Scott Norton
Encyclopedia
Scott Michael Norton is an American
semi-retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in World Championship Wrestling
and New Japan Pro Wrestling
.
. He won over 30 championships during his days as an arm wrestler, including four U.S. National championships. His status in the arm wrestling world earned him a role in Sylvester Stallone
's arm wrestling movie, Over the Top. While touring the arm wrestling circuit in Japan, Norton was approached by New Japan Pro Wrestling
about becoming a professional wrestler, but he turned it down initially. Norton also toured with Prince
in 1983
as his bodyguard.
. Verne Gagne
decided to debut Norton before he was totally finished with his training, putting him on TV as a regular performer for the American Wrestling Association
in 1989. He sometimes teamed with John Nord
as the "Yukon Lumberjacks". Norton soon earned the nickname "Flash" for his quick arm wrestling victories. By the end of 1989, Norton left the AWA and went to the Pacific Northwest territory
to further his career. In PNW, he started out as a fan favorite
lumberjack known as "Flapjack" Scott Norton, and would team up with John Nord once more to reprise their lumberjack characters from the AWA. Norton became a heel
in 1990 and broke away from Nord to become a singles competitor. He won the Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship
from Brian Adams
on May 12, 1990, but was stripped of the title two weeks later after attacking several wrestlers.
and mid-card singles matches. Norton appeared at both the joint NJPW/World Championship Wrestling
Starrcade in Egg Dome shows giving him exposure to WCW executives.
The working agreement between NJPW and WCW meant that The Steiner Brothers
would tour Japan on a regular basis, often fighting against Scott Norton alongside a variety of partners. On November 5, 1991 Norton acted as a substitute for the injured Scott Steiner
in an IWGP Tag Team Championship match. Norton and Rick Steiner
were unsuccessful on the night and lost the tag-team titles to Hiroshi Hase and Keiji Mutoh
. About a year after losing the title he never technically held, Norton won the tag-team titles properly when he and Tony Halme
beat the Steiner Brothers for the gold on November 22, 1992. The power house team only held on to the titles for a little over three weeks before losing them to the Hell Raisers (Hawk Warrior
and Power Warrior
).
After splitting up with Halme, Norton started to team with Hercules Hernandez
in March 1993. Hercules was a fellow power house wrestler and the two formed The Jurassic Powers, a team that won the IWGP Tag Team Championship from the Hell Raisers. The Powers held the title for about four months before losing them back to the Hell Raisers at NJPW's January 4 Dome Show
. While holding the title, the Jurassic Powers successfully defended against teams such as Keiji Mutoh
and Hiroshi Hase, The Nasty Boys
, Takayuki Iizuka and Akira Nogami
, Jake "The Snake" Roberts
and Brutus Beefcake
, Masa Saito
and Manabu Nakanishi
and The Barbarian
and Haku in non-title competition. The team also and made it to the finals of the 1993 Super Grade Tag League
, where they lost to Keiji Mutoh and Hiroshi Hase.
After breaking up with Hernandez, Norton failed to achieve much notoriety in the singles ranks nor in the tag team division, where he teamed with a variety of partners such as Mike Enos
, Ron Simmons
, Masahiro Chono
,, Osamu Kido
, and Road Warrior Hawk.
in 1993. The promoters first tried to get Norton over with the fans as a villain by feuding with Sting, but the feud never captivated the fans and was scrapped without much fanfare.
Norton returned to WCW in September 1995, where he briefly feuded with Shark
, after costing Norton to lose to Randy Savage
on the September 11 edition of WCW Monday Nitro
.
. The bout ended in a double count out when both men clotheslined the other, knocking each out. After the match, the two shook hands and Norton explained to announcer Gene Okerlund
that he felt that they would make a formidable tag team because of their similar wrestling styles. The team was quickly named Fire (Norton) and Ice (Ice Train). At Slamboree, Norton and Ice Train were randomly drawn to be on the same team and easily defeated the makeshift team of Big Bubba Rogers
and Stevie Ray
. The team advanced to the "Lord of The Ring" battle royal
, but neither won the match.
