PWTorch spoke this week with ESPN producer Ben Houser, who produced the E:60 story on Scott Hall that aired on October 19. The following is a Q&A with Houser on topics such as what started the project, decision-making on how to tell the story, what did not make the cut, and other topics.

- PWTorch: When your team discovered the Scott Hall footage at the Top Rope show, did you and your team envision the story as a warning/awareness piece putting a real face to "The Wrestler" character? Or, was there another main motivation to undertake this project?

Houser: Our mission on E:60 is tell the ‘Best Stories in Sports’ and with that provide an objective truth. In late April, E:60 associate producer John Minton III, asked me if I had seen footage of Scott Hall appearing at an independent wrestling event in Fall River, Massachusetts on April 8, 2011. In the video, it was obvious something was not right with Hall. He appeared to be heavily under the influence while performing. It was shocking. What happened? Why was Scott Hall still wrestling? How did Scott Hall, one of professional wrestling’s biggest names, end up here at age 52?

- Did you find resistance from any of the people within wrestling who you interviewed? Was WWE initially wary of someone being interviewed for the story?

Houser: There wasn’t resistance, but many of the individuals interviewed wanted to understand the scope of our project. WWE was great to work with on the Scott Hall project. As Stephanie McMahon said in the piece, they have tried to help him multiple times in his addiction process and provided us with interesting details, like the fact they have sent him for multiple rehab treatments and spent in the six figures on his treatment.

- Why did you not go into detail on the broader context of a culture of death in pro wrestling that has claimed numerous lives and left many living wrestlers in Hall's position? Was it a matter of being restricted on time and certain elements had to be cut out?

Houser: The story was centrally focused on Scott and not the overall macro problems of the pro wrestling industry. We felt Hall’s story was worthy of it being told itself.

- With concussions being a hot topic in wrestling & sports, did concussions ever come up from Hall or any other wrestlers as to a potential cause of Hall's ongoing health issues?

Houser: Concussions was not a topic we explored with Hall. He did speak about injuries he suffered in his career but that was the extent of the conversation.

- Talking to Cody Hall, did you get a sense he was entering pro wrestling simply to keep Scott alive by giving Scott purpose? Or, the only thing Cody knows about his father is pro wrestling and he wants to emulate him?

Houser: Cody is a physical specimen, very much mirroring his father in his early years. He appears to have many of the physical attributes needed to consider a professional wrestling career. However, given he is 20 years old, it’s difficult to predict Cody’s pro wrestling prospects. Obviously, his initial interest in professional wrestling was certainly inspired by his father. At times, Scott Hall volunteers his time at a wrestling school in the Orlando area. Cody would attend on occasion.

- Did you consider having a third-party person narrate the story to add more context or more objectiveness to what was being said by the people within wrestling?

Houser: The story with no narration was ideal in this particular case. It allowed the viewer to react to Hall’s story however they felt and had no outside voice or interference. It was all the characters involved, especially Scott Hall, telling his life story.

- If you had more TV time to tell the story, what would have been the main plotline or subject from Hall's story to expand on?

Houser: There are more elements that were filmed with Hall by E:60 that did not air in the broadcast. Check back with our show and perhaps with the success of this story, E:60 will do more on Scott Hall.

- Who did you feel was the easiest person to talk to about Hall's background? Who did you feel was the most hesitant to go into detail about Hall?

Houser: All of the interview subjects were very honest. Kevin Nash was direct and it was obvious he is a true friend to Hall. He clearly cares about him and has tried to help him during this time.

[Torch photo credit Wade Keller (c) PWTorch.com]

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