Trish Stratus is one of the most iconic wrestlers in the history of the industry and many current superstars consider her their idol. The wrestling veteran, however, didn’t realize the impact she had on the business until she got the call for a Hall of Fame induction.
The wrestling legend spoke to Sports Illustrated ahead of the premiere of the A&E Biography: WWE Legends episode focused on her career.
Trish’s original run with WWE lasted only 6 years from 2000 to 2006. The female star left the company after that to look after her mother, without realizing the effect she would have on generations to come.
Speaking about her 2013 Hall of Fame induction, Trish Stratus revealed that it was the first time she realized what she had done:
“I went to work and did my best, getting the call for the Hall of Fame, that hit me. I didn’t realize what I was creating retrospectively. That was a reminder that we did make a difference and that people were impacted by that.
Trish Stratus Was Overwhelmed Realizing Her Impact
Trish Stratus returned to the ring at the inaugural Women’s Royal Rumble match in 2018. The young stars she got to meet during the time made her fully realized her influence on the business:
“During the first women’s Royal Rumble, I kept hearing different women saying that I influenced them to get in the business. That was incredibly impactful. Looking back, it’s amazing to see how we influenced the business.”
The former Women’s Champion has wrestled a number of matches since her 2018 return. Her latest outing came at the 2023 Payback event where Trish and Becky Lynch wrestled in a highly praised cage match.
It doesn’t appear that we’ve seen the last of the wrestling veteran either. WWE has teased tensions between her and Tiffany Stratton. Stratus has also maintained that she has unfinished business with Zoey Stark after the young star turned on her during her Payback appearance.
Drew McIntyre and Sheamus have had very similar career paths. They both started their wrestling careers around the same time and got signed by WWE less than a year apart. Both the stars were positioned as future main eventers from early on in Raw and SmackDown respectively.
While their careers differed a bit after that, both have had a resurgence in the last few years. More importantly, they have been best friends through all these ups and downs and their friendship has only gotten stronger with time
During a recent interview with the Hollywood Raw podcast, the Scottish Warrior was asked which star he would like to induct him into the Hall of Fame. It’s only fitting that Drew McIntyre took the name of Sheamus:
‘It’s Gotta Be Sheamus’: Drew McIntyre
“Oh God, it’s gonna end up being Sheamus, ain’t it? He’s been there since before we both got signed. The good times, the bad times. I am best man at his wedding coming up. He was best man at my wedding.
We give each other hell all the time. As everybody sees, we fight more than me and my actual brother. What people get to see on TV as well as backstage they don’t get to see. But yeah, it’s gotta be Sheamus.”
Both Drew McIntyre and Sheamus wrestled in highly praised matches during the Clash At The Castle PPV. The Celtic Warrior has since continued his feud with Gunther while McIntyre has been pulled from the road due to food poisoning.
The late Shad Gaspard was posthumously honored with the Warrior Award at this year’s WWE Hall Of Fame induction ceremony from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX. The former WWE star’s wife Siliana and his son Aryeh were in the attendance. While taking the award, Siliana described Shad as a sheepdog who always protected his flock:
“There are endless stories I can tell about shad standing up for others, helping others, and fighting for what was right. Shad used to tell our son that there are two types of men in the world, The wolves and the sheepdogs, and he would tell him to always be a sheepdog. The definition of a sheepdog is as follows.
The Sheep Dog protects the flock of sheep from the wolves, by combining elements from both the sheep and the wolf. They are empathetic towards others, yet they understand violence and aggression. Most importantly, they know how to use their aggression to protect others. The true definition of Shad.” She said about Shad Gaspard.
Siliana went on to tell her son that he was a sheepdog too. It was something Shad had seen long before her. She told Aryeh that the best of Shad lived in him and she wants him to hold his head high anytime anyone speaks of his dad. Shad Gaspard was given the award after he passed away while heroically saving his son from a strong current at Venice beach in May 2020.
WrestleMania this year will once again be a two-night event. It will be taking place on April 2 and 3 from AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas.
WWE has also announced the NXT Stand & Deliver PPV event and the Hall Of Fame ceremony for the Mania weekend.
All these announcements had confused fans about the scheduling of these events. PWinsider has now provided an update on the current plans for these shows.
According to the site, the current working plan is for the Hall Of Fame ceremony to air on Friday night, after the SmackDown broadcast has gone off the air. There is no word yet on if the ceremony is expected to air live or be taped ahead of time.
As for the NXT event, the plan right now for the Stand & Deliver PPV is to air the show on Saturday afternoon, prior to night 1 of WrestleMania 38.
