At 57, "Skip" claimed to be the oldest pro-debuting fighter, and in 2008 at the age of 63 he gained a measure of notoriety as an unusually old combat sports athlete.
In 2008, Skip's simultaneous status as an active fighter and senior citizen - as well as since-debunked claims about his special forces background - led to a series of uncritical profiles by various media outlets.
[2][3] Hall claimed he served in the U.S. Army Special Forces during the Vietnam war, as a "5th SF SOG A Team Leader.
Attention to Hall's Special Forces claims arose due to a profile written in 2008 by NBC Sports writer Mike Chiappetta.
[4] That article led to a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request for his official records by Special Forces veterans who were not convinced of Hall's claims.