The WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2019 continues to take shape with the announcement today that Torrie Wilson will be inducted into this year’s crop.

Wilson was a fitness model who was discovered by WCW and in early 1999 she would begin appearing as an on screen character (named Samantha) and would later appear under her own name in an angle with David Flair.  Over the next two years like so many personnel in World Championship Wrestling she would bounce around from alliance to alliance and following the sale of WCW to the WWE (then named the WWF) she was one of the first former WCW talent to appear on WWE television when she appeared on an episode of Smackdown asking Vince McMahon for work.

Like all of the former WCW talent she was a heel and along with Stacy Kiebler would feud with Trish Stratus and Lita.  Wilson was much better served as a face and she would align with Tajiri until the Japanese Buzzsaw would grow jealous of the attention she received.  Late 2002 would see her entire her most high profile feud when she was paired against Dawn Marie who married her father who was later killed during rigorous sex (seriously, that was the storyline).  Wilson would defeat Dawn Marie at the 2003 Royal Rumble, which thankfully ended the feud.

Wilson would appear in Playboy in May of 2003 and would manage Billy Gunn.  She would appear at Wrestlemania when her and Sable (who she also had a program with) would defeat Miss Jackie and Stacy Keibler in a Playboy Evening Gown Match.  She would later have programs against Hiroko and Melina before being drafted by Monday Night Raw where she would form a short lived heel stable with Candace Michelle and Victoria.  Wilson was never a great heel and she switched back to being a babyface and was paired with Carlito, which would be the last significant program of her career.

Wilson would retire in 2008 but would return sporadically at Wrestlemania 25 for the Women’s Battle Royale, the first Women’s Royal Rumble and was also a participant at the Battle Royale at the recent all female WWE Pay Per View, Evolution.

While we are not talking about a woman who was necessarily a great wrestler or a former champion, she was a character who was with the WWE for a long period of time and was very well liked by her peers and by fans alike.  In our latest rank, Wilson was slotted at #169on our Notinhalloffame.com list of those to consider for the WWE Hall of Fame.

This induction means that for the first time ever there will be two women inducted as Chyna is going in with D-Generation X.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Torrie Wilson for earning this honor.

Keith Flint, the frontman of the influential band Prodigy was found dead inside his home in London today.  Police were doing a welfare check on Flint and it is believed at this time that he took his own life.  He was 49 only years old.  

Along with Liam Howlett, Maxim, Leeroy Thornhill and Sharky, Flint formed The Prodigy who formed during the rave scene of the 1990’s.  The underground group broke through to the mainstream in the mid-90’s and they were at the forefront of what would be called the Big Beat sound. They would have two number one hits in the United Kingdom with “Breathe” and Firestarter” and they had two albums reach the top, the latter being 1997’s “The Fat of the Land”, which was successful on an international level.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the friends and family of Keith Flint at his time.

This is a very sad day in the world of sports as it was announced today that Hockey Hall of Famer, Ted Lindsay passed away today at the age of 93.

Breaking in with the Detroit Red Wings as a teenager in the 1944-45 season, Lindsay would prove himself as one of the best players in the 1950’s.  From the 1947/48 season to the 1956/57 season he would be chosen for eight First Team All Star and one Second Team All Star accolades and was the Art Ross Trophy winner in 1949/50.  On a line with another legend, Gordie Howe, Lindsay helped the Detroit Red Wings four times (1950, 1952, 1954 & 1955).

While Lindsay was an incredible hockey player, his greatest contribution to the game was spearheading the formation of the Players’ Association.  He would become their President in 1966.  He was considered so important that the Player’s Association renamed their version of the Most Valuable Player Award to the Ted Lindsay Award.

He would be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966, the year after he retired as the institution waived the mandatory three year period for eligibility.  

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the friends and family of Ted Lindsay at this time.

The Blues Hall of Fame has announced the Class of 2019 and this is a very powerful group.  The new inductees are:

Aretha Franklin:  “The Queen of Soul” was one of the most successful musicians ever and she had 77 songs enter the Billboard Hot 100 with 100 songs reach the R&B Top 100.  Franklin was chosen for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 where she was the first female act inducted.

Booker T. and the M.G.’s:  An instrumental group from Memphis, Tennessee, Booker T. and the M.G.’s were one of the first integrated groups in rock and roll history.  This hybrid group of Funk, R&B and Soul and they had a number one hit with “Green Onions” in 1962.  They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.

Count Basie:  William James “Count” Basie was an accomplished jazz pianist who put together his own orchestra in 1935 and was a leader in the Big Band sound that followed. His hits included “Oh, Lady Be Good”, “One O’Clock Jump”, “Swinging the Blues”, “Lester Leaps In”, “April In Paris” and “Lil’ Darlin’”.  

Ida Cox:  Billed as the “Uncrowned Queen of Blues”, Ida Cox was successful in both the vaudeville and blues style of music in the 1920’s. She is best known for her song “Wild Women Don’t Have the Blues”.

Moe Asch:  Asch enters in the non-performer category as a recording engine and record executive.

Pee Wee Crayton:  A guitarist and singer from Texas, Pee Wee Crayton was successful in the R&B genre in the late 40’s and 1950’s.  He would have a #1 R&B hit in 1948 with “Blues After Hours”.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the latest members of the Blues Hall of Fame.