These events will of course be in addition to the WrestleMania go home episode of Raw on Monday and the weekly NXT episode on Tuesday.
With over 2 months remaining to the show of shows, these plans are still “very preliminary” and could change as the event comes closer.
The WWE Hall of Fame ceremony airs Tuesday night on Peacock and the WWE Network. Several performers will take their rightful place in the Hall of Fame, but there are several wrestlers who are overlooked year after year.
Below we look at some of the top names still missing from the WWE Hall of Fame. They are listed in no particular order:
If you weren’t a WWF fan in the 1980s, it’s hard to describe just what Miss Elizabeth meant to the company at the time. Even though she barely spoke, her presence was something that was larger than life. She was the centerpiece of the year-long angle between “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan between WrestleMania IV and V. Elizabeth’s class and elegance was unlike anything else wrestling had seen at the time or since.
Booker T recently spent some time on his podcast discussing his belief that Miss Elizabeth should be in the Hall of Fame.
“Lovely Elizabeth definitely deserves her spot inside the Hall of Fame,” Booker T said.
“Elizabeth, of course, she wasn’t a wrestler, but what she gave to the business and the footprint that she left is definitely something — we’re talking about it right now — it’s definitely something that’s going to be remembered for many, many years.”
“I don’t think there would’ve been a King Booker and Queen Sharmell if there wasn’t the Macho Man Randy Savage and the lovely Elizabeth. I just don’t think it would’ve been. The Macho Man, finger up in the air, and King Booker’s pinky up in the air, it never would’ve happened if it wouldn’t have been for the Macho Man and the lovely Elizabeth. So, I think it’s yes, she deserves a spot inside the Hall of Fame. Hopefully, she’ll get there.”
Lex Luger
There was a point in time when Vince McMahon hand-picked Lex Luger to be Hulk Hogan’s successor. He was decked out in red, white, and blue and traveled across the country in the Lex Express as if he campaigning to be elected as the new Hogan. He slammed Yokozuna on the 4th of July and was set to become America’s next big hero. It didn’t really take off, however, and it would be Bret Hart who would defeat Yokozuna for the title at WrestleMania X.
Mick Foley recently spent some time talking about why he feels Lex Luger should be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
“In the simplest terms, Lex Luger was far too big of a star not to be in the WWE Hall of Fame. He was one of the very biggest stars of his era, and during his heyday – 1987-1999 – he headlined more pay-per-view shows, sold more tickets, and appeared on more magazine covers than all but a select few superstars of his era,” Foley wrote.
“For comparison’s sake, I consider myself a pretty solid choice for the WWE Hall of Fame. I certainly don’t remember any type of outcry coming from people who did not think I deserved induction. My career covered the same general era as Luger’s – give or take a few years. I headlined 10 PPV main events in my career – about half as many as Lex. I appeared on the cover of PWI twice. And I was a pretty darn important guy in the business. But so was Lex – and unlike me, he had the pressure of carrying his promotion for months on end.”
Owen Hart
Owen Hart
Owen Hart will never go into the WWE Hall of Fame because that’s not what his wife and kids want. A reckless act robbed that family of Owen for the rest of their lives. Owen Hart is honored in the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (PWHF) and Museum in Texas, and the Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame.
That Owen Hart will never be in the WWE Hall of Fame is a black eye on the company and the Hall of Fame itself. His glaring omission from it will always be present.
Owen Hart’s legacy is celebrated through the Owen Hart Foundation and the charitable work it does.
Demolition
Demolition
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, there was no more dominate a tag-team in WWE than Demolition. Ax and Smash set the record for the longest single reign of the WWE Tag Team Championships with a 478 day reign beginning at WrestleMania IV. It would be decades until New Day topped the record.
Demolition was a major part of WWE during their time in the company. Both were part of a class-action lawsuit against WWE regarding the impacts of traumatic brain injuries to wrestlers under its employ, however. The lawsuit was eventually tossed out but Demolition’s inclusion in it may be what is keeping them out of the HOF.
In an interview from 2016, Bret Hart spoke about several tag-teams omitted from the Hall of Fame and made special mention of Demolition.
“There’s so many people that they haven’t called forward to be in there. If you’re going to induct The Freebirds, and I have no objection to that, but what about Demolition?” Bret Hart asked when speaking to WrestleZone about the Fabulous Freebirds induction in 2016.
“It’s all great that The Freebirds did what they did down in Texas and whatnot. They never made history in the WWE so much as The Bulldogs, Demolition or The Hart Foundation.”
