Tag: WWE Hall Of Fame

Bray Wyatt Reportedly Not Planned For WWE Hall Of Fame 2024

On Monday, April 1, WWE will air a new documentary on the life of Bray Wyatt that is narrated by The Undertaker. It’s titled “Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal.”

John Cena, Becky Lynch, Triple H, Hulk Hogan, and Bo Dallas were all interviewed for the documentary. The documentary will air exclusively on Peacock.

Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Wyatt won’t be going into the WWE Hall of Fame this year and the doc has something to do with the decision. 

“I was told [the new Bray Wyatt documentary] had something to do with the decision not to induct Wyatt into the Hall of Fame this year, that this year they were doing the big documentary for him and would induct him later,” Meltzer wrote.

Source: eWn

Report: Lia Maivia To Be Inducted Into WWE Hall Of Fame, Bray Wyatt Still Unconfirmed

WWE is rounding out this year’s slate of WWE Hall of Fame inductions and a new report from The Wrestling Observer shines a light on two more names who could possibly be inducted in this year’s ceremony in Philadelphia, PA.

According to The Observer, Lia Maivia, former wrestling promoter and grandmother to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, has been confirmed as an inductee in this year’s class. A WWE source confirmed Maivia would join Thunderbolt Patterson, Paul Heyman, Bull Nakano, Muhammad Ali and The US Express’s Mike Rotunda and Barry Windham. A list recently circulated with all of the mentioned names, as well as Bray Wyatt, but The Observer was unable to confirm Wyatt (real name Windham Rotunda) as an inductee. Wyatt, the son of inductee Mike Rotunda and nephew of Barry Windham, died suddenly last year at the age of 36.

This year’s Hall of Fame ceremony is the first one put together without the input of longtime WWE figurehead Vince McMahon, who retired in disgrace earlier this year following allegations of sex trafficking. Maivia’s grandson, The Rock, is also said to have a certain amount of say in this year’s ceremony as a result of his new place on the TKO Group Holdings Board of Directors. The WWE Hall of Fame ceremony is set to take place on April 5 after “WWE SmackDown.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Thunderbolt Patterson Named To WWE 2024 Hall Of Fame Class

The latest addition to the 2024 WWE Hall of Fame class has been announced, with Thunderbolt Patterson now set to join this year’s inductees.

Patterson was an active wrestler from 1964 to 1994, once holding the NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship as well as the NWA National Tag Team Championship alongside Ole Anderson. On top of that, Patterson reportedly made attempts to unionize wrestlers in the 1970s, which he has said caused him to be blackballed from the industry for years.

Throughout his career, Patterson experienced institutional racism in the industry. The performer sued multiple promotions for racial discrimination, which also is alleged to have contributed to his blackballing in the 70s.

In the late 1980s, Patterson became a labor organizer for the Service Employees International Union. Following his wrestling career, he also became a minister and was involved in running a Christian youth camp in Georgia.

The news of Patterson’s induction was first revealed by Andscape with WWE confirming. WWE CCO Paul “Triple H” Levesque also offered his comment on the announcement via social media.

“He was a champion in the ring, and championed the health and well-being of his peers outside of it,” wrote Levesque. “Thunderbolt Patterson’s influence is still felt today, and will receive the recognition it deserves when he joins the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024.”

This year’s WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on April 5, 2024, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In addition to Patterson, the inductees announced for the 2024 Hall of Fame class include boxing legend Muhammad Ali, Paul Heyman, Bull Nakano, and the U.S. Express, with several more likely to come.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Muhammad Ali Named To 2024 WWE Hall Of Fame Class

With only a few weeks remaining before WrestleMania 40 weekend in Philadelphia, the 2024 WWE Hall of Fame class is beginning to take shape, with Paul Heyman, Bull Nakano, and The U.S. Express (Barry Windham and Mike Rotunda) being announced last week. Now, the trio will be joined by one of the biggest sports icons in history and a man who was involved with the first WrestleMania back in 1985.

Variety reports that the fourth member of the 2024 WWE HOF class is none other than Muhammad Ali. WWE themselves confirmed the news on social media and their official website.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1767190956334260342

A pioneer in both boxing and the civil rights movement, Ali was inspired by wrestling from an early age, modeling his trash-talking persona after early wrestling legend Gorgeous George. He would later get involved in the business several times, including facing Japanese wrestling legend Antonio Inoki in an exhibition fight in June 1976. The fight was preceded by Ali attending a WWE show earlier that month, where he took part in an angle with Gorilla Monsoon.

Nine years later, Ali would return to the wrestling world at the inaugural WrestleMania, where he served as one of two special guest referees for the main event tag match between Hulk Hogan & Mr. T and Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff. Ali would later become involved in the infamous Collision in Korea wrestling events held in North Korea in 1995, attending the events as its “guest of honor.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

U.S. Express To Be Inducted To The 2024 WWE Hall Of Fame

The U.S. Express, the tag team of Mike Rotunda and Barry Windham, are entering the WWE Hall of Fame. The news was first reported by the website The Ringer, with a video posted by WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque on social media of him sharing the news with Rotunda and Windham.

