Emory Hale
 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 13, 1969 St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | January 28, 2006 (aged 36) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Emery Hale Big Hail Lord Humongous The Machine Hail |
| Billed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Billed weight | 350 lb (160 kg) |
| Debut | 1998 |
| Retired | 2003 |
Emery Hale (December 13, 1969 – January 28, 2006) was an American professional wrestler, best known for his two-year run in World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
Early life
[edit]Emery Hale was born on December 13, 1969.[1] Early in life, Hale played baseball, and at one point had a tryout with the Baltimore Orioles.[2]
Professional wrestling career
[edit]Weighing in at 350 pounds and standing in at 6' 9", Hale made his professional wrestling debut in 1998 for the World Wrestling Alliance, occasionally teaming up with Test in a couple of matches.[1] He also wrestled for Music City Wrestling as Lord Humongous, and used a leaping piledriver as a finisher.[3]
In late 1998, Jimmy Hart brought Hale to World Championship Wrestling (WCW), grooming him as the next big opponent for Hulk Hogan.[2] He mainly wrestled on WCW Monday Nitro and WCW Saturday Night, losing to bigger stars like Lex Luger, Barry Windham and Booker T.[1] On February 2, 2000, he appeared on WCW Thunder as the Machine, losing to Diamond Dallas Page.[1]
On September 8, 2001, he lost to Abdullah the Butcher by disqualification for World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico.[2] Hale also worked in many projects involving Hart and Hogan.[2] In 2001, he signed with the X Wrestling Federation, where, like his time in WCW, was managed by Hart and was groomed to be the top heel for the promotion.[3] After leaving XWF, he went on to wrestle on the independent circuit as Lord Humongus.[3] He would retire after developing pneumonia stemming from a kidney transplant in 2003.[2]
Illness and death
[edit]In 2003, Hale received a kidney transplant, but eventually developed pneumonia and was hospitalized in the ICU of Tampa General Hospital.[2] On January 28, 2006, Hale died of kidney failure at the age of 36.[2]