Woman (Nancy Benoit)
There is no secret as to why Nancy Benoit has not been honored in the WWE Hall of Fame. WWE does not seem interested in drudging up history that doesn’t reflect well on the company, even if it is to honor someone who deserves it. Nancy Benoit is not the only one omitted from the WWE Hall of Fame for this reason.
Nancy Benoit did so much during her 13-year career in wrestling. From debuting in Florida Championship Wrestling to her time as a valet with the Four Horsemen, Woman always brought a strong presence with her.
Last year, Mick Foley made a plea for Nancy Benoit to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
“For the past thirteen years, Nancy Benoit’s life has been largely defined in the public eye by how she died. I think it’s about time we changed that way of thinking. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could pause for a moment to remember instead, how she lived, how she worked, and to reflect on what her legacy in pro wrestling should be?” Foley wrote.
“Inducting Nancy Toffoloni into the WWE Hall of Fame is the right thing to do. Let us remember her, and define her for who she was and what she did in life.”
WWE filmed the 2021 Hall of Fame Induction ceremony on Tuesday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersberg, Florida. Additional footage will be shot today, with post-production to continue in the days ahead.
The WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony airs next Tuesday, April 6th at 8pm (Eastern) on the Peacock streaming service.
This year’s event will feature inductees from the Class of 2020 and the Class of 2021. Last year’s ceremony was canceled due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Inductees present at the tapings include the Bella Twins, nWo members Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash & Sean Waltman, the family of the late Davey Boy Smith, JBL and Titus O’Neil (receiving the Warrior Award). Many of the 2021 inductees were not present, including Rob Van Dam, Kane, the Great Khali, Eric Bischoff and Molly Holly.
WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler served as the event host.
The 2021 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony will not feature inductor speeches. Inductee speeches will be limited to 4-5 minutes each, as discussed by the Bella Twins last week:
Great day yesterday,HOF class 2020,now when I sign WWE Championship Belts ,HOF 05/20? ,there will be no more ? mark brother,when the crew saw I had the nWo title belt with me yesterday everyone got psyched for one more run, but timing is everything brother!!! nWoHollyWood4LifeHH pic.twitter.com/S5lu28eZcz
Jushin “Thunder” Liger is the latest inductee in the WWE Hall Of Fame.
Tokyo Sports first broke the news of his induction earlier today and WWE has since confirmed that the Japanese Wrestling Legend will be inducted into Hall Of Fame on Thursday, April 2, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.
Liger started his wrestling career in high school as an amateur wrestler and later aspired to become a professional wrestler. But he was initially rejected by NJPW dojo because he didn’t meet the height requirements of the academy at the time.
Though this didn’t stop the Japanese star and he moved to Mexico for training. Liger trained in very hard conditions there and according to the wrestling star himself; he was almost starving while studying in Mexico.
He was finally accepted by NJPW dojo when some company officials visiting the country took pity on him and invited him back to Japan to train alongside other wrestlers.
Jushin made his wrestling debut in March 1984 at the age of 19. Since then, he has gone on to become one of the top junior heavyweights in the history of the business, winning the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship 11 times during his career.
He first made his name in the United States by making
appearances for WCW in 1990 and since then, he has wrestled for companies such
as ROH, Impact Wrestling and more.
Jushin “Thunder” Liger will be joining Batista, nWo, The Bella Twins, JBL and The British Bulldog in the Class of 2020.
A world-traveled and beloved Superstar, @Liger_NJPW has competed throughout his native Japan and around the world for DECADES! He represents our industry’s history and has done so much to prepare its future. Congratulations and welcome to the #WWEHOF. pic.twitter.com/C6nuKaezWw
After it was confirmed that the Hart Foundation member Davey Boy Smith will be going into Hall Of Fame, a new report has revealed another interesting name for this year’s class.
Former World Champion John “Bradshaw” Layfield or JBL is set to be inducted into Hall Of Fame during the WrestleMania weekend this year, according to WrestlingInc.
The former WWE Champion started his career way back in
September 1992. He wrestled for NWA and toured the world to compete in
countries like Mexico and Japan before joining WWE in January 1996.
The company ended up being his home for the rest of his
career. Layfield stayed active in the promotion for almost 14 years and won
over half a dozen championships during his tenure as an active wrestler.
While JBL went through many character tweaks during his
career, his run with Faarooq as a tag team known as Acolytes Protection Agency
or APA is one of the periods most fondly remembered by the fans.
John announced his retirement from active competition after losing an Intercontinental Championship match to Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania XXV and he has been making sporadic appearances for the company ever since.
