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Kurt Angle to the WWE HOF
Jan 16, 2017
Published in
Not in Hall of Fame News
This one makes us very happy.
It was announced today that the WWE Hall of Fame will be inducting Kurt Angle into this year’s class, where he is likely to be the headliner.
A two time NCAA Champion, Angle won the Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Gold Medal at the 1996 Olympic Games. He would translate that ability and arguable took to the Professional Wrestling game quicker than anyone in the past thirty years. Angle would debut on WWE Television in 1999 and in a twelve month period would win the WWF European, Intercontinental and World Heavyweight Championship.
He would stay with the WWE until 2005 and is a six time World Champion with the promotion. He has main event multiple pay per views, including Wrestleania 19, where defended his belt against Brock Lesnar.
Angle has also been a champion in TNA and IWGP.
As Angle did not leave the WWE on the best of terms, this day must feel especially sweet. Angle has been lobbying to get back to the WWE in an in ring capacity, which the WWE is likely fearful of due to the severe wear and tear of the former Olympian.
Regardless, we are absolutely thrilled to see Kurt Angle enter the WWE Hall of Fame and return home regardless of the capacity.
It was announced today that the WWE Hall of Fame will be inducting Kurt Angle into this year’s class, where he is likely to be the headliner.
A two time NCAA Champion, Angle won the Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Gold Medal at the 1996 Olympic Games. He would translate that ability and arguable took to the Professional Wrestling game quicker than anyone in the past thirty years. Angle would debut on WWE Television in 1999 and in a twelve month period would win the WWF European, Intercontinental and World Heavyweight Championship.
He would stay with the WWE until 2005 and is a six time World Champion with the promotion. He has main event multiple pay per views, including Wrestleania 19, where defended his belt against Brock Lesnar.
Angle has also been a champion in TNA and IWGP.
As Angle did not leave the WWE on the best of terms, this day must feel especially sweet. Angle has been lobbying to get back to the WWE in an in ring capacity, which the WWE is likely fearful of due to the severe wear and tear of the former Olympian.
Regardless, we are absolutely thrilled to see Kurt Angle enter the WWE Hall of Fame and return home regardless of the capacity.
RIP: Jimmy Snuka
Jan 15, 2017
Published in
Not in Hall of Fame News
It is a very sad day for the WWE, as one of their greatest superstars of all-time, Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka passed away today. He was 73 years old
Before we get to what has dominated news about Snuka in recent years, let’s take a quick look at his decorated in ring career:
Born in Fiji in 1943, Snuka did not wrestling until 1970. His first taste of true success in the wrestling industry took place in ’73 when he went to work for Don Owen in NWA Pacific Northwest. He would win that regional championship six times as well as their version of the tag team titles multiple times with Portland mainstay, Dutch Savage.
He would spend the bulk of the 1970’s wrestling across various NWA territories. Superfly would win the Texas Title in 1977 but achieved a higher profile in Mid Atlantic with a tag team with fellow future WWE superstar, “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff. Snuka would also win the United States Title from Ricky Steamboat. Following a run in Georgia he would travel north to New York and become a top performer for Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation.
Debuting in 1982 as a dastardly heel with his manager, Captain Lou Albano, Snuka would main event quickly, receiving title shots against the then World Champion, Bob Backlund. In a notable steel cage match in Madison Square Gardens, Snuka would attempt a “superfly splash” off the top of the cage, missing the champion but dazzling the fans. He was just a great athlete and his pioneering aerial skills made it hard for him not to turn face, which he did later in the year, aligning with former Champion Buddy Rogers and then feuding with Albano’s other charge, “The Magnificent Muraco, who was the promotion’s Intercontinental Champion.
The feud with Muraco, culminated again at MSG, where this time Snuka hit the splash from the top of the steel cage (albeit after the match, which he lost), which even today remain one of the most iconic moments in WWE history.
Jimmy Snuka would feud with “Rowdy” Roddy Piper for the next year, and at this time Snuka was one of the top faces in the company, and for many fans the top star. He would appear in the corner of Hulk Hogan and Mr. T at the first Wrestlemania, though he would depart the promotion later in the year and work for Verne Gagne’s American Wrestling Association before returning in 1989.
By this point, in his 40’s, Snuka was still popular but no longer a main event player. His next three years saw him put over stars, such as The Undertaker, Rick Rude and others, and he would join Eastern Championship Wrestling (the eventual Extreme Championship Wrestling) and become their champion.
In 1996, the World Wrestling Federation inducted him into their Hall of Fame, and he even performed in that weekend’s Survivor Series. He would continue to wrestle sporadically after, and even appeared at Wrestlemania 25, teaming with Piper and Steamboat in a 3 on 1 handicap match against Chris Jericho. Even in declining health, he wrestled in independents and was a fixture at signings and conventions, however late in his life he was known for a near 34 year old death of his former girlfriend, Nancy Argentino.