At the Great American Bash, Fire and Ice came head to head with Norton's long-time rivals, the Steiner Brothers. The two teams was engaged in a mini-feud of sorts, as the two teams tried to show who was better powerhouse team. On that night the Steiner Brothers won, but Fire and Ice were not deterred. After a pre-PPV loss to The Rock 'n' Roll Express at Bash at the Beach
, dissension started to appear between the two, a dissension that turned into battle as Norton attacked Ice Train after another team loss. Norton defeated the Ice Train at Hog Wild in a submission match, but lost to Ice Train in their return match only a month later.
After Fire and Ice ended, Norton split his time between WCW and NJPW, achieving more success in NJPW than WCW most notably in the tag team division. Norton and Shinya Hashimoto
teamed up and won the Super Grade Tag League in 1996 after beating Keiji Mutoh and Rick Steiner in the finals.
(nWo), which gave his WCW career some direction after the breakup of Fire and Ice. In the nWo, Norton teamed with Buff Bagwell
, creating a team called Vicious and Delicious
. They feuded with the Steiner Brothers, but were never able to win the World Tag Team Championship
.
During his nWo days, Norton traveled back and forth to NJPW, where he was a member of nWo Japan
, and became New Japan's gaijin ace while also becoming one of the few wrestlers to be a regular member of both factions. On September 23, 1998, he won the vacant IWGP Heavyweight Championship by defeating Yuji Nagata
. Norton's title win was mentioned only once in America on a broadcast of Monday Nitro
while he was seen holding the belt, but Norton's standing in the WCW version of the nWo never changed from this fact. Norton held the title for 4 months before losing the title to Keiji Mutoh. Norton is one of five foreigners who ever held the IWGP Championship, the others being Big Van Vader, Salman Hashimikov
, Bob Sapp
and Brock Lesnar
.
Soon, Norton began playing a smaller role in WCW, becoming part of the nWo "B-Team", which often placed him in mid-lower card matches; although, he would easily defeat enhancement talents
frequently in singles competition. While in NJPW, however, Norton was seen as a main eventer and constant threat to world champions. He left WCW completely in 1999 after losing a match against Goldberg
on the September 30 edition of Thunder
and began focusing his efforts on NJPW, where he was part of Masahiro Chono
's Team 2000 faction.
in Nagoya, Japan to capture the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship a second time. His second reign was shorter than his first, and he lost to Kazuyuki Fujita
on his first defense. After the loss Norton started to team with former WCW foe Rick Steiner whenever Steiner toured Japan, but otherwise he was planted solidly in the mid-card as a test any hopeful world title challenger would have to pass. Norton temporarily retired in 2004, but didn't stay away long. When he returned, he once again teamed with Rick Steiner. In 2006, following that year's New Japan Cup
, he left NJPW after 16 years, becoming a freelancer in the process.
, Wild West Championship Wrestling, based in the southwest of United States
, where he acted as a booker as well as an in-ring talent until its closure later on in the year.
After wrestling for Hustle from mid to late 2007, Norton took a near-year long hiatus before returning on October 24, 2008, where he and Masahiro Chono
defeated Don Frye and Yoshihiro Takayama
in the first part of the Pro Wrestling Expo. The next day, Norton, Frye and Dick Togo lost to Chono, Eric Young
and Kohei Sato
. Since then, Norton has been inactive from wrestling.
In an August 2010 interview, Norton revealed that he would be interested in a run with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
. Norton lives in Brentwood, which is located minutes outside of TNA's headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee and commented that wrestling is, "something I enjoy doing. You miss it. I can still perform at a high level. I’m still a big, strong man. I would like to give it another shot. If I can get a couple-year run, I'll fold up my tent and call it a day."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
semi-retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
and New Japan Pro Wrestling
New Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
.
Before wrestling
Scott Norton started out as a professional arm wrestlerArm wrestling
Arm wrestling is a sport with two participants. Each participant places one arm on a surface with their elbows bent and touching the surface, and they grip each other's hand...
. He won over 30 championships during his days as an arm wrestler, including four U.S. National championships. His status in the arm wrestling world earned him a role in Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
's arm wrestling movie, Over the Top. While touring the arm wrestling circuit in Japan, Norton was approached by New Japan Pro Wrestling
New Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
about becoming a professional wrestler, but he turned it down initially. Norton also toured with Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
in 1983
1999 Tour
The 1999 Tour, was up till then, Prince's longest tour of the U.S. in support of his fifth studio album 1999. In addition, to Prince and his band, his latest all girl group Vanity 6 made their first live act tour along with the returning Time....
as his bodyguard.