If these reports are true then JBL will be joining Batista,
nWo, The Bella Twins, Jushin “Thunder” Liger and The British Bulldog
in the Hall Of Fame class of 2020.
So far WWE has only announced a couple of entries into the Hall Of Fame 2020 but reports have revealed other names for this year’s class.
Two such entries that were revealed last week were the induction of the Bella Twins, Nikki Bella & Brie Bella and Japanese wrestling legend Jushin “Thunder” Liger. Now another name has been added to this list.
The rumors for it were first heard last week and Dave Meltzer confirmed on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Live that “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith will be going into Hall Of Fame this year:
“So obviously they announced Batista and the nWo, these
are confirmed. The Bella Twins people know about them, that was out last week
along with Jushin Liger and the other one is Dave Boy Smith. Dave Boy Smith
will be going into the Hall Of Fame.”
Davey Boy Smith had numerous stints with WWE including his initial run with the promotion from 1984 to 1988. Though probably his most notable tenure was when he signed with the company in 1994.
It was during this time when he formed a tag team with Owen Hart and they were later joined by Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart, and Brian Pillman to form a new version of the Hart Foundation. This run ended shortly after the Montreal Screwjob.
If this report is true then Davey Boy Smith will be joining ‘The Animal’ Batista and the members of nWo in Kevin Nash, Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, and Sean ‘X-Pac’ Waltman into the Hall Of Fame class of 2020.
Batista was announced as the first inductee for the Hall Of Fame class of 2020 yesterday and this announcement was followed by another one, confirming the induction of nWo as well.
Since the tradition calls for it, a lot of people have been
wondering who will be the inductor for these legends since the news came out,
and now at least the Animal has revealed who he has chosen for the role.
Batista recently replied to a tweet about the possible Hall
Of Fame inductors for him which mentioned people like Triple H and Randy Orton.
However, replying to the post, the former World Champion revealed that for personal reasons, he has asked former WWE wrestler and current producer Fit Finlay to induct him:
Batista wrestled his final match at WrestleMania 35 this
year where he competed against fellow former Evolution member Triple H in a No
Holds Barred match.
The two had teased tension during the SmackDown’s 1000th
episode and they went on set up the match during a Raw episode in March with
Triple H putting his career on the line.
Batista ended up losing the bout due to interference from
Ric Flair who he had attacked earlier. Batista announced his retirement from
professional wrestling afterwards.
The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum located in Wichita Falls, TX has announced its class of 2020. For those not familiar with the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame, it was founded in 1999 and unlike the WWE Hall of Fame has a physical location. More information about visiting the Hall of Fame can be found here.
The following names will be honored in the Hall of Fame Class of 2020:
George Zaharias – Pioneer Era
Bobby Managoff – Pioneer Era
“Killer” Karl Kox – TV era
King Curtis Iaukea – TV era
Jake Roberts – Modern Era
Magnum TA – Modern Era
The Bushwackers – Tag Team
The Great Kabuki – International
Debbie Combs – Lady Wrestler
Luna Vachon – Lady Wrestler
Dory Funk – Executive wing
Dick Woehrle – Referee
“Killer” Tim Brooks – Colleague
2019 Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductees
The 2019 Class consisted of:
Charley Fox – Pioneer Era
Baron Michele Leone – Pioneer Era
Abdullah the Butcher – TV Era
Lord James Blears – TV Era
Ronnie Garvin – Modern Era
Owen Hart – Modern Era
Dennis Condrey – Tag Team
Bobby Eaton – Tag Team
Randy Rose – Tag Team
Gory Guerrero – International
Beverly Shade – Lady Wrestler
Ann LaVerne – Lady Wrestler
Bob Roop – Colleague
Johnny Dugan – Referee
Wally Karbo – Executive
Information on all Hall of Fame inductees can be found here.
In addition to D-X, the Hart Foundation, Honkey Tonk Man, Harlem Heat, Torrie Wilson, and Brutus Beefcake, 9 other legends will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame tonight.
