Tag: WWE Hall Of Fame

The British Bulldog Reportedly Set For The WWE Hall Of Fame, Bella Twins And Jushin Thunder Liger WWE HOF?

“The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith is set to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania 36 Weekend in Tampa.

There’s no word yet on when WWE will announce the induction or who will posthumously induct The Bulldog, but Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that Bulldog’s induction has been confirmed.

Bulldog passed away at the age of 39 on May 18, 2002. He is a former WWE Intercontinental, European, Hardcore, and Tag Team Champion.

Bulldog’s family has pushed for his Hall of Fame induction for several years now, calling on other wrestlers to record video messages and make social media posts in support of the induction. It’s interesting to note that Bulldog’s son, David Hart Smith, recently returned to WWE programming for an appearance on The Bump, as Wrestling Inc. noted before at this link.

Regarding other 2020 inductions, it was noted that the reports of The Bella Twins and Jushin Thunder Liger going into the Hall this year are correct.

Image result for Bella Twins And Jushin Thunder Liger WWE HOF?

WWE has previously confirmed the headliners for this year – Batista and the nWo (Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Sean Waltman).

The 2020 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on April 2 from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, during WrestleMania 36 Week.

Stay tuned for updates on the 2020 Class.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Batista And nWo To Be Inducted Into WWE Hall Of Fame

The first members of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2020 have been confirmed.

WWE announced on Monday that Batista, Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Sean Waltman aka X-Pac will be inducted on April 2 at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay.

This will be the first induction for Batista and the second inductions for all members of the NWO – Hogan, Hall and Nash went in solo, while X-Pac went in with DX.

“Batista was one of the fastest rising stars ever in WWE with an incredible list of accolades, and the success of the nWo changed the course of sports entertainment history,” Triple H was quoted as saying in the press release. “It is only fitting that they all take their rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame.”

Tickets for the 2020 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony are available this Friday, December 13 at 12 Noon ET. As a reminder, this year’s show takes place on the Thursday before WrestleMania 36.

Below is the full press release from WWE:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEBATISTA® AND THE NWO® TO BE INDUCTED INTO WWE® HALL OF FAME

STAMFORD, Conn., December 9, 2019 – WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced that Batista and nWo members “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall™, Kevin Nash™ and Sean Waltman™ will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame at a ceremony on Thursday, April 2 at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay, FL as part of WrestleMania® Week.

Batista is a six-time World Champion and a pop culture phenomenon. Throughout his illustrious career, “The Animal™” had memorable rivalries with some of the biggest names in WWE history including John Cena®, Triple H® and The Undertaker®. Batista is also a founding member of the revolutionary faction Evolution® alongside Ric Flair®, Triple H® and Randy Orton®. At WrestleMania this past April, Batista competed for the final time against Triple H. Outside the ring, Batista has successfully conquered Hollywood, appearing in Spectre, Stuber and Marvel’s blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers films.

One of the most innovative and controversial factions in sports entertainment history, the New World Order® (nWo) was led by “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash and Sean Waltman. The group captivated fans around the world and was crucial to the success of WCW® during the historic Monday Night Wars®. With an innovative style and attitude, the nWo participated in memorable rivalries against some of the biggest names in WCW history, including Sting, Diamond Dallas Page and Lex Luger.

“Batista was one of the fastest rising stars ever in WWE with an incredible list of accolades, and the success of the nWo changed the course of sports entertainment history,” said Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Executive Vice President, Talent, Live Events & Creative. “It is only fitting that they all take their rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame.”

Tickets for the 2020 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony are available this Friday, December 13 at 12 Noon ET through all Ticketmaster outlets, http://www.ticketmaster.com or at ReliaQuest Ticket Office at Amalie Arena. All tickets are subject to service charges and facility fees.

WrestleMania 36 takes place Sunday, April 5 from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, FL and will stream live on WWE Network.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1204054911908040704

2020 WWE Hall Of Fame Ceremony Moved To Thursday

The 2020 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on the Thursday before WrestleMania, with NXT TakeOver moving to the Saturday.

According to WWE’s travel package website, the full schedule for next year’s WrestleMania weekend is as follows:

  • Thursday April 2 – WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
  • Friday April 3 – Friday Night Smackdown
  • Saturday April 4 – NXT TakeOver: Tampa
  • Sunday April 5 – WrestleMania 36
  • Monday April 6 – Monday Night Raw

This year’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place the night before WrestleMania 35, while TakeOver: New York went down on the Friday.

The 2020 HoF ceremony will be held at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. WrestleMania 36 travel packages go on sale early next year.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Sean Waltman Talks Getting Approval From Vince McMahon For WWE HOF Speech After Writer Got Heat

On the latest episode of X-Pac 12360, Sean Waltman discussed getting approval from Vince McMahon to use his name during DX’s WWE Hall of Fame speech last Saturday night.

As noted, McMahon has been notorious for not wanting his name mentioned during the Hall Of Fame speeches, which led to an incident with writer Robert Evans during the ceremony last Saturday. Evans reportedly got heat for Bret Hart’s induction speech for the Hart Foundation, which he had helped out with.