Professional wrestling career
After finally deciding to go the pro wrestling route, Norton was trained to wrestle by former Olympic wrestler Brad RheingansBrad Rheingans
Brad Rheingans is a former Greco-Roman and professional wrestler.-Career:Rheingans was an NCAA champion in 1975 for North Dakota State University and wrestled in the 1976 Olympics, placing fourth...
. Verne Gagne
Verne Gagne
Laverne Clarence "Verne" Gagne , is a retired American professional wrestler, football player, and professional wrestling trainer and promoter. He was the former owner/promoter of the American Wrestling Association , based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which was the predominant promotion throughout...
decided to debut Norton before he was totally finished with his training, putting him on TV as a regular performer for the American Wrestling Association
American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
in 1989. He sometimes teamed with John Nord
John Nord
John Nord is a retired American professional wrestler. He lives in Bozeman, Montana.-Career:John Nord started wrestling in late 1984 as "The Barbarian" for Mid-South Wrestling under manager Skandor Akbar...
as the "Yukon Lumberjacks". Norton soon earned the nickname "Flash" for his quick arm wrestling victories. By the end of 1989, Norton left the AWA and went to the Pacific Northwest territory
Pacific Northwest Wrestling
Pacific Northwest Wrestling is the common name used to refer to several different professional wrestling companies, both past and present, based in Portland, Oregon, United States. The first such company was founded by Herb Owen in 1925...
to further his career. In PNW, he started out as a fan favorite
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
lumberjack known as "Flapjack" Scott Norton, and would team up with John Nord once more to reprise their lumberjack characters from the AWA. Norton became a heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
in 1990 and broke away from Nord to become a singles competitor. He won the Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship
NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship
The NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance and defended in its member promotion Pacific Northwest Wrestling, which promoted shows in the U.S...
from Brian Adams
Brian Adams (wrestler)
Brian Keith Adams was an American professional wrestler. Adams gained fame in the 1990s while performing for the World Wrestling Federation , under the name Crush, and for World Championship Wrestling under his given name.Trained in Japan by Antonio Inoki, Adams was a two time WCW World Tag Team...
on May 12, 1990, but was stripped of the title two weeks later after attacking several wrestlers.
New Japan Pro Wrestling
In 1990, Norton signed with New Japan Pro Wrestling. Upon debuting for the promotion, Norton alternated between tag teamTag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
and mid-card singles matches. Norton appeared at both the joint NJPW/World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
Starrcade in Egg Dome shows giving him exposure to WCW executives.
The working agreement between NJPW and WCW meant that The Steiner Brothers
The Steiner Brothers
The Steiner Brothers are the professional wrestling tag team of American brothers Robert "Rick Steiner" Rechsteiner and Scott "Scott Steiner" Rechsteiner...
would tour Japan on a regular basis, often fighting against Scott Norton alongside a variety of partners. On November 5, 1991 Norton acted as a substitute for the injured Scott Steiner
Scott Steiner
Scott Carl Rechsteiner is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Scott Steiner. Steiner is perhaps best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling alongside his older brother Rick as the Steiner Brothers and as a member of the New World Order...
in an IWGP Tag Team Championship match. Norton and Rick Steiner
Rick Steiner
Robert Rechsteiner is an American professional wrestler, better known under his ring name Rick Steiner.Steiner is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling, where he was an eight time World Tag Team Champion...
were unsuccessful on the night and lost the tag-team titles to Hiroshi Hase and Keiji Mutoh
Keiji Mutoh
is a Japanese professional wrestler who first gained international fame in the National Wrestling Alliance. He is mostly known for his work as The Great Muta in New Japan Pro Wrestling during the 1990s, but he has also competed in United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Taiwan...
