The Hart Foundation To Be Inducted Into The WWE Hall Of Fame Class Of 2019

WWE has announced The Hart Foundation’s Bret Hart and Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart for the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame class. This makes Bret a two-time Hall of Famer.

Hart and Neidhart join headliners DX (Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Chyna, Billy Gunn, “Road Dogg” BG James, Sean “X-Pac” Waltman), Torrie Wilson, Harlem Heat and The Honky Tonk Man as confirmed inductees for the 2019 class. Veteran WWE employee Sue Aitchison will receive The Warrior Award.

Below is WWE’s full announcement on The Hart Foundation’s induction:

The Hart Foundation to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2019

Bret “Hit Man” Hart & the late Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart symbolized tag team excellence in WWE in the 1980s and early 1990s. Now, the three-time WWE Tag Team Champions will be forever immortalized in sports-entertainment history.

The Hart Foundation are the latest inductees announced for WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2019. They’ll take their place in the hallowed hall during the 2019 Induction Ceremony on Saturday, April 6, the eve of WrestleMania 35, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Tickets for the ceremony are available now. The news was first reported by Yahoo Sports. With this induction, Bret Hart will become a two-time WWE Hall of Fame Inductee, joining Ric Flair and fellow 2019 Inductees Shawn Michaels of D-Generation X and Harlem Heat’s Booker T.

Hart and Neidhart were no strangers to each other before joining forces. In fact, they’re family: “The Anvil” and “Hit Man” were brothers-in-law. That close connection made them gel almost instantly when they joined WWE’s tag team ranks in 1985, guided by “The Mouth of The South” Jimmy Hart. Hart’s technical prowess and Neidhart’s raw power made them a team to be reckoned with from the moment they debuted.

In early 1987, The Hart Foundation finally set their sights on the World Tag Team Titles, held by The British Bulldogs, comprised of Davey Boy Smith & Dynamite Kid. With the help of Jimmy Hart and crooked official Danny Davis, Hart & Neidhart captured their first World Tag Team Championship.

Though they had reached the top of the tag team mountain, The Hart Foundation soon became disillusioned with Jimmy Hart’s nefarious ways. When they split from their manager, Hart & Neidhart soon found themselves the target of “The Mouth of The South’s” new charges, whether it was The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers or The Honky Tonk Man & Greg Valentine. Hart even enlisted tag teams outside his stable of Superstars, like Demolition, to take out The Hart Foundation.

By 1990, “Hit Man” & “The Anvil” had fought off Jimmy Hart’s attempts to tear them down, and turned their attention back to WWE’s top tag team prize. After bulldozing over The Bolsheviks in seconds at WrestleMania VI, The Hart Foundation made it clear they were coming for the World Tag Team Titles. It would take a few months, but at SummerSlam 1990, Hart & Neidhart defeated Demolition in a grueling 2-out-of-3 Falls Match to claim their second World Tag Team Championship.

Though they split up by the summer of 1991, The Hart Foundation left an indelible mark on WWE’s tag team division and created many lasting memories for the WWE Universe. That’s why there’s no greater honor for this legendary tag team than induction into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Don’t miss seeing The Hart Foundation take their place in sports-entertainment history during the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, April 6, the eve of WrestleMania 35. Tickets for the ceremony at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., are available now. The historic evening will also stream live on WWE Network at 7 ET/4 PT.

Hulk Hogan Being Brought In For WrestleMania 35, Another Big Name Used That Weekend?, WWE HOF Update

WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan is being brought in to WrestleMania 35 weekend by the company, according to PWInsider.

This will be the first time The Hulkster is attending WrestleMania weekend since WrestleMania 31, where he was a part of the nWo reunion for the match between Triple H and WWE Hall of Famer Sting.

There’s no word yet on if Hogan may make an appearance on the WrestleMania pay-per-view, but he could be brought in to help induct his longtime friend Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake into the WWE Hall of Fame. PWInsider adds that sources have confirmed that Beefcake is being brought in as well. His Hall of Fame induction has been rumored for weeks now.

WWE is reportedly finalizing plans on other names from the past that they are looking to bring in for WrestleMania 35 weekend. WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin has been talked about quite a bit, but there’s no word yet on what he might be appearing for.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Longtime WWE Employee Sue Aitchison To Receive Warrior Award At 2019 WWE Hall Of Fame Ceremony

WWE has announced that longtime company employee Sue Aitchison will receive The Warrior Award at the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Longtime WWE employee Sue Aitchison to receive Warrior Award at 2019 WWE Hall of Fame CeremonySue Aitchison, a 30-year veteran of WWE’s corporate office, has been named the recipient of the fifth-annual Warrior Award. Named after WWE Hall of Famer The Ultimate Warrior, the Warrior Award is presented to an individual who has exhibited unwavering strength and perseverance and who lives life with the courage and compassion that embodies the indomitable spirit of The Ultimate Warrior.

The award will be presented to Aitchison by Dana Warrior, WWE Ambassador and widow of The Ultimate Warrior, at the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, which will stream live on WWE Network at 7 ET/4 PT on Saturday, April 6 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The news was first reported by The Stamford Advocate.

A WWE employee for more than 30 years, Sue Aitchison is widely credited with spearheading WWE’s community outreach programs. Over the course of her storied career, she built a long-term partnership with Make-A-Wish and helped grant WWE wishes to more than 6,000 children. Aitchison also pioneered WWE’s WrestleMania Reading Challenge, inspiring a love of reading for millions of children around the world. Because of her commitment to giving back, Aitchison has also been the recipient of Make-A-Wish’s Chris Greicius Award.

“Sue has dedicated her entire career to helping Wish kids fulfill their dreams and putting smiles on countless families’ faces. Her heart and character epitomize the essence of the Warrior Award,” said Stephanie McMahon, WWE Chief Brand Officer. “She is an unsung hero who deserves to be recognized and immortalized in the WWE Hall of Fame.”

“It is an incredible privilege to present Sue with this year’s Warrior Award,” Dana Warrior said. “My husband saw Sue’s efforts firsthand throughout his WWE career. She displays the Warrior spirit every single day and is an inspiration to us all.”

“I am humbled to receive this prestigious award,” Sue Aitchison said. “I look forward to continuing WWE’s efforts with Make-A-Wish and other organizations to make a positive impact on children and their families around the world.”

Harlem Heat To Be Inducted Into The WWE Hall Of Fame Class Of 2019

WWE has confirmed Harlem Heat’s Booker T and Stevie Ray for the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame Class. This makes Booker a two-time Hall of Famer.

Harlem Heat join headliners DX (Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Chyna, Billy Gunn, “Road Dogg” BG James, Sean “X-Pac” Waltman), Torrie Wilson and The Honky Tonk Man as confirmed inductees for the 2019 class. Taz, Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake and The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart, Jimmy Hart) are still rumored.

The 2019 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, April 6 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn during WrestleMania 35 weekend.

Below is WWE’s announcement on Harlem Heat:

Harlem Heat to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2019

Booker T & Stevie Ray were one of the most dominant tag teams of the 1990s, steamrolling over the competition in WCW to become tag team champions on 10 occasions. Now, the brothers will be immortalized in sports-entertainment history.

Harlem Heat are the latest inductees in the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2019. They’ll enter the fabled hall on the eve of WrestleMania 35, Saturday, April 6, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. With this induction, Booker T will become a two-time WWE Hall of Fame inductee, joining Ric Flair and fellow 2019 inductee Shawn Michaels of D-Generation X. The news was first reported by USA Today.

Bursting on the scene straight off 110th Street in