In the video, Levesque discussed Windham and Rotunda’s roles at the inaugural WrestleMania, where they defended the then-World Wrestling Federation Tag Team Championships against The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff. Levesque acknowledged their significant contributions to WWE’s success before informing them of their induction into the WWE Hall of Fame.

“It’s been a great journey, you know,” said a teary-eyed Rotunda. “I mean, watching WWE grow, so it’s pretty damn cool to be part of it in any aspect.”

In the early 1980s, Rotunda and Windham, the respective father and uncle of deceased WWE superstar Bray Wyatt, were one of wrestling’s hottest acts. The duo was especially popular in Florida, where they first debuted before steamrolling their way into WWE as the U.S. Express in 1984.

Under the tutelage of legendary manager Capt. Lou Albano, Rotunda and Windham won the company’s historic tag team titles on two occasions. They first dethroned the team of Dick Murdoch and Adrian Adonis. Windham and Rotunda claimed the titles a second-time months after they dropped them to the Sheik and Volkoff at Madison Square Garden during the inaugural WrestleMania.

The brother-in-law combo will join Paul Heyman and Bull Nakano as part of the 2024 Hall of Fame class. For Windham, this marks his second induction, having been previously honored in 2012 as part of the Four Horsemen stable.

The induction ceremony will take place after the April 5 SmackDown at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center, just before night one of WrestleMania at Lincoln Financial Field.

Source: SB Nation

Haku Rumored For WWE Hall Of Fame Class Of 2024

According to Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, Haku is one of the rumoured names for the 2024 class of the WWE Hall of Fame. 2024 will be the first class chosen by Paul “Triple H” Levesque as opposed to Vince McMahon. 

Paul Heyman was announced as the first inductee into the 2024 class of the WWE Hall of Fame on Monday, March 4 and earlier today Triple H announced Japanese women’s wrestling legend Bull Nakano for the WWE Hall of Fame. The WWE Hall of Fame ceremony takes place ahead of WrestleMania and the 2024 edition of the Shows of Shows will emanate from Philadelphia, a city synonymous with Extreme Championship Wrestling. Heyman owned ECW for several years until the promotion shuttered in 2001. 

Known as one of the toughest men in professional wrestling, Haku had a long pro wrestling career. He performed in WWE as King Tonga and then Haku from 1985 until 1992, returning to the company in 2001 for a brief run. He also performed as Meng in World Championship Wrestling from 1994 until 2001. 

Haku later spent time in New Japan Pro-Wrestling as part of Bullet Club with sons Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa. He helped take out The Elite back in 2018 as part of the Bullet Club civil war. Haku made a brief appearance in All Elite Wrestling in 2021, accompanying his son Hikuleo to the ring at Fight for the Fallen.

Tama Tonga is believed to be WWE-bound following the end of his run with New Japan. He is reportedly not expected to debut before WrestleMania 40, however. 

Source: Cultaholic

Triple H Announces Women’s Wrestling Legend Bull Nakano For 2024 WWE Hall Of Fame Class

Following the news earlier this week that Paul Heyman would be part of the 2024 WWE Hall of Fame class, the company’s Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque has now announced the second performer set to be recognized — former All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling star Bull Nakano. Levesque revealed the news on X and recognized the retired wrestler for her contributions to the industry.

“An unbelievable talent with an unforgettable look, and a mean streak a mile long,” Levesque said. “Bull Nakano isn’t just one of the best women’s wrestlers of all time — she’s one of the best of all time, period.”

Nakano began her wrestling career in the early 1980s when she was still a teenager. She captured the AJW Championship before the age of 18 and promptly held onto the title for more than three years. In the early 1990s, after years at the top of the promotion, Nakano left AJW.

In addition to her main body of work in Japan, Nakano made various appearances for both WWE and WCW, primarily from 1994 to 1996. Throughout this time, Nakano had a lengthy rivalry with Alundra Blayze (AKA Madusa). The two feuded in WWE in 1994 and 1995, including a match at WWE SummerSlam 1994, and Nakano later won the WWF Women’s Championship for a time. Both Nakano and Blayze wound up leaving the WWF for WCW in 1996 and their feud continued there.

After retiring due to injuries in 1997, Nakano spent some time as a professional golfer. She would later come out of retirement twice for very brief spots in gauntlet matches. It was also recently announced that Nakano would serve as the onscreen commissioner for Sukeban, a United States-based promotion that focuses on Japanese women’s wrestling.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Paul Heyman To Be inducted Into The WWE Hall Of Fame Class Of 2024

WWE announced Paul Heyman as the first inductee into this year’s WWE Hall of Fame.

Below is the announcement on WWE.com:

As first reported by the Associated Press, Paul Heyman will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024.