“I think Bret mentioned Vince a bunch of times and Vince got really hot,” Waltman explained. “I think someone might have gotten fired. Then we went out and said it a million times and no one got fired… I’m not kidding! Vince was pissed!

“I get it, that’s a thing for (Vince). Like it’s his company, and then people go out there and they do that.”

Evans, who has worked on the WWE creative team since the fall of 2016, clarified on Twitter this week that he actually quit the company after getting heat for the incident.

Waltman said that Joe Belcastro, who is the head writer for WWE NXT, helped produce their speech. Waltman noted that Belcastro was nervous with DX mentioning Vince after the incident with Evans. Waltman said that he turned to Shawn Michaels to step in.

“I said, ‘Shawn, you go ask (Vince)!’,” Waltman said. “Shawn went and asked him and Vince just said, ‘Have fun’.”

DX went on to do a gag for several minutes during their speech about how they could not mention Vince’s name while saying it many times.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Update On Bret Hart’s Attacker From The WWE Hall Of Fame

Zachary Madsen, the 26 year old amateur MMA fighter from Nebraska who attacked Bret Hart at Saturday’s WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony during The Hart Foundation’s induction, bonded out of the Brooklyn Detention Complex on Wednesday. His bond was set at $1,500.

Madsen is due back in a Kings County Criminal Court room tomorrow, April 12. He was charged with two counts of 3rd degree assault, one count of 3rd degree criminal trespassing and interfering with a sporting event. Madsen, who has a public defender, will be facing up to 1 year in jail for each count of assault, if he’s found guilty. The judge at his hearing earlier in the week also granted an order of protection against Madsen to Hart and the WWE security guard that also suffered minor injuries in the attack, Thaddeus Jones. During that arraignment, Madsen’s lawyer had urged the judge not to set bail, arguing that Madsen was “agreeable and cooperative” and that would be hard for him to come up with the money.

As noted, prosecutors said in court that Madsen told police that it felt like “the right time” for him to attack Bret on Saturday night during the induction. He was quickly taken down by security and a group of wrestlers and other people, including Ronda Rousey’s boyfriend Travis Browne, Dash Wilder, Davey Boy Smith Jr., Shane McMahon, The New Day, Bret himself and others. Madsen was taken to the back by security and handed over to police, then booked in jail.

Hart and Jones were examined at a local hospital but released after the incident. Hart was said to be dealing with pain and stiffness in his hip after the incident. Jones was kicked in the ribs by Madsen.

WWE issued a statement on the incident and said the man has been turned over to the proper authorities. Their statement read like this: “An over-exuberant fan surpassed our security at ringside and made his way briefly into the ring. The individual has been turned over to the proper authorities.”

Madsen was linked to bizarre Twitter account that has been sending strange tweets to WWE Superstars for months now, including messages to Triple H and Vince McMahon. Madsen is also due in court next week to face stalking charges from an arrest a few months ago. Madsen was arrested then for allegedly stalking MMA fighter Haris Talundzic. That was Madsen’s third arrest related to the situation with Talundzic.

Bret issued a statement this week that said he was not injured. “What a wild weekend to say the least! First of all I want to thank WWE for not only the Hall of Fame honor for myself and Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, but for their hospitality with my family and friends,” Bret wrote. “Regarding the ceremony, firstly I want to let everyone know that I am okay and was not injured. If there’s one thing I want everyone to take away from the Hall of Fame ceremony is not so much what happened, but how I wasn’t going to let anything stop me from completing my tribute to my best friend and our team. I’m also glad I got to join @natbynature and @thebethphoenix for their WrestleMania moment. Thank you everyone for your kind thoughts and words.”

Wrestling News Blog Podcast Episode 6 – WrestleMania 35, WWE HOF, NXT TakeOver, RAW After Mania

Wrestling News Blog Podcast Episode 6 – WrestleMania 35 Podcast Special

Wrestling News Blog Podcast is available on all major podcast apps such as Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts and Stitcher.

Segment One – WrestleMania 35

Segment Two – 2019 WWE Hall of Fame

Segment Three – NXT TakeOver: New York

Segment Four – RAW After Mania

Segment Five – Length of Mania

Segment Six – Final Thoughts on Mania

Bret Hart Attacker In Court – Felt It Was “The Right Moment” For The Assault

Zachary Madsen, 26, of Lincoln, Nebraska was in court on Sunday after tackling Bret “The Hitman” Hart during The Hart Foundation’s induction at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony on Saturday night. In a wild scene, Madsen was quickly subdued by a group of wrestlers, with several getting physical with the attacker.

During the court appearance, Madsen reportedly told police that “it was the right moment” to attack Hart.

“I just felt like it was the right moment,” Zachary Madsen told police, according to prosecutors in court, via The New York Post.

Bail was set at $1,500 for Madsen at the hearing. The judge also issued orders of protection barring Madsen from approaching Hart and WWE security guard, Thaddeus Jones.