. About a year after losing the title he never technically held, Norton won the tag-team titles properly when he and Tony Halme
Tony Halme
Tony Christian Halme was a member of the Finnish Parliament, representing the True Finns party. He was also known by the pseudonym Viikinki he used while appearing in the Finnish version of the TV game show Gladiators in the 1990s...
beat the Steiner Brothers for the gold on November 22, 1992. The power house team only held on to the titles for a little over three weeks before losing them to the Hell Raisers (Hawk Warrior
Road Warrior Hawk
Michael James Hegstrand was an American professional wrestler. He is best remembered as Road Warrior Hawk, one half of the tag team known as the Road Warriors or The Legion of Doom , with Road Warrior Animal.-Early life:While living in Chicago, Hegstrand met Joe Lauranaitis, who would be later...
and Power Warrior
Kensuke Sasaki
is a Japanese professional wrestler who currently wrestles for various promotions through his own agency, Kensuke Office. He is the first of two men ever to hold all 3 of puroresu's major heavyweight titles , the other being Yoshihiro Takayama.-Early years :Kensuke Sasaki...
).
After splitting up with Halme, Norton started to team with Hercules Hernandez
Ray Fernandez
Raymond Fernandez was a professional wrestler who primarily wrestled in Florida and Texas before joining the World Wrestling Federation. He was best known by the ring name Hercules Hernandez or simply Hercules...
in March 1993. Hercules was a fellow power house wrestler and the two formed The Jurassic Powers, a team that won the IWGP Tag Team Championship from the Hell Raisers. The Powers held the title for about four months before losing them back to the Hell Raisers at NJPW's January 4 Dome Show
January 4 Dome Show
The January 4 Tokyo Dome Show is a professional wrestling major show, some times broadcast as a Pay-Per-View , held by Japanese Professional wrestling promotion New Japan Pro Wrestling...
. While holding the title, the Jurassic Powers successfully defended against teams such as Keiji Mutoh
Keiji Mutoh
is a Japanese professional wrestler who first gained international fame in the National Wrestling Alliance. He is mostly known for his work as The Great Muta in New Japan Pro Wrestling during the 1990s, but he has also competed in United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Taiwan...
and Hiroshi Hase, The Nasty Boys
The Nasty Boys
The Nasty Boys are a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags, active from the mid to late 1980s and throughout the 1990s. Their gimmick was that of anti-social punks who specialized in hardcore wrestling and brawling...
, Takayuki Iizuka and Akira Nogami
Akira Nogami
is a Japanese professional wrestler and actor, currently working for Yoshihiro Tajiri's Smash promotion as AKIRA.-New Japan Pro Wrestling :...
, Jake "The Snake" Roberts
Jake Roberts
Aurelian Jake Smith, Jr. is a second-generation American professional wrestler, the son of former wrestler Aurelian "Grizzly" Smith...
and Brutus Beefcake
Edward Leslie
Edward Harrison "Ed" Leslie is an American professional wrestler, best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Brutus The Barber Beefcake. He later worked for World Championship Wrestling under a variety of names, mainly as "The Disciple" of real-life best friend...
, Masa Saito
Masa Saito
is a former Japanese professional wrestler better known as Mr. Saito or . He wrestled for several years in various promotions operated by the National Wrestling Alliance . He later joined the World Wrestling Federation , where he teamed with Mr. Fuji to hold the World Tag Team Championship twice...
and Manabu Nakanishi
Manabu Nakanishi
is a Japanese professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler who competed in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. He currently works for New Japan Pro Wrestling. He is a former IWGP Heavyweight Champion.-Amateur wrestling career:...
and The Barbarian
Sione Vailahi
Sione Havea Vailahi is a professional wrestler best known in wrestling as The Barbarian.-Life and career:Born and raised in Tonga, Sione was one of five teenagers sent by the King of Tonga to Japan to study Sumo wrestling in the mid 1970s. Tonga Fifita was one of the other teenagers...
and Haku in non-title competition. The team also and made it to the finals of the 1993 Super Grade Tag League
G1 Climax Tag League
The G1 Climax Tag League is a professional wrestling round-robin tag team tournament held by New Japan Pro Wrestling as a spin-off of the popular singles tournament, the G1 Climax. It was created in 1991 as the Super Grade Tag League, as a continuation of a regular tag team tournament held since...
, where they lost to Keiji Mutoh and Hiroshi Hase.
After breaking up with Hernandez, Norton failed to achieve much notoriety in the singles ranks nor in the tag team division, where he teamed with a variety of partners such as Mike Enos
Mike Enos
Mike Enos is a retired professional wrestler who wrestled mainly as a tag-team wrestler in World Championship Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association and the World Wrestling Federation between 1989 and 2000....