The outspoken, brusque New Yorker first gained enemies under the guise of Paul E. Dangerously in WCW. Managing Steve Austin, Arn Anderson and Rick Rude in a stable he dubbed his Dangerous Alliance, Heyman used a Big Apple attitude and an oversized 1980s cell phone to help his charges run through the likes of Sting and Ricky Steamboat.

After WCW released the hothead in 1993, Heyman found an opportunity in failure, turning a modest Philadelphia-based independent promotion called Eastern Championship Wrestling into the notoriously daring Extreme Championship Wrestling. Inspired by alternative rock music and MTV, the innovator took ECW from public access to national pay-per-view by endorsing brutal bouts showcasing the rare combination of misfit warriors alongside cutting-edge athletes.

Credited with inspiring WWE’s landmark “Attitude Era,” the controversial brand became the third-largest wrestling company in the world before it was crippled by financial problems in 2001. Heyman joined WWE as Jim Ross’ broadcast partner, but it wouldn’t be long before the nonconformists of ECW reemerged in WWE as part of the infamous “Invasion.” Aligning himself with Stephanie and Shane McMahon, Heyman came frighteningly close to overthrowing WWE but ultimately failed to bring down his competition.

Time and again, however, Heyman was able to find his way back in, forming alliances with Superstars like CM Punk, Brock Lesnar, Big Show and Kurt Angle.

Since the summer of 2020, Heyman has been firmly entrenched as the Special Council to Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, where he lends his opinion and uses his outspoken nature to advise one of the most impressive title reigns in WWE history.

Heyman’s influence on sports-entertainment has become immeasurable, as his brash, in-your-face attitude has paved the way for multiple generations of managers and Superstars. With a resume that is unmatched, Heyman now takes his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame.

Congratulations to Paul Heyman on becoming a WWE Hall of Famer!

Source: WWE

A Recovering Jerry Lawler Helps Jimmy Hart Induct Andy Kaufman Into The WWE Hall Of Fame

Andy Kaufman’s momentous stint in wrestling was undoubtedly enough to warrant a position in the WWE Hall of Fame, and the comedian’s time has finally arrived. The late Kaufman was inducted into the company’s Hall of Fame last night as a part of the 2023 class and, though a recent stroke prevented him from appearing in person, the moment would not have been complete without involvement from Kaufman’s notorious in-ring rival, Jerry “The King” Lawler. Lawler has long been campaigning for Kaufman to be inducted, and he was finally able to see it through this year.

“One of [the] most memorable moments in my career certainly involved Andy Kaufman,” Lawler said, speaking from his home. Lawler was likely referring to the onscreen tussle that took place on an episode of “Late Night with David Letterman” in 1982 during the pair’s ongoing wrestling feud. In a pre-recorded video, Lawler stated that tonight would have been the biggest night of Kaufman’s life, and then introduced fellow Memphis veteran Jimmy Hart to induct the legendary comedian.

Kaufman and Lawler engaged in a heated rivalry during Kaufman’s time in the Memphis territory in 1982 and 1983, with Kaufman acting as a despised heel who preferred to wrestle women, and Lawler stepping in as a hero who aimed to take Kaufman down a peg or two. At the time, many viewers were fully convinced of the feud’s reality, though Kaufman and Lawler were actually close friends who were working together to put on as entertaining of a performance as possible. Devastatingly, Kaufman passed away from cancer just a short time later in 1984. However, his brief foray into the world of professional wrestling spawned a lasting legacy that’s influential to this day.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Referee Tim White Announced As Final Inductee For WWE Hall Of Fame Class Of 2023

The late Tim White is heading into the WWE Hall of Fame. 

Just days before WrestleMania 39, White was announced as the final member of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2023 as the recipient of the Warrior Award on “The Bump.” He joins the esteemed company of Rey Mysterio, The Great Muta, the late comedy legend Andy Kaufman, and Stacy Keibler for this year’s induction ceremony and becomes the first wrestling referee to receive the honor. The festivities, hosted this year by Kayla Braxton, will take place Friday evening, streaming on Peacock immediately following the conclusion of “WWE SmackDown.”

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1641125723510390796

White spent almost 25 years working with WWE. He joined the company in 1985 as Andre the Giant’s agent, but he worked as a part-time referee during that time as well. When Andre died in 1993, White took up refereeing duties full-time and became one of the most recognizable performers to don the black-and-white stripes during the Attitude and Ruthless Aggression eras.

The Hall of Fame inductee took charge of some of the most popular matches in WWE history, including the infamous Hell in a Cell match between Mick Foley and The Undertaker at King of the Ring 1998. He retired in 2004 after re-aggravating a shoulder injury at WrestleMania XX. After his refereeing career came to an end, White worked behind the scenes as a road agent until 2009.

Tim White passed away in 2022 aged 68. Prior to his death, he owned a bar called The Friendly Tap in Cumberland, Rhode Island.

Source: Wrestling Inc.