According to a report from PW Insider, the following names will be inducted into WWE’s HOF Legacy Wing tonight:
Bruiser Brody
Wahoo McDaniel
Luna Vachon
S.D Jones
Professor Toru Tanaka
Primo Carnera
Joseph Cohen
Hisashi Shinma
“Playboy” Buddy Rose
WWE Legacy Wing
The legacy wing of WWE’s Hall of Fame was created in 2016. The following names have been inducted into this wing in previous years:
Inducted in 2016:
Mildred Burke
Frank Gotch
George Hackentschmidt
Ed “Strangler” Lewis
Pat O’Connor
Lou Thesz
“Sailor” Art Thomas
Inducted in 2017:
Martin “Farmer” Burns
June Byers
Haystacks Calhoun
Judy Grable
Dr. Jerry Graham
Luther Lindsay
Toots Mondt
Rikidozan
Bearcat Wright
Inducted in 2018:
Stan Stasiak
Lord Alfred Hayes
Dara Singh
Cora Combs
El Santo
Jim Londos
Rufus R. Jones
Sputnik Monroe
Boris Malenko
Hiro Matsuda
WWE’s Hall of Fame ceremony takes place tonight inside Barclays Center. In addition to the inductions being made to the Hall of Fame this weekend, WWE also honored “Rowdy” Roddy Piper with a bronze statue at Axxess.
Earlier this month, The Floor Seat reported that some major format changes were coming to the WWE Hall Of Fame induction ceremony this year. One of those changes being that there will no longer be inductors for inductees. The report also suggested that there will be 15-minute time limits for speeches.
These made sense given one of the biggest criticisms the ceremony has faced over the years is that it’s too long. F4WOnline obtained a statement from WWE regarding the potential changes. The source confirmed that format options are definitely being looked at. It was noted there could be a “mix of ways” to introduce inductees.
As for the 15-minute time limits, the source claims they don’t know where that came from:
“While we are looking at format options, the plan is to have inductors, but there could be a mix of ways to introduce inductees. We are also looking at flow, but I don’t know where the 15 minute time limit info is coming from.”
This year’s WWE Hall Of Fame class includes names like Harlem Heat (Booker T and Stevie Ray), The Honkey Tonk Man, Torrie Wilson, D-Generation X (Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Chyna, Billy Gunn, Road Dogg, and X-Pac), and Warrior Award recipient Sue Aitchison.
The 2019 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony takes place Saturday night, April 6th from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
What do you think of the rumored changes coming to the WWE HOF ceremony?
Hardcore wrestler Pierre Carl Ouellet, or PCO who worked in the WWE as one-half of The Quebecers says that WWE’s Hall of Fame is not a big deal for him.
In a recent interview with The Mirror, PCO explains why the Hall of Fame is not a big focus for him.
“I am not big on the Hall of Fame, it is not a big deal for me. It is not something that is really a focus for me right now. Maybe when everything is behind me. I am still very much in to the action right now, so I can’t think about that.”
PCO revived his career as a hardcore wrestler in 2016 with the ‘French Frankenstein’ gimmick and has been on a roll since. The fifty-one-year-old says that he still has a lot to accomplish and the HOF can wait until he’s done with wrestling.
“I have got so many other things that are important and that I want to accomplish. The HOF can wait until my priority list is complete. It’s not that I don’t care about it, but my focus is not there and I wouldn’t see myself going there while I am working somewhere else, that doesn’t make sense to me. This is a subject we will talk about once I am done wrestling.”
PCO’s Return To Wrestling
PCO announced his retirement from wrestling in early 2011 but came back in 2016 at a Monteregie Wrestling Federation event in Quebec. He wrestled infrequently until he got a huge break from a match in April 2018.
PCO came under the spotlight with his brutal match against WALTER during WrestleMania 34 weekend at Joey Janela’s Spring Break 2. He quickly became one of the hottest acts in the indies which led him to an exclusive contract with Ring of Honor.
PCO signed with ROH in December 2018 and is part of the Villian Enterprises stable with Marty Scrull and Brody King. It doesn’t look like he is going to retire from wrestling soon, and it will be interesting to see where his career goes from here on.
We recently reported on former WWE Superstar, Torrie Wilson, becoming an inductee into WWE’s Hall Of Fame Class of 2019.
Since then, however, there has been some negative backlash regarding her induction by some members of the WWE Universe. They do not believe that she has earned a spot amongst the other members of WWE’s Hall Of Fame.
Speaking with David LeGreca and Bully Ray on Busted Open Radio, Torrie Wilson addressed these comments and the fans who have been criticising WWE for wanting her to join her peers like Trish Stratus and Lita.
“I think some of the people that are angry are the same people that are forgetting that this is an entertainment show and I was not calling the shots backstage going, ‘Hey Vince, can I please wrestle in a bikini tonight?’” she explained. “I actually was out there with Fit Finlay going, ‘OK, what’s the most athletic match I can put together with a bikini on?”
During her tenure with the company, one thing Torrie Wilson was never able to accomplish was becoming a champion — a fact she is acutely aware of after making a list of her accomplishments once she’d received the phone call by Mark Carrano offering her a HOF spot.