, Ron Simmons
Ron Simmons
Ronald "Ron" Simmons is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and retired American football player. He is recognised as being the first Black world heavyweight champion in professional wrestling and the first of only two African Americans to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship,...
, Masahiro Chono
Masahiro Chono
, is a Japanese professional wrestler. He primarily wrestles for New Japan Pro Wrestling , but has also made appearances for the now defunct World Championship Wrestling, as a member of the New World Order. Chono was also known as Mister Black Jack when he first started as a villain. He is a...
,, Osamu Kido
Osamu Kido
is a Japanese professional wrestler that wrestled for New Japan Pro Wrestling. He participated in the foundation of New Japan of 1972 and the foundation ofUWF in 1984...
, and Road Warrior Hawk.
World Championship Wrestling (1993–1999)
Norton returned to the U.S. and signed with World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
in 1993. The promoters first tried to get Norton over with the fans as a villain by feuding with Sting, but the feud never captivated the fans and was scrapped without much fanfare.
Norton returned to WCW in September 1995, where he briefly feuded with Shark
John Tenta
John Anthony Tenta was a Canadian professional wrestler known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation as Earthquake and later Golga, and in World Championship Wrestling as Avalanche and The Shark.-Early life:John Tenta was born in Surrey, British Columbia...
, after costing Norton to lose to Randy Savage
Randy Savage
Randall Mario Poffo , better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler, best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling .Savage held twenty championships during his professional wrestling career and was a...
on the September 11 edition of WCW Monday Nitro
WCW Monday Nitro
WCW Monday Nitro was a weekly professional wrestling telecast produced by World Championship Wrestling, created by Ted Turner and Eric Bischoff. The show aired Monday nights on TNT, going head-to-head with the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw from September 4, 1995 to March 26, 2001...
.
Fire and Ice
During a WCW Saturday Night taping, Norton squared off against Ice TrainHarold Hoag
Harold F. Hoag is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling, where he wrestled under the ring names Ice Train and M.I. Smooth.-Debut:...
. The bout ended in a double count out when both men clotheslined the other, knocking each out. After the match, the two shook hands and Norton explained to announcer Gene Okerlund
Gene Okerlund
Eugene "Mean Gene" Okerlund is a semi-retired American professional wrestling interviewer and announcer. He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006 by Hulk Hogan...
that he felt that they would make a formidable tag team because of their similar wrestling styles. The team was quickly named Fire (Norton) and Ice (Ice Train). At Slamboree, Norton and Ice Train were randomly drawn to be on the same team and easily defeated the makeshift team of Big Bubba Rogers
Ray Traylor
Ray Walter Traylor, Jr. was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Big Boss Man and World Championship Wrestling under various ring names, most notably Big Bubba Rogers.-Early years:Traylor, a prison guard in...
and Stevie Ray
Lane Huffman
Lane Steven Huffman is a retired American professional wrestler who is better known as Stevie Ray. He is best known as being part of the tag team Harlem Heat with his younger brother Booker T...
. The team advanced to the "Lord of The Ring" battle royal
Battle royal (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...
, but neither won the match.
At the Great American Bash, Fire and Ice came head to head with Norton's long-time rivals, the Steiner Brothers. The two teams was engaged in a mini-feud of sorts, as the two teams tried to show who was better powerhouse team. On that night the Steiner Brothers won, but Fire and Ice were not deterred. After a pre-PPV loss to The Rock 'n' Roll Express at Bash at the Beach
Bash at the Beach (1996)
Bash at the Beach was the third annual Bash at the Beach professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Championship Wrestling . It took place on July 7, 1996 from the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida...
, dissension started to appear between the two, a dissension that turned into battle as Norton attacked Ice Train after another team loss. Norton defeated the Ice Train at Hog Wild in a submission match, but lost to Ice Train in their return match only a month later.
