Tag: WWE Hall Of Fame

Former WWE Women’s Champion Ivory Confirmed For 2018 WWE Hall Of Fame

Image result for ivory wwe hall of fame

WWE has announced that former women’s champion Ivory will be going into the WWE Hall of Fame this year in New Orleans during WrestleMania 34 weekend. She joins Bill Goldberg and The Dudley Boyz as confirmed names.

Below is WWE’s announcement on Ivory’s induction:

Ivory to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2018Ivory, a true pioneer in women’s wrestling, will take her place in the WWE Hall of Fame on Friday, April 6, during WrestleMania 34 Week in New Orleans, as a member of the Class of 2018. The news was first reported by espnW.

She broke into the wrestling business as a competitor on Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, the 80s wrestling program that inspired the hit Netflix show “GLOW.” Competing under the name Tina Ferrari, Ivory captured GLOW’s championship before leaving the sports-entertainment industry in the early 1990s.

After nearly a decade away from the squared circle, Ivory returned to the ring in 1999, showing up in WWE in the corner of Mark Henry and D’Lo Brown. She wasted no time getting physical, helping Henry & Brown even the odds against Jeff Jarrett, Owen Hart & Debra. Not long after her arrival, Ivory defeated Debra to capture her first WWE Women’s Championship. Though she was later dethroned by The Fabulous Moolah, Ivory quickly rebounded and recaptured the title from the WWE Hall of Famer.

During the over-the-top Attitude Era of WWE, Ivory eventually aligned herself with the buttoned-up Right to Censor, trading in her tights for a crisp white dress shirt and a full-length skirt. The unusual ring attire did not hinder her from competing at the highest level, as she defeated three fellow WWE Hall of Famers — Lita, Trish Stratus and Jacqueline — to capture her third Women’s Title in 2000.

Ivory continued to compete in WWE through 2005 but also began to take on other roles in the company, including serving as a trainer on season 3 of WWE Tough Enough, announcing and hosting several WWE television programs before departing in 2009.

Now, Ivory will have one more title to add to her resume: WWE Hall of Famer.

The Dudley Boyz Announced For The WWE Hall Of Fame

Dudley Boyz WWE Hall of fame

WWE has announced that The Dudley Boyz, Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley, will be going into the WWE Hall of Fame.

The Dudleyz join Bill Goldberg as confirmed names for the 2018 WWE Hall of Fame class. The induction ceremony will take place on Friday, April 6th from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans during WrestleMania 34 weekend.

Below is WWE’s full announcement on the induction:

The Dudley Boyz to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2018The WWE Hall of Fame will need to stock up on tables because The Dudley Boyz are moving in.

As first reported by CBS Sports, Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley are the latest inductees in the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2018. They will be inducted, alongside Goldberg, during the 2018 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Friday, April 6, in New Orleans during WrestleMania 34 Week.

The Dudley Boyz’ journey to the WWE Hall of Fame began in Extreme Championship Wrestling in 1996, when Bubba Ray and D-Von, the sons of the unseen Big Daddy Dudley, were on opposite sides of a family feud among brothers clad in tie-dye and thick-rimmed glasses. Eventually, Bubba Ray and D-Von joined forces and kicked off two decades of tag team dominance.

In ECW, The Dudley Boyz were, perhaps, the promotion’s most reviled villains. Bubba Ray & D-Von could grab the microphone and antagonize audiences to the brink of full-scale riots. Once the bell rang, they were just as dangerous. With a predilection for punishing opponents by slamming them through tables and a devastating double-team maneuver known as the 3D in their arsenal, The Dudleys captured the ECW Tag Team Championship eight times before they left the land of extreme in 1999.

Bubba Ray & D-Von soon arrived in WWE, ditching the tie-dye for camouflage, but keeping the same nasty attitude that brought them success – not to mention a healthy stock of tables to drive their foes through. In WWE rings, The Dudley Boyz found a pair of teams just as willing to push competition to its extreme ends in The Hardy Boyz and Edge & Christian. The trio of tag teams turned the squared circle into their own demolition derby, using tables, ladders and chairs to punish one another. Their hardcore tendencies converged in the first-ever TLC Match at SummerSlam 2000 and led to a classic sequel on The Grandest Stage of Them All at WrestleMania X-Seven.