“Immediately when I hung up the phone, I sat there and thought, like…I basically started putting together this list of all the things I’m not. And I was never a champion,” Wilson said.
“I could do much better than my haters about beating myself up. Then I had to put myself in check but there are a lot of things that I am. I’m not Charlotte Flair, I’m not jumping off ladders, but I am Torrie Wilson and I did have something to bring to the table. I think for most people, we are just too quick to start listening to the negatives and losing focus on what we can bring to the table.”
WWE legend Chyna will finally take her rightful place amongst the company’s elite. It was announced that D-Generation X will be inducted into the Hall Of Fame prior to WrestleMania 35 this year. Chyna, one of the founding members of the group, is included in that induction. Fans have been calling for Chyna (real name Joan Laurer) to be inducted for quite some time.
“I am absolutely thrilled. And so is my husband. We have been invited to the ceremony and will be so proud to be there and celebrate this awesome occasion. She certainly earned this, to say the least.”
Chyna was found dead in her Redondo Beach, California home in April of 2016. She was 46-years-old. It was determined that her cause of death was due to an accidental drug overdose. Chyna helped break down barriers for women in professional wrestling. Especially given the emphasis being put on women’s wrestling today, there’s no better time to induct “The Ninth Wonder Of The World” than now.
What do you think about WWE finally putting Chyna in the Hall Of Fame?
We might have just spilled the beans on which legendary Superstar will be headlining the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2019.
The Road to WrestleMania kicks off this weekend at the Royal Rumble. We’re just three short months from the ‘Showcase Of The Immortals.’ In addition to WWE’s biggest show of the year, fans also look forward to WrestleMania weekend as icons of years past take their place in history in the WWE Hall Of Fame.
Over the weekend, WWE sent out an email announcing that 25 episodes of WWF Superstars from 1992 have been added to the WWE Network. That’s great in itself, but a closer look at the promotional material for this new content reveals something else. The ad, seen below, touts the Superstars episode feature WWE Hall of Famers The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, and Ric Flair. Of course, Michaels and Flair have already been inducted, while The Undertaker has simply been rumored for this year’s class.
It’s possible this was a misstatement by WWE’s marketing team. However, it is more likely that this email referencing The Undertaker as a Hall of Famer was inadvertently sent out before the official announcement. The first inductee for this year’s class is expected to be announced very soon.
We are about to officially be on The Road To WrestleMania. WrestleMania weekend is filled with an extensive list of things to do for WWE fans to experience and enjoy. One event attending fans can witness is the annual WWE Hall Of Fame ceremony.
Every year, the WWE Universe, and even Superstars, speculate and debate over who could be joining the most recent class of inductees. This year is no different.
“She Was A Pioneer For The Women’s Movement”
Speaking with Kevin Cerrito on Sports 56/87.7 in Memphis, Natalya highlighted Chyna as deserving to be recognized as a Hall Of Famer.
“I think that one day it [Chyna entering the Hall Of Fame] will definitely happen,” Natalya said. “She really paved an incredible road for the women of the WWE and she was so unique. If you look back at those great memories of her, she really defined coloring outside the lines and being bold and bright and beautiful.”
“She was a pioneer for the women’s movement in general,” she explained. “So, I think definitely one day we’ll see it. A lot of people have said, ‘We should have this person in the Hall of Fame. And we should have this person in. And that tag team should be in.’ The thing is that WWE is not going anywhere. WWE is going to be around for a long, long time so everybody, I believe, is going to get their due and I believe Chyna will be one of them.”
Do you agree with Natalya? Does Chyna deserve a place within the Hall Of Fame?
We noted before how Hulk Hogan announced a nWo reunion tour back in late August and it became a topic of discussion after WWE started promoting it through their social media channels.
Now a latest development in the situation make it seem like WWE may have their own reasons to get involved with this tour and the company might be observing the reaction to it very closely.
Reddit user thegumpguy recently posted highlights from his recent meeting with Kevin Nash during a local comic con event, and he shared some interesting details about his conversation with the former WWE Star.
According to the fan, Nash did a Q&A session during his appearance, and he claimed that the upcoming reunion tour is to gauge interest for inducting the group into the Hall of Fame.
Apart from this Nash also talked about Jim Cornette being bitter and how Bayley and Sasha Banks would be a welcome addition to nWo.
With nWo featuring more than 50 members who were a part of the group at different times, it’s hard to say which one of them could be inducted if the story is really true.
Though it’s most likely that they’ll induct the original three members, namely Scott Hall, Hulk Hogan, and Kevin Nash.