Argentino died in 1983, and while Snuka was the prime suspect in her death, no charges were ever laid, though Snuka did lose a civil suit (which he never paid) to the Argentino family. He was finally charged in late 2014 with third degree murder, but only twelve days ago, he was found mentally unfit to stand trial.
While the last few years of Snuka’s life was certainly controversial, the wrestling fan in us would like to remember the great in-ring moments.
We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the family, friends and fans of Jimmy Snuka at this time.
Before we get to what has dominated news about Snuka in recent years, let’s take a quick look at his decorated in ring career:
Born in Fiji in 1943, Snuka did not wrestling until 1970. His first taste of true success in the wrestling industry took place in ’73 when he went to work for Don Owen in NWA Pacific Northwest. He would win that regional championship six times as well as their version of the tag team titles multiple times with Portland mainstay, Dutch Savage.
He would spend the bulk of the 1970’s wrestling across various NWA territories. Superfly would win the Texas Title in 1977 but achieved a higher profile in Mid Atlantic with a tag team with fellow future WWE superstar, “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff. Snuka would also win the United States Title from Ricky Steamboat. Following a run in Georgia he would travel north to New York and become a top performer for Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation.
Debuting in 1982 as a dastardly heel with his manager, Captain Lou Albano, Snuka would main event quickly, receiving title shots against the then World Champion, Bob Backlund. In a notable steel cage match in Madison Square Gardens, Snuka would attempt a “superfly splash” off the top of the cage, missing the champion but dazzling the fans. He was just a great athlete and his pioneering aerial skills made it hard for him not to turn face, which he did later in the year, aligning with former Champion Buddy Rogers and then feuding with Albano’s other charge, “The Magnificent Muraco, who was the promotion’s Intercontinental Champion.
The feud with Muraco, culminated again at MSG, where this time Snuka hit the splash from the top of the steel cage (albeit after the match, which he lost), which even today remain one of the most iconic moments in WWE history.
Jimmy Snuka would feud with “Rowdy” Roddy Piper for the next year, and at this time Snuka was one of the top faces in the company, and for many fans the top star. He would appear in the corner of Hulk Hogan and Mr. T at the first Wrestlemania, though he would depart the promotion later in the year and work for Verne Gagne’s American Wrestling Association before returning in 1989.
By this point, in his 40’s, Snuka was still popular but no longer a main event player. His next three years saw him put over stars, such as The Undertaker, Rick Rude and others, and he would join Eastern Championship Wrestling (the eventual Extreme Championship Wrestling) and become their champion.
In 1996, the World Wrestling Federation inducted him into their Hall of Fame, and he even performed in that weekend’s Survivor Series. He would continue to wrestle sporadically after, and even appeared at Wrestlemania 25, teaming with Piper and Steamboat in a 3 on 1 handicap match against Chris Jericho. Even in declining health, he wrestled in independents and was a fixture at signings and conventions, however late in his life he was known for a near 34 year old death of his former girlfriend, Nancy Argentino.
Argentino died in 1983, and while Snuka was the prime suspect in her death, no charges were ever laid, though Snuka did lose a civil suit (which he never paid) to the Argentino family. He was finally charged in late 2014 with third degree murder, but only twelve days ago, he was found mentally unfit to stand trial.
While the last few years of Snuka’s life was certainly controversial, the wrestling fan in us would like to remember the great in-ring moments.
We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the family, friends and fans of Jimmy Snuka at this time.
Hayley Wickenheiser Retires. HOF Next?
Jan 14, 2017
Published in
Not in Hall of Fame News
While women have been entering the Hockey Hall of Fame, we haven’t yet elected to rank them. Maybe we will one day (we don’t rank coaches or executives), but we did make an exception for Don Cherry. If we were to ever make an exception for a female player, that person would be Hayley Wickenheiser, who quietly required today following a post on Twitter.
Wickenheiser would first suit up for the Canadian Women’s Team in 1994 at the tender age of 15. That first appearance was the 1994 World Women’s Hockey Championship, where Team Canada would win the Championship. This would begin a more than twenty year stint with the National Team.
She would become very familiar with the podium. Six more times at the World Championship, she would become a Gold Medalist and would also win six Silver Medals. While those are worthy accomplishments, the reality of Women’s Hockey is that the Holy Grail is the Winter Olympics.
In 2002 at the Salt Lake City Games, Hayley would lead Canada to an Olympic Gold Medal. This was especially sweet, as the Canadians would lose to the United States in 1998 in Nagano, Japan, the first time that Women’s Hockey entered the Games they lost to the U.S. Wickenheiser would lead the Canadians to three more Olympic Gold Medals in 2006, 2010 and 2014.
Over her 276 Game career representing Canada, Hayley Wickenheiser scored 379 Points, the most of any player representing Canada. She is also the all-time leading scorer in Women’s Olympic Hockey.
She would also break barriers by becoming the first female to play in the Finnish Third League, the Finnish Second League and in the Swedish League. We think it is safe to say that she will soon be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to wish Hayley Wickenheiser the best on her post hockey endeavors and thank her for the on ice memories.
Wickenheiser would first suit up for the Canadian Women’s Team in 1994 at the tender age of 15. That first appearance was the 1994 World Women’s Hockey Championship, where Team Canada would win the Championship. This would begin a more than twenty year stint with the National Team.
She would become very familiar with the podium. Six more times at the World Championship, she would become a Gold Medalist and would also win six Silver Medals. While those are worthy accomplishments, the reality of Women’s Hockey is that the Holy Grail is the Winter Olympics.
In 2002 at the Salt Lake City Games, Hayley would lead Canada to an Olympic Gold Medal. This was especially sweet, as the Canadians would lose to the United States in 1998 in Nagano, Japan, the first time that Women’s Hockey entered the Games they lost to the U.S. Wickenheiser would lead the Canadians to three more Olympic Gold Medals in 2006, 2010 and 2014.
Over her 276 Game career representing Canada, Hayley Wickenheiser scored 379 Points, the most of any player representing Canada. She is also the all-time leading scorer in Women’s Olympic Hockey.
She would also break barriers by becoming the first female to play in the Finnish Third League, the Finnish Second League and in the Swedish League. We think it is safe to say that she will soon be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to wish Hayley Wickenheiser the best on her post hockey endeavors and thank her for the on ice memories.
Penny Hardaway to enter the Orlando Magic HOF
Jan 13, 2017
Published in
Not in Hall of Fame News
As we (slowly) continue our way to the Top 50 of each franchise, the next step will be to look at how each team celebrates their former players/executives.
As such it is news to us that the Orlando Magic has announced that former star, Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway will become the fifth member of their organization’s Hall of Fame.
In 1993, Hardaway was drafted with the 3rd overall pick by Golden State but was subsequently traded to Orlando with other first round picks for the rights to #1 overall pick Chris Webber. Joining Shaquille O’Neal, Hardaway took the Magic to 50 wins, and finished 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting behind Webber.
The next two seasons were arguably the best of Penny’s career and that of the Orlando Magic. Hardaway and O’Neal anchored the Magic to their first ever NBA Finals and the team would have 57 and 60 Wins respectively. Penny was an All Star in both of those seasons and was named a First Team All-NBA Selection and averaged over 20 Points and 7 Assists per Game.
While Hardaway would be named an All Star for the next two seasons, the fortunes of the Orlando Magic had changed. Shaq would sign a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers and Penny had to carry the offensive load. He still had a 20 Point per Game season in 1996-97 and earned Third Team All NBA honors but a severe knee injury took him out of most of the 1997-98 campaign.
He would return for one more season (his sixth) but he was no longer the same player and he would be traded to the Phoenix Suns prior to the 1999-2000 season.
Overall, as a member of the Orlando Magic, Penny Hardaway played 365 Games averaging 19.0 Points, 6.3 Assists, 4.6 Rebounds and 1.9 Steals per Game.
Hardaway joins Co-Founder Pat Williams, Nick Anderson (the first player drafted by the team and current Community Ambassador), Shaquille O’Neal and Senior Chairman, Rich DeVos.
The ceremony will take place on January 20, on their home game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway for earning this honor.
As such it is news to us that the Orlando Magic has announced that former star, Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway will become the fifth member of their organization’s Hall of Fame.
In 1993, Hardaway was drafted with the 3rd overall pick by Golden State but was subsequently traded to Orlando with other first round picks for the rights to #1 overall pick Chris Webber. Joining Shaquille O’Neal, Hardaway took the Magic to 50 wins, and finished 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting behind Webber.
The next two seasons were arguably the best of Penny’s career and that of the Orlando Magic. Hardaway and O’Neal anchored the Magic to their first ever NBA Finals and the team would have 57 and 60 Wins respectively. Penny was an All Star in both of those seasons and was named a First Team All-NBA Selection and averaged over 20 Points and 7 Assists per Game.
While Hardaway would be named an All Star for the next two seasons, the fortunes of the Orlando Magic had changed. Shaq would sign a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers and Penny had to carry the offensive load. He still had a 20 Point per Game season in 1996-97 and earned Third Team All NBA honors but a severe knee injury took him out of most of the 1997-98 campaign.
He would return for one more season (his sixth) but he was no longer the same player and he would be traded to the Phoenix Suns prior to the 1999-2000 season.
Overall, as a member of the Orlando Magic, Penny Hardaway played 365 Games averaging 19.0 Points, 6.3 Assists, 4.6 Rebounds and 1.9 Steals per Game.
Hardaway joins Co-Founder Pat Williams, Nick Anderson (the first player drafted by the team and current Community Ambassador), Shaquille O’Neal and Senior Chairman, Rich DeVos.
The ceremony will take place on January 20, on their home game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway for earning this honor.