Madsen, who is an amateur MMA fighter with record of 2 wins and 1 loss, was allegedly stalking another MMA fighter, Haris Talundzic, last September. As we previously reported, Madsen was arrested back on December 28, 2018 for violation of a protection order. He was arrested again a week later for stalking on January 5 of this year.

Below is a photo of Madsen from his court appearance:

https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1115108494053605376

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Triple H Fires Shots At AEW During WWE Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony (Video)

Triple H used the DX WWE Hall of Fame speech to fire shots at All Elite Wrestling.

While joking around about being corporate these days, Triple H said apparently these days if you put the “EVP” title in front of someone, it makes them feel important. AEW’s Executive Vice Presidents include Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks.

Triple H then called AEW a “piss-ant” company after DX joked around about not being able to name Vince McMahon during their speech. Billy Gunn said Vince couldn’t fire him anymore, a reference to Gunn working for AEW.

The Gunn joke led to fans in the audience doing an “AEW” chant. Triple H responded, “Billy, let’s be honest. He would buy that piss-ant company just to fire you again.”

Everyone laughed at that reference and another line from WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels. When joking about always counting on Gunn to under-deliver, Michaels said, “You can always count on ‘ol Billy Gunn to over-promise and under-deliver. We thank you for being out here and being ‘All In’.”

You can hear Triple H’s “piss-ant” line below:

https://twitter.com/coupdebanks/status/1114715221111631872

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Bret Hart Attacked During Hall Of Fame Induction Speech (VIDEO)

Bret Hart’s 2019 Hall Of Fame induction speech came to an abrupt stop on Saturday after someone from the crowd tried to tackle the wrestling legend.

Bret — who was being inducted as one half of the Hart Foundation alongside the late Jim Neidhart — was in the middle of his speech when the attacker rushed him from behind.

The broadcast briefly cut to black, before returning to shots of confused audience members.

Eventually the action returned to the ring, where Bret was regaining his composure. Drake Maverick approached the microphone and told the crowd to ignore the attacker.

Bret then resumed his speech and continued as if nothing had happened.

Word from the Barclays Center is that several people laid hands on the man as he was being taken out. RAW Tag Team Champion Dash Wilder, Davey Boy Smith Jr., Travis Browne (boyfriend of RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey and former UFC fighter), The New Day, Titus O’Neil and Bret himself, reportedly got a few stiff shots in on the unidentified man.

WWE issued a statement on the incident and said the man has been turned over to the proper authorities. You can see their statement below:

“An over-exuberant fan surpassed our security at ringside and made his way briefly into the ring. The individual has been turned over to the proper authorities.”

The man who attacked WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart at Saturday’s 2019 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn has been identified as 26 year old Zachary Madsen from Nebraska, according to CBS New York.

CBS reports that the man also caused minor injuries to a security guard who tried to hold him down, in addition to the minor injuries Hart suffered. It was noted that the man punched Bret at least once, but Bret did not need medical attention.

Dave Meltzer of F4Wonline.com reported today that Bret did visit a hospital last night as he was experiencing some hip discomfort from the fall.

The man was charged with 2 counts of assault in the 3rd degree and disorderly conduct, according to Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times.

Madsen is an amateur MMA fighter where he’s from. He has a bizarre Twitter account at @iAmMad______sen and that account shows several strange tweets he’s sent to Vince McMahon, Triple H and others for the past few months.

There are also new details on Madsen’s criminal history being revealed. Madsen was arrested back on December 28, 2018 for violation of a protection order. He appears with green hair in the mugshot for that arrest seen below. He was then arrested for stalking on January 5 of this year. He appears with a shaved head in that mugshot, also seen below.

https://twitter.com/WrestlingInc/status/1114970537564893184

MMA rankings website Tapology lists Madsen with an amateur MMA record of 2 wins and 1 loss. His last fight took place on March 9, 2018, a loss. You can see a screenshot of his stat page below also.

Watch the video of what aired at the link below, as well as footage from in the arena in the tweets.

https://twitter.com/ArashMarkazi/status/1114684760763379712

https://twitter.com/dRAIL2k3/status/1114689242377093120

https://twitter.com/WWEGP/status/1114683686673362945

https://twitter.com/christoplack/status/1114693778558701568

https://twitter.com/briantheguppie/status/1114684329412763648

Sources: Pro Wrestling Sheet and Wrestling Inc.

Torrie Wilson’s Father Al Passes Away

Torrie Wilson’s father, Al Wilson, has passed away.

There are no details on Al’s passing as of this writing but Pro Wrestling Sheet reports that he passed away earlier this week, just days before his daughter’s WWE Hall of Fame induction.

WWE fans know Al from the storyline he was involved in from 2002-2003 that saw him marry Dawn Marie.

Torrie, who will be inducted into the Hall tonight, wrote on Instagram yesterday about a sudden loss, but she did not mention her father. She wrote, “This week is an incredible one for me but has also brought me some horrible pain in the form of a sudden loss. Just wanted to tell you to make that call to a loved one, don’t put it off…and TELL someone you love em and don’t think twice about it. That’s all. Big love.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.