This obviously is not a confirmed report and we’ll have to wait for any trusted source to confirm it but the talk of nWo being inducted into the Hall Of Fame is still interesting.
The nWo ‘Too Sweet’ reunion tour will kick off from Orlando on October 27th.
It seems that a fan from the U.K. who traveled to New Orleans for WrestleMania weekend has been hospitalized with the measles.
The tourist reportedly attended the 2018 Hall Of Fame Ceremony the Friday before WrestleMania 34, per a report from FOX 8 New Orleans.
He was hospitalized the following night on Saturday and other attendees at the Hall Of Fame are being contacted by the Louisiana Health Department now.
It also appears that, as of this writing, there is no further information on any other events the fan might have attended while infected. It was noted, however, that those who were two rows within the tourist have been emailed and urged to contact the health department:
BREAKING: The UK tourist hospitalized with measles was at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony Friday before being hospitalized on Saturday. Attendees are receiving notifications from @LADeptHealth now. We’ll have more on @FOX8NOLA.
Not yet. A few attendees of HOF got an email saying they were seated within two rows of the infected man and to call health dept. Still waiting for official details from them.
Another fan on Twitter noted that they received an email saying they were on the same plane as the infected tourist on the way over to New Orleans. The Louisiana Health Department has already concluded that the tourist was already infected before arriving to the U.S.
It was noted that an infected person can take between 10 days to three weeks to show symptoms of measles. We’ll keep you updated….
Not many inductors have been confirmed for the WWE 2018 Hall Of Fame induction ceremony this year. Thus far it has only been confirmed that Edge and Christian will be inducting The Dudley Boyz, and Molly Holly will be inducting Ivory. It has been rumored that Paul Heyman could be inducting Goldberg and Hulk Hogan could be inducting Hillbilly Jim, however, those remain rumors as of this writing.
It would make sense for WWE to allow Hogan to induct Jim given that the company recently confirmed they have been talking to “The Hulkster” about a possible return. As for Jeff Jarrett, Mark Henry, and Kid Rock there is currently no news on who could be inducting any of those three. Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Dave Meltzer reports that WWE really wants to keep this year’s inductor’s a secret.
Discussion: Do you think Hogan will end up inducting Jim into the Hall Of Fame? And who do you think would be some good options for Goldberg, Jarret, Henry, and Kid Rock?
– We’ve noted that the Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal announcement from WWE has received a ton of backlash from the professional wrestling world. Fans were so upset they started a petition to have the name changed, a petition that has received nearly 10,000 signatures. WWE seems to be aware of the backlash from fans now, as they have turned off commenting abilities on their YouTube video about the Battle Royal:
– Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Dave Meltzer was recently asked on Twitter why the WWE doesn’t have an actual, physical WWE Hall Of Fame. Meltzer responded by saying Vince McMahon doesn’t see the economic value in it and nobody else has offered to ‘foot the bill’:
No reason other than they don't because Vince doesn't see the economic value to it and nobody else has offered to foot the bill https://t.co/5Dg7bqVvJZ
– Earlier today WrestleVotes reported that their sources noted Hillbilly Jim is one name, that’s not being talked about, that is expected to be inducted into the 2018 WWE Hall Of Fame:
Texting w/ a source regarding the 2018 Hall of Fame. The rumored names of Bam Bam Bigelow & Kid Rock seem to be correct… but a non rumored name is also set for induction this year: Hillbilly Jim.
Just hours later Bleacher Report confirmed the news and even got a reaction from Jim on the news:
“I didn’t have that on my mind whatsoever,” Jim told Bleacher Report. “For a moment or two, I was knocked back on my heels. Basically, I was speechless. It was a whole lot for me to digest quickly.”
– As we’ve noted, Samir Singh has been rehabbing his knee after tearing his ACL. Following surgical repair, Singh is expected to miss 6-9 months of action. He posted the following on Twitter to update the WWE Universe on his recovery:
For the third consecutive year, Snickers will serve as the exclusive presenting partner of WrestleMania 34, one of the biggest sports and entertainment events in the world. WrestleMania, WWE’s annual pop-culture extravaganza, will take place Sunday, April 8, 2018, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans and stream live around the world on WWE Network.
Snickers’ presenting partnership of WrestleMania is highlighted by custom content produced by WWE for Snickers, which will feature Superstars and the brand’s popular “‘You’re Not You When You’re Hungry”‘ campaign. The creative will appear across WWE’s global digital and social platforms, which includes the No. 1 sports channel and No. 2 channel overall in the world on YouTube, on the award-winning WWE Network, and on WWE’s flagship TV programs — Monday Night Raw and SmackDown LIVE — on USA Network, a long-standing Snickers partner.