After Fire and Ice ended, Norton split his time between WCW and NJPW, achieving more success in NJPW than WCW most notably in the tag team division. Norton and Shinya Hashimoto
Shinya Hashimoto
, was a Japanese professional wrestler. Along with Masahiro Chono and Keiji Mutoh, Hashimoto was dubbed one of the "Three Musketeers" that began competing in New Japan Pro Wrestling in the mid 1980s and dominated the promotion in the 1990s....
teamed up and won the Super Grade Tag League in 1996 after beating Keiji Mutoh and Rick Steiner in the finals.
New World Order
In late 1996, Norton joined the New World OrderNew World Order (professional wrestling)
The New World Order was a professional wrestling stable that originally wrestled for World Championship Wrestling . The group later appeared in the World Wrestling Federation after the purchase of WCW by the WWF...
(nWo), which gave his WCW career some direction after the breakup of Fire and Ice. In the nWo, Norton teamed with Buff Bagwell
Buff Bagwell
Marcus Alexander Bagwell is an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name, Buff Bagwell. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling between 1991 and 2001, where he was a five time World Tag Team Champion.-Professional wrestling career: Bagwell...
, creating a team called Vicious and Delicious
Vicious and Delicious
Vicious and Delicious was a professional wrestling tag team composed of Scott Norton and Buff Bagwell that competed in World Championship Wrestling from 1996 to 1998.-Formation:...
. They feuded with the Steiner Brothers, but were never able to win the World Tag Team Championship
WCW World Tag Team Championship
The World Championship Wrestling Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling...
.
During his nWo days, Norton traveled back and forth to NJPW, where he was a member of nWo Japan
New World Order (professional wrestling)
The New World Order was a professional wrestling stable that originally wrestled for World Championship Wrestling . The group later appeared in the World Wrestling Federation after the purchase of WCW by the WWF...
, and became New Japan's gaijin ace while also becoming one of the few wrestlers to be a regular member of both factions. On September 23, 1998, he won the vacant IWGP Heavyweight Championship by defeating Yuji Nagata
Yuji Nagata
is a Japanese professional wrestler. He was known for his perennial tweener status, currently a solid fan favorite, and his stiff, shoot style wrestling technique....
. Norton's title win was mentioned only once in America on a broadcast of Monday Nitro
WCW Monday Nitro
WCW Monday Nitro was a weekly professional wrestling telecast produced by World Championship Wrestling, created by Ted Turner and Eric Bischoff. The show aired Monday nights on TNT, going head-to-head with the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw from September 4, 1995 to March 26, 2001...
while he was seen holding the belt, but Norton's standing in the WCW version of the nWo never changed from this fact. Norton held the title for 4 months before losing the title to Keiji Mutoh. Norton is one of five foreigners who ever held the IWGP Championship, the others being Big Van Vader, Salman Hashimikov
Salman Hashimikov
Salman Hashimikov, also spelled Hasimikov , is a prominent Soviet heavyweight wrestler. A Chechen from Russia, he holds two European and four World Championship gold medals in freestyle wrestling...
, Bob Sapp
Bob Sapp
Robert Malcolm "Bob" Sapp is an American kickboxer, mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, actor, comedian and former professional American football player. Sapp currently has a combined fight record of 21–21–0, mostly fighting in Japan...
and Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar
Brock Edward Lesnar is an American mixed martial artist, actor and a former professional and amateur wrestler. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and is ranked the No.5 Heavyweight in the world by Sherdog...
.
Soon, Norton began playing a smaller role in WCW, becoming part of the nWo "B-Team", which often placed him in mid-lower card matches; although, he would easily defeat enhancement talents
Job (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling slang, the term job describes a losing performance in a wrestling match. It is derived from the euphemism "doing one's job", which was employed to protect kayfabe. As professional wrestling is scripted, inevitably a wrestler will be required to lose to an opponent.The term...
frequently in singles competition. While in NJPW, however, Norton was seen as a main eventer and constant threat to world champions. He left WCW completely in 1999 after losing a match against Goldberg
Bill Goldberg
Goldberg earned a scholarship to play for the University of Georgia Bulldogs football team where he served as a defensive tackle. He was taken in the 11th round, with the 302nd overall selection, in the 1990 NFL Draft....
on the September 30 edition of Thunder
WCW Thunder
WCW Thunder was a professional wrestling show produced by World Championship Wrestling which aired on TBS from January 8, 1998 to March 21, 2001...
and began focusing his efforts on NJPW, where he was part of Masahiro Chono
Masahiro Chono
, is a Japanese professional wrestler. He primarily wrestles for New Japan Pro Wrestling , but has also made appearances for the now defunct World Championship Wrestling, as a member of the New World Order. Chono was also known as Mister Black Jack when he first started as a villain. He is a...
