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John Cena to induct Kurt Angle to the WWE HOF

John Cena to induct Kurt Angle to the WWE HOF
With Wrestlemania only a few weeks away, the WWE Hall of Fame is naturally closing in.  As such, some of the inductors have been announced for this year’s inductees. 

Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat had already been named the inductor for the late “Ravishing” Rick Rude, and today it has made known John Cena will be indicting Kurt Angle and Ron Simmons and John Bradshaw Layfield will be inducting Teddy Long.

Cena is an excellent choice.  His first televised match was against Angle, and in later feuds with the former Olympic Gold Medalist, Cena would become legitimized in the eyes of many WWE fans. 

Teddy Long once managed Ron Simmons when he was one half of Doom with Butch Reed in WCW.  Simmons and Layfield teamed together as the A.P.A. in the WWE and though they had no on screen relationship with Long on WWE television, they are all backstage friends.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com are looking forward to what we think should be entertaining speeches from this group of presenters. 

Teddy Long named to the WWE HOF

Teddy Long named to the WWE HOF
Speculated over the last month, Teddy Long has officially been named to the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2017, joining already named inductees, Kurt Angle and the Rock and Roll Express.

Getting his start in Georgia Championship Wrestling as part of the ring crew, Long got into the ring as a last minute replacement for a referee, a role he would have for years and was regular fixture at NWA events.  Long would segue into managing after a fast count pin costing the Road Warriors the Tag Team Championship.  He was fired as a referee and became the manager of the Skyscrapers, the tandem of Danny Spivey and Sid Vicious who would feud with the Road Warriors. 

Long would later manage Norman and following the dismantling of the Skyscrapers, he took over the reigns of Ron Simmons and Butch Reed (Doom) who would become the first African-American World Tag Team Championship.  Doom would break up in early 1991 and after the his remaining protégé, Johnny B. Badd turned face, Long would occasionally be used as a broadcaster.

Long would be in the corner often for Ron Simmons during his championship run and in the mid 90’s he was a face manager for lower card workers, but was never in another major angle in WCW again.  He would leave WCW for the WWF and would become a referee again.

History would repeat itself as after four years, Long would once again come back as a heel manager.  His charges included D-Lo Brown, Rodney Mack, Jazz, Christopher Nowinski, Mark Henry and Mark Jindrak.  While Long was entertaining, he did not have any major storylines, but in 2004, that would change when he would be named the General Manager of Smackdown.

Often, these positions don’t last long, but Teddy was in that role off and on for nearly ten years.  He was involved in major angles with Edge, Vickie Guerrero, the Undertaker and John Laurinitis.  It is unlikely if we will ever see a non-McMahon in an on-screen authority role longer with a tenure that reached Teddy Long’s. 

We here would like to congratulate Teddy Long on earning this honor. 

The Godfather to enter the WWE HOF

The Godfather to enter the WWE HOF
It was announced today that Charles Wright, who portrayed, “The Godfather”, “Papa Shango” and Kama Mustapha in the WWE, would be inducted into the promotion’s Hall of Fame.

Wright first trained to be a professional wrestler in 1989 and at the insistence of his friend, the Undertaker, he was brought in to the WWF in early 1992.  He was given the persona of Papa Shango, a voodoo priest and he would feud with the Ultimate Warrior.  The Shango character received a mixed reaction from the fans and by 1993 he was sent to the USWA, who had a reciprocal relationship with the WWF.

Wright would return to the WWF, but this time as “The Supreme Fighting Machine”, Kama and would be a member of the Ted DiBiase’s Million Dollar Corporation.  His highwater mark for this gimmick was a Casket Match loss against The Undertaker at Summer Slam 1995.  Shortly after the Royal Rumble in ’96, he would disappear again.

He would return a year later to join another faction, this time with the Nation of Domination.  He was not featured much, but when the group splintered off, Wright evolved into the “Godfather”, a wrestling pimp who would bring “hos” to the ring.  Within months, he would become one of the most over wrestlers in the company and would win the Intercontinental Championship.

He would later be part of another faction, which saw him renounce his ways and become the “Goodfather”, and was a member of the Right to Censor group, but that was shortlived and he would go back to the gimmick that made him famous until he semi-retired in late 2002.

Always on good terms with the WWE, Wright would make period appearances, including a Royal Rumble appearance in 2013.

Wright will be inducted by his real life friends, Ron Simmons and John Bradshaw Layfield, which might end speculation that JBL will be inducted as their has never been anyone who was an inductee and inductor in the same night.

We at Notinhalloffame.com had The Godfather ranked at #148, which again gives credence as to why he we rank so many.

We would like to congratulate Charles Wright for earning this accolade.

Ron Simmons

Ron Simmons

It is very sad that it took until 1992 for Professional Wrestling to finally have their first African American World Champion. That man was the College Football Hall of Fame inductee, Ron Simmons, whose brute strength and quiet charisma made him an excellent choice for that honor. A star in WCW and in the WWE, Ron Simmons belongs in the Hal of Fame, not just for the barriers he broke but for the skills he possessed and the class he showed. DAMN!

 
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