As part of the agreement, Snickers will have promotional activity at WrestleMania Axxess – WWE’s four-day, interactive fan festival, presence at WWE Live Events leading up to WrestleMania, retail promotions, as well as custom digital and social content, including a branded WWE.com and YouTube series hosted by WWE digital correspondent Cathy Kelley. Snickers will also leverage WWE’s Instagram page, which has more than 14 million followers – the most of any major sport – with a sponsored Instagram story on the day of WrestleMania.
“We’re thrilled to partner with WWE for a third consecutive year as the presenting sponsor of WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans,” said Michael Italia, Senior Brand Manager, Snickers Brand. “The animated personalities of WWE cannot afford to be hungry in the ring, which makes our partnership that much more of an authentic extension of our ‘You’re Not You When You’re Hungry’ campaign. We’re eager to connect with WWE’s passionate fan base in person and across social media this year, as this event continues to grow in attendance and engagement.”
“As one of the biggest sports and entertainment events in the world, WrestleMania will again provide Snickers a global platform to deliver their award-winning ‘You’re Not You When You’re Hungry’ campaign,” said John Brody, WWE Executive Vice President, Global Sales & Head of International. “Our continued WrestleMania partnership with Snickers is a result of innovative and entertaining collaborations that engaged our passionate fans worldwide.”
Additionally, Snickers will be the presenting sponsor of the WrestleMania block party at Champions Square outside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, which is free and open to the public, and will include fun-filled entertainment areas with music, games and food.
Snickers is also currently conducting a retail sweepstakes on U.S. military bases that will give 25 winners free access to stream WrestleMania on WWE Network.
Last year, Snickers’ WrestleMania 33 presenting partnership resulted in nearly three3 billion impressions for Snickers across WWE’s global platforms, including video content integrations within Monday Night Raw and SmackDown LIVE on USA Network, digital and social media, WWE Network, live events and retail appearances by WWE Superstars. WrestleMania 33 was the most-social event in WWE history, and set a new Orlando Citrus Bowl attendance record of 75,245 fans, which led to the highest-grossing event in the stadium’s history at $14.5 million.
Jeff Jarrett is the latest member of the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018. The news was first announced by NBC Sports and later confirmed by WWE.
Jarrett’s induction is a surprising one, as the Tennessee wrestling legend has had a rocky relationship with WWE over the years to say the least.
“I would have never dreamed that in 2018 I’d be going into the Hall of Fame,” Jarrett said to NBC Sports last week, “but as I’ve sat back and looked I said, ‘Welp, I guess there are some things that are just meant to be.’”
Jarrett has held countless championships throughout his illustrious career. In WWE, he held the Intercontinental championship 6 times, the European Championship and the WWE tag team championships with Owen Hart. He was a 4-time WCW World Champion and a 6-time NWA World Champion in the company he co-founded, TNA Wrestling.
Jeff Jarrett joins Bill Goldberg, The Dudley Boyz and Ivory in the Class of 2018.
“It’s a humbling honor and I will be accepting it on behalf of just not myself, but my wife Karen, who has had to go through ups and downs. My dad, my stepmom, my uncle, who just passed away. My grandfather, my grandmother on the other side of my family,” Jarrett told NBC Sports.
“It’s a three generation business, so I’m accepting it for everyone in my family because it is a family business. That is something that is so humbling to me. I’m the one who got picked, but it’s really an award for the entire Jarrett family.”
The 2018 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony takes place Friday night, April 6th from New Orleans, LA during WrestleMania 34 weekend.
With Wrestlemania season fast approaching WWE will be looking to finalise their inductees into the Hall of Fame in April 2018.
It looks as though 5 names have already been leaked for the 2018 ceremony, blogger Brad Sheppard (who is well regarded and broke the potential XFL revival story) has revealed that the following names will be confirmed for a New Orleans induction:
Goldberg – The biggest home grown talent in WCW will finally be making his way to the WWE Hall of Fame following his short Universal Title run earlier this year
Bam Bam Bigelow – Long overdue an induction, Bam Bam will be the posthumous inductee for 2018
Ivory – One of the most underrated talents from WWE’s Attitude Era Ivory will be making her way to the Hall in 2018
Dudley Boyz – Arguably the most decorated tag team in professional wrestling history, the Dudleys will finally be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018
Kid Rock – There’s always a celebrity
Are you happy with the potential class of 2018? Who would you like to see inducted?
