* after the election! lolz

And Hanso, I know you're thinking this, but I just HAD to be a fudge stick AGAIN to bring closure to mention of Hartsburg on these boards! :lol:

[Gertner]

Hall hung around WCW until close to the end. I'm sure he would have gotten a World title run around 2000-2001

[XCaliber]

No doubt Scott Hall would have been a WWE Champion and/or WCW Champion at some point as for Jake Roberts I believe he would have main evented a lot more but would have peaked in the upper midcard.

[Tazz Dan]

Scott Hall could have been a multiple world champion in either WWE or WCW. If he had of stayed when Nash left I have no doubt Vince would have put the belt in him at some point. His matches with HBK for the IC title were always good, would have made for a good main event feud.

[Shisen Kopf]

Always thought Billy Gunn shoulda been bigger than he was. I guess the fag gimmick really hurt his career. Also, Carlito should have been way bigger but he had that typical Attitude that people like him have.

[Jordan]

Hall, he would have been pushed harder in the last years of WCW, probably would have main evented Starcade against Nash. He also would have probably joined WWE after WCW was bought out. There who knows what could have happened, but we'd probably have seen another classic with HBK.

Roberts got lost so long ago it's really hard to say. I feel his legend in part is because of his drug and alcohol abuse. Taking that away though, he could have been a perfect heel opponent for Ric Flair. And today would probably have a job with WWE in some capacity.

[Jordan]

Always thought Billy Gunn shoulda been bigger than he was. I guess the fag gimmick really hurt his career. Also, Carlito should have been way bigger but he had that typical Attitude that people like him have.

I agree, I thought Billy from about 95-99 had HBK level talent in the ring, and that unteachable talent where the crowd eats from the palm of your hand in the ring. His match with Triple H on Raw for the title was excellent.