Current WWE Inductees
Three minutes in the Royal Rumble Match and a pair of moderately funny bits on the Pay Per View are apparently all Drew Carey needed to get in the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame. This wing will never make any sense to us.
A multi time regional champion in various NWA promtoions, Eddie Graham was a despised rulebreaker and one of the tougher men in the industry. Graham was a very good wrestler, but this induction was based on his work behind the scenes with the NWA; as he not only served as president of the organization, he…
It can not be argued that Eddie Guerrero deserves to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. The shame is that Eddie Guerrero is already there, as he was inducted the year after his premature death. Latino Heat was a star in WCW, and he became a major star in the WWE by showcasing his incredible…
On the Smackdown after Edge announced his retirement from wrestling, the crowd spontaneously chanted “Hall of Fame”. To us, this was the defining moment that told us that the WWE fans had completely embraced the concept of a WWE Hall of Fame and wanted to see closure for the stars they came to know and…
The WWE Hall of Fame indicted Mil Mascaras, who is a certifiable Mexican legend and had numerous matches under a WWE banner. Mascaras is a worthy inductee, but is it possible that they should look into the past of Mexican wrestling, even if it does predate its beginning? Perhaps, they should, and if so, El…
It is easy to say that because he had access to Ted Turner’s resources he was able to mount an offensive against the WWE. Just because you have the resources doesn’t mean you know what to do with it.
A long time announcer for the AWA, WWF and WCW, Gene Okerlund was the favorite broadcaster of many a wrestling fan. His smooth delivery and signature voice was only matched by his likable nature. Few can debate the legitimacy of this induction.
The long term wild man of the WWE, George “The Animal” Steele scared audiences for years before wrestling as a beloved Neanderthal type baby face in the twilight of his career. He rarely won any championships, but his type of character was never designed to be a champion; it was designed to scare opponents and…
This has to be considered a surprise induction, considering that Gordon Solie never worked for the WWE. Solie was an announcer who was dubbed the “Dean” of Wrestling Announcers. This was due to his complete professionalism on the microphone and his complete command of the English language. When he spoke, you were compelled to listen…
This was another induction that shocked us, as the career of Gorgeous George predated the WWE completely. With that said, there was NOBODY else who was made for televised wrestling in the 1950’s than Gorgeous George. He wrestled under his real name, George Wagner, for the first decade of his career to limited success. It…
As one of the great Super Heavyweights of all time, Gorilla Monsoon used his size and skill to be an upper card attraction for years. A loyal ally of Vince McMahon Sr., Monsoon would continue that role with the junior McMahon when he bought the company. Monsoon was given a lifetime job with the company…
His moves in the ring slow and methodical, but when Greg Valentine would hit his opponent few looked more devastating and believable. The Hammer won multiple high level titles in multiple promotions and had amazing runs in the WWE in both singles and tag team competition. A true ring general, Valentine was also known for…
Hoooooooooooooo!! One common formula in wrestling is to find a character that identifies with the American working class. Many have tried that role and some have even excelled. Nobody ever embodied that role better or longer than “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan.
Forget about his run in the WWF as “The King”. As a former multi time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Harley Race was considered by some to best wrestler to ever hold that belt. Those who may not consider Race to be the best champion would certainly label him as the toughest. A locker room legend…
As the initial televised era of wrestling was winding down, one of its stars proved to be a big draw without ever having to chase for a championship. His unique look and size were enough to get him “over”. Tipping the scales at over 600 pounds, Haystacks Calhoun was a mammoth of a man who…
Nowadays, a fan pandering “good guy” might struggle to gain fan approval, but we have a feeling that even with the outdated Hillbilly gimmick, Jim Morris (Hillbilly Jim) could still get over as a face.
Hiro Matsuda was a very good wrestler and fairly successful both Japan and in the Florida territory. Like other Japanese wrestlers, he played the stereotypical foreign heel and fans delighted in booing him. However, it was not his in ring performances that he is most known for. His contributions as a Professional Wrestling trainer is…
Hisahi Shinma, the figurehead President of the WWE before Jack Tunney was “elected” to that post, but he is on this list for the way he brokered talent from New Japan to the WWE during the late 70’s and early 80’s. That brokerage helped get Tatsumi Fujinami inducted this year.
The first official employee of the World Wrestling Federation and the main Ring Announcer for decades, Howard Finkel’s signature voice bellowed countless match results and title changes. Many times we wish he was still the main ring announcer, though we never wish for a resumption of the feud with Harvey Whippleman.
Although we have stated that it is difficult to have a WWE Hall of Fame without Bruno Sammartino, we imagine it is no different to have a Hall without Hulk Hogan in it. If you were a wrestling fan in the 80’s you knew who Hulk Hogan was, and even if you were not a…