's Team 2000 faction.
Return to NJPW (1999–2006)
On March 17, 2001, Norton defeated Kensuke SasakiKensuke Sasaki
is a Japanese professional wrestler who currently wrestles for various promotions through his own agency, Kensuke Office. He is the first of two men ever to hold all 3 of puroresu's major heavyweight titles , the other being Yoshihiro Takayama.-Early years :Kensuke Sasaki...
in Nagoya, Japan to capture the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship a second time. His second reign was shorter than his first, and he lost to Kazuyuki Fujita
Kazuyuki Fujita
is a Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and a former amateur wrestler. He has fought in mixed martial arts promotions including PRIDE, K-1 and currently fighting in Sengoku....
on his first defense. After the loss Norton started to team with former WCW foe Rick Steiner whenever Steiner toured Japan, but otherwise he was planted solidly in the mid-card as a test any hopeful world title challenger would have to pass. Norton temporarily retired in 2004, but didn't stay away long. When he returned, he once again teamed with Rick Steiner. In 2006, following that year's New Japan Cup
New Japan Cup
The New Japan Cup is an annual single-elimination professional wrestling tournament held by New Japan Pro Wrestling. Originally intended for every April, it was rescheduled to March in 2007. Though NJPW also runs the annual G1 Climax tournament, the NJC is different in that it is...
, he left NJPW after 16 years, becoming a freelancer in the process.
Independent circuit and semi-retirement (2006–2008)
In mid-2006, he started his own independent promotionIndependent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
, Wild West Championship Wrestling, based in the southwest of United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he acted as a booker as well as an in-ring talent until its closure later on in the year.
After wrestling for Hustle from mid to late 2007, Norton took a near-year long hiatus before returning on October 24, 2008, where he and Masahiro Chono
Masahiro Chono
, is a Japanese professional wrestler. He primarily wrestles for New Japan Pro Wrestling , but has also made appearances for the now defunct World Championship Wrestling, as a member of the New World Order. Chono was also known as Mister Black Jack when he first started as a villain. He is a...
defeated Don Frye and Yoshihiro Takayama
Yoshihiro Takayama
is a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. Takayama is well known for his ability to endure massive amounts of punishment, especially after his fight at PRIDE 21 against Don Frye...
in the first part of the Pro Wrestling Expo. The next day, Norton, Frye and Dick Togo lost to Chono, Eric Young
Eric Young (wrestler)
Jeremy Fritz is a Canadian professional wrestler, best known under his ring name Eric Young. He currently performs for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he has gained popularity using a variety of comic relief gimmicks....
and Kohei Sato
Kohei Sato
is a Japanese professional wrestler contracted with Pro Wrestling ZERO1. Sato is also a former mixed martial artist.-In wrestling:*Finishing moves*Briging German suplex*Cross Armbreaker*Pole Star *Signature moves...
. Since then, Norton has been inactive from wrestling.
In an August 2010 interview, Norton revealed that he would be interested in a run with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
. Norton lives in Brentwood, which is located minutes outside of TNA's headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee and commented that wrestling is, "something I enjoy doing. You miss it. I can still perform at a high level. I’m still a big, strong man. I would like to give it another shot. If I can get a couple-year run, I'll fold up my tent and call it a day."
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- BrainbusterBrainbusterA brainbuster is a professional wrestling throw in which a wrestler puts his/her opponent in a front facelock, hooks his/her pants, and lifts him/her up as if he/she was executing a vertical suplex. The wrestler then falls onto his/her back so that the opponent lands on his/her head while remaining...
– 1997 - Flashbreaker (Overhead gutwrench dropped into an inverted shoulderbreaker)
- Release powerbomb
- Brainbuster
- Signature moves
- Backbreaker
- Body avalanche
- Headbutt
- Lariat
- Multiple powerslamPowerslamA powerslam is a professional wrestling body slam move in which the wrestler performing the slam falls face-down on top of his/her opponent. The use of the term "powerslam" usually refers to the front powerslam and the scoop powerslam.-Emerald Flowsion:...
variations- Scoop
- Ura-nage
- Vertical suplex
- NeckbreakerNeckbreakerIn professional wrestling a neckbreaker is any throw or slam that focuses its attack on the opponent’s neck. One type of neckbreaker involves the wrestler slamming an opponent's neck against a part of the wrestler's body, usually the knee, head or shoulder...
- Rib breaker
- Rope hung DDT
- Running splash
- Samoan drop
- Shoulder block, sometimes from the second rope
- With Ice TrainHarold HoagHarold F. Hoag is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling, where he wrestled under the ring names Ice Train and M.I. Smooth.-Debut:...
- Flashbreaker (Norton) followed by the Train Wreck (Ice Train)
- ManagersManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- VincentMike Jones (wrestler)Mike Jones is an American professional wrestler, who most recently performed for World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Virgil, where he appeared on its Raw brand as Ted DiBiase, Jr.'s personal assistant...
- Vincent
- NicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s- "Flash"
- Entrance themesMusic in professional wrestlingMusic in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
- "Winner Takes It All" by Sammy HagarSammy HagarSam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....
(NJPW) - "Rockhouse" by Jimmy HartJimmy HartJames "Jimmy" Ray Hart is a professional wrestling manager, executive, composer, and musician currently signed with WWE. He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling under his nickname "The Mouth of the South." He has managed many professional...
and H. Helm (WCW; Used while a part of the New World OrderNew World Order (professional wrestling)The New World Order was a professional wrestling stable that originally wrestled for World Championship Wrestling . The group later appeared in the World Wrestling Federation after the purchase of WCW by the WWF...
) - "Tear It Up" by Jimmy Hart and H. Helm (WCW; Used while a part of the New World Order)
- "Winner Takes It All" by Sammy Hagar
Championships and accomplishments
- New Japan Pro WrestlingNew Japan Pro Wrestlingis a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
- G1 Climax Tag LeagueG1 Climax Tag LeagueThe G1 Climax Tag League is a professional wrestling round-robin tag team tournament held by New Japan Pro Wrestling as a spin-off of the popular singles tournament, the G1 Climax. It was created in 1991 as the Super Grade Tag League, as a continuation of a regular tag team tournament held since...
(1999) – with Keiji MutohKeiji Mutohis a Japanese professional wrestler who first gained international fame in the National Wrestling Alliance. He is mostly known for his work as The Great Muta in New Japan Pro Wrestling during the 1990s, but he has also competed in United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Taiwan... - IWGP Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- IWGP Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Hercules HernandezRay FernandezRaymond Fernandez was a professional wrestler who primarily wrestled in Florida and Texas before joining the World Wrestling Federation. He was best known by the ring name Hercules Hernandez or simply Hercules...
(1) and Tony HalmeTony HalmeTony Christian Halme was a member of the Finnish Parliament, representing the True Finns party. He was also known by the pseudonym Viikinki he used while appearing in the Finnish version of the TV game show Gladiators in the 1990s...
(1) - Super Grade Tag LeagueG1 Climax Tag LeagueThe G1 Climax Tag League is a professional wrestling round-robin tag team tournament held by New Japan Pro Wrestling as a spin-off of the popular singles tournament, the G1 Climax. It was created in 1991 as the Super Grade Tag League, as a continuation of a regular tag team tournament held since...
(1996) – with Shinya HashimotoShinya Hashimoto, was a Japanese professional wrestler. Along with Masahiro Chono and Keiji Mutoh, Hashimoto was dubbed one of the "Three Musketeers" that began competing in New Japan Pro Wrestling in the mid 1980s and dominated the promotion in the 1990s....
- G1 Climax Tag League
- Oregon Pro Wrestling Federation
- OPWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Pacific Northwest WrestlingPacific Northwest WrestlingPacific Northwest Wrestling is the common name used to refer to several different professional wrestling companies, both past and present, based in Portland, Oregon, United States. The first such company was founded by Herb Owen in 1925...
- NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance and defended in its member promotion Pacific Northwest Wrestling, which promoted shows in the U.S...
(1 time)
- NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked him #47 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1993
- Western Alliance Entertainment
- WAE Heavyweight Championship (1 time)