The co-founder of the American Wrestling Association and its multi-time World Heavyweight Champion, Verne Gagne ran one of the most successful promotions of all time.  Gagne was the trainer of future legends and was himself one of the most technically proficient wrestlers ever.  This was the first induction that showed that Vince McMahon was willing to induct stars from other promotions and was looking to establish the WWE Hall of Fame as a complete Professional Wrestling Hall.

A former bodybuilding champion, “Mr. U.S.A.” Tony Atlas transitioned flawlessly into the world of Professional Wrestling.  Atlas was one of the few African American stars of the late 70’s and 80’s and won multiple championships throughout the NWA.  In the WWF, along with Rocky Johnson he became one half of the first black Tag Team Champions in that promotion’s history.  Even today in his late 50’s, Tony Atlas remains freakishly strong, and possesses arms bigger than 99 percent of the WWE roster.

First forming in the early 70’s, the team of Blackjack Mulligan and Blackjack Lanza may have been in the mold of other rough Texas cowboy tandems, but the black leather clad duo ran rough shot over their opponents in many regions.  Their apex as a team occurred in 1975 when they captured the WWF World Tag Team belts.  The Blackjacks would both go on to have very successful solo careers, which saw Mulligan compete for multiple NWA territories and Lanza would become a long time road agent with the WWE.

Sherri Martel was an excellent wrestler, but it was a vicious manager that she really shined.  She was the perfect second to Randy Savage’s second WWF heel run and she could generate more heat than any other female until Vickie Guerrero appeared on the scene.  She deserved her Hall of Fame induction but some of those she managed should have gotten in first.