This was a long time coming. When the WWE announced that they planned to have a “Celebrity Wing” for their Hall of Fame, one of the name’s that we felt had to be entered was Mr. T., a participant in the inaugural Wrestlemania Main Event. It has been announced that Mr. T, will finally enter the WWE Hall of Fame, and be inducted the night before Wrestlemania XXX in New Orleans.
Born Lawrence Tero, Mr. T became a mainstream celebrity as “Clubber Lang”, the badass opponent of Rocky Balboa, who won and lost the Heavyweight Boxing Championship from the “Italian Stallion”. America couldn’t get enough of him, as his unique haircut, dripping with gold chain look and confrontational way of speaking made him an instant icon. He would be cast as “B.A. Barracus” on the action television series, The A-Team, and there was nowhere in the world, where people would see a photograph of Mr. T, and not want to instantly recognize him.
Mr. T struck up a friendship with Hulk Hogan, who also appeared in Rocky III, and the they worked an angle where he ran into to help Hogan and Cyndi Lauper, who was in his corner when he defended the World Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Championship against “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, which was broadcast on MTV.
The fracas set the stage for Vince McMahon’s “Wrestlemania” which featured Hogan and Mr. T against Piper and “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff; which was not only a sell-out at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, but a cash extravaganza on Closed Circuit Television. Wrestlemania, in large part to the participation of Mr. T., launched the WWF into a national entity and has not looked back since.
Mr. T., would appear in a ten round boxing match against Piper in the New York portion Main Event of Wrestlemania II, and would have a brief run after Wrestlemania III, as a “Special Enforcer” referee.
We would like to congratulate Mr. T., for this long overdue honor.
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