By the time they left WWE in 2005, The Dudley Boyz had racked up eight reigns as World Tag Team Champions, one as WWE Tag Team Champions and one as WCW Tag Team Champions.

Ten years later, the 17-time tag team champions returned to WWE to compete with a new generation of Superstars, introducing teams like The New Day and The Usos to their brand of hardcore wrestling … and a few tables. Though they left WWE again in 2016, the WWE Universe never forgot them, as evidenced by the raucous reception they received at Raw 25 when Bubba Ray & D-Von arrived to put Heath Slater through a table with a thunderous 3D.

And now, The Dudley Boyz will take their rightful place in sports-entertainment history on what is sure to be an incredible night.

Tickets for the 2018 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, taking place Friday, April 6, during WrestleMania 34 Week in New Orleans, are available now on Ticketmaster.

Goldberg To Headline 2018 WWE Hall Of Fame Class, Other Possible Inductees

Bill Goldberg was set to go into the WWE Hall of Fame this year in New Orleans, first reported by freelance writer Brad Shepard. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter has now confirmed that Goldberg will be the headliner of the 2018 class.

The Dudley Boyz were also on the original list of names reported and it’s possible WWE announces their induction during the RAW 25th Anniversary show on January 22nd as they were recently confirmed for that event. Besides Goldberg and The Dudleys, other names reported but unconfirmed as of this writing are Ivory and Bam Bam Bigelow, plus Kid Rock going into the Celebrity Wing.

Goldberg’s induction should be announced soon, possibly as early as Monday’s RAW, as tickets for the ceremony go on sale Friday, January 19th at 11am EST. The online pre-sale will begin next Wednesday via Ticketmaster.

The 2018 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony will take place on Friday, April 6th at 7:30pm EST from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. No word yet on a special broadcast for the USA Network but it will air on the WWE Network in its entirety.

WWE Hall Of Fame Class Of 2017 Induction Ceremony Line-Up 3/31/17

Image result for wwe hall of fame class of 2017

The 2017 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place tonight from the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. We will have live coverage beginning with the Red Carpet pre-show at 7pm EST with Maria Menounos and others. WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler will host tonight’s ceremony.

Below is the line-up for tonight’s ceremony:

* Kurt Angle, inducted by John Cena

* Diamond Dallas Page, inducted by Eric Bischoff

* Beth Phoenix, inducted by Natalya

* The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express, inducted by Jim Cornette

* Teddy Long, inducted by JBL and Ron Simmons

* Rick Rude, posthumously inducted by Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat

* Eric LeGrand receives the Warrior Award, presented by Dana Warrior

It’s believed that the following stars will be posthumously inducted into the Legacy Wing of the Hall of Fame tonight but these have not been confirmed – Haystacks Calhoun, Dr. Jerry Graham, Rikidozan, Judy Grable, Toots Mondt, Farmer Burns, Luther Lindsay and June Byers.

Source: WrestlingINC

Wrestling News Blog Podcast: WrestleMania 33, WWE HOF and NXT TakeOver: Orlando

 WRESTLEMANIA 33 PREVIEW WITH ED & VANESSA!

Ed Boston and Vanessa Vasquez take a look at this weekend’s events. Including the Hall of Fame, NXT Takeover and of course WrestleMania itself!

http://www.podcasts.com/wrestling-news-blog-podcast-9b84cc263/episode/WrestleMania-33-Preview-With-Ed-Vanessa-a892

 

WWE To Limit Number Of HOF Inductees In The Future? – ‘Dinner With The King’ Podcast

WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler noted on his latest “Dinner with The King” podcast that WWE may limit the amount of Hall of Fame inductees each year in the future because the speeches have gotten longer and longer. Lawler gave insight on being backstage with Vince McMahon during the Hall of Fame and his willingness to let presenters & inductees talk longer than expected. You can listen to the latest episode at this link or below:

Source: WrestlingINC

Who Will Induct Beth Phoenix Into The WWE Hall Of Fame?

Image result for Natalya inducting Beth phoenix into WWE Hall of Fame

 

WWE announced that Natalya will induct Beth Phoenix into the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania 33 weekend.

Natalya to induct Beth Phoenix into the WWE Hall of FameNatalya will induct her best friend and former tag team partner, Beth Phoenix, into the WWE Hall of Fame on Friday, March 31, live on WWE Network.

“There’s nobody that I can think of that deserves to be in the WWE Hall of Fame more than Beth Phoenix,” Natalya told WWE.com. “She’s a pioneer for women in our division. Beth did extraordinary things for women in WWE.”

The Glamazon stood out in many ways during her incredible run in WWE, becoming a four-time champion and the second woman in history to enter the Royal Rumble Match.

“Beth broke down a lot of walls for women in the industry in the sense that she wasn’t a cookie-cutter-type female wrestler,” Natalya explained. “She was bigger than the other girls, she was muscular and dominant, she was strong. At different stages in WWE, that wasn’t always the ‘in’ thing. Beth did it her way and stayed true to who she was. She believed in herself and blazed her own trail.”

For Natalya, inducting Phoenix is an honor, though one she joked that she knew was coming.

“It’s not a surprise,” the third-generation Superstar said. “Beth knows I’d put her in the Sharpshooter if she asked anybody else.”

Kidding aside, Natalya can’t wait to present The Glamazon to the WWE Universe as a Hall of Famer for the first time.

“Beth is one of my best friends,” she said. “We’re close as sisters. It’s such a huge honor for me to induct her into the WWE Hall of Fame because I feel like we shared so many incredible memories on the road, traveling thousands of miles together. We did it all together. While Beth is getting this honor, I want to help share her journey and do her justice.”

How will Natalya honor her close friend? Find out when she inducts Beth Phoenix into the WWE Hall of Fame at the 2017 Induction Ceremony, live on WWE Network Friday, March 31 at 8 ET/5 PT.

Who Will Induct The Rock ‘N Roll Express Into The WWE Hall Of Fame?

Related image

WWE issued the following:

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by one of their biggest rivals, Jim Cornette.

The tennis racket-wielding manager may have spent the better part of three decades trying to put an end to Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson, but even he can’t doubt the influence they’ve had on sports-entertainment.

Full WWE Hall of Fame coverage | Start your 30-day free trial today

“By any standard, Ricky and Robert belong in the Hall of Fame,” Cornette told WWE.com in an exclusive interview. “And that’s whether its longevity as a team, the attendance records they set, or the great matches that they had, which fans can still see on WWE Network.”

Cornette was a consistent thorn in the Express’ side since they first hit the ring as a team in the early 1980s. He managed against Ricky & Robert during their first week as a team, with the enmity intensifying when Cornette brought The Midnight Express into the squared circle. The team, which consisted of “Loverboy” Dennis Condrey, “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton, and later, “Sweet” Stan Lane, were the perfect dastardly villains for the fresh-faced Rock ‘n’ Roll Express. It didn’t hurt that they had Cornette on the microphone, hurling insults at Ricky & Robert at every opportunity.

“Superman needs Lex Luthor, Batman needs The Joker, and we were the antithesis of everything The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express stood for and their wrestling style. It just clicked,” Cornette said.

“I said these horrible, degrading things about these two, fine, young, upstanding examples of American boyhood,” Cornette continued, “and people, on numerous occasions, tried to kill us.”

Cornette survived the rivalry with The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express and turned toward the role of promoter in the 1990s. While on Smoky Mountain Wrestling television, he had the familiar role of manager to Ricky & Robert’s new enemies, The Heavenly Bodies. Cornette was also running the show for SMW, and realized how important The Express was to the company and its fans.

“Fans literally gave them pictures and gifts at the matches,” Cornette said. “They considered them members of the family. I’ve seen inside fans’ houses, and they would have pictures of Jesus on the wall, and next to it would be a picture of The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express. That’s no lie.”

When it comes to inducting The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express into the WWE Hall of Fame, there is probably no one better than Cornette. After all, their careers have been intertwined for 34 years.

“Between the ’80s with The Midnight Express and the ’90s with The Heavenly Bodies, and then in the 2000s on the reunions with The Midnights, I think only Bobo Brazil and The Sheik had a longer-running rivalry,” Cornette said.

“And I still haven’t put an end to Rock ‘n’ Roll! I haven’t been able to do it, so I guess I have to roll over and induct them.”

Cornette’s induction speech will surely be one for the ages, as the motormouth has a career’s worth of memories to recall as he enters his biggest rivals into history.

“There’s one story I’ll probably tell at the Hall of Fame,” he said, “where The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express saved my life one night in Louisiana from an angry mob of fans.”

To hear that story — and a lot more — watch Jim Cornette induct The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express into the WWE Hall of Fame when the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony airs live on WWE Network on Friday, March 31 at 8 ET/5 PT!

Who Will Induct Teddy Long Into The WWE Hall Of Fame?

Image result for JBL & Ron Simmons To induct Teddy long into WWE Hall of Fame

WWE announced the following:

JBL & Ron Simmons to induct Teddy Long into the WWE Hall of FameJBL and Ron Simmons will have the privilege of inducting their longtime friend and frequent travel companion, Teddy Long, into the WWE Hall of Fame.

“It’s an incredible honor,” JBL told WWE.com. “I’ve always thought that inducting someone into the WWE Hall of Fame is one of the greatest privileges you can get because it’s the honor of a lifetime for the person going in.”

JBL and Simmons’ close relationship with Long makes it all the more special. The brawlers known as The APA traveled the roads with Long and 2016 inductee, The Godfather.

“We rode thousands and thousands of miles together for years – me, Ron, Teddy and Godfather in one car,” JBL explained. “It’s real special. Ron’s in the Hall of Fame, Godfather’s in the Hall of Fame, and now Teddy is, too.

“I’m the only one left,” he joked.

Their friendship aside, JBL believes Long is one of the worthiest recipients of sports-entertainment’s ultimate honor.

“Teddy Long is a groundbreaker,” the former World Champion said. “He worked his way up from the ring crew to become the manager of one of the greatest tag teams of all time in Doom. He was a referee and became one of the most colorful general managers ever. Teddy Long has done it all. If there’s anybody deserving of going into the WWE Hall of Fame, it’s him.”

How do JBL & Ron Simmons plan to honor their friend as he takes his rightful place in sports-entertainment history? Find out during the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, airing live on WWE Network Friday, March 31, 2017 at 8 ET/5 PT!

John Cena To Induct Kurt Angle Into WWE Hall Of Fame

kurt angle john cena wwe hall of fame inductor inductee wrestlemania

 

WWE has announced that John Cena will induct former rival Kurt Angle into the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania 33 weekend.

WWE announced the following:

John Cena to induct Kurt Angle into the WWE Hall of Fame

John Cena will have the honor of inducting Kurt Angle – his very first opponent in WWE – into the WWE Hall of Fame during the 2017 Induction Ceremony on Friday, March 31, airing live on WWE Network.

Cena was a long way from becoming a 16-time World Champion on June 27, 2002 when he accepted the Olympic Gold Medalist’s open challenge, believing he had the “ruthless aggression” to defeat Angle before striking him. Though he did not earn the victory, Cena established himself as a force to be reckoned with in WWE.

Angle and Cena would remain rivals throughout the latter’s rise to Superstardom, even battling over the WWE Championship in 2005. Now, Cena will present Angle to the WWE Universe for the first time in more than a decade – and officially as a WWE Hall of Famer.

What will Cena have to say when he inducts one of his greatest rivals into sports-entertainment history? Find out during the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Friday, March 31 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, live on the award-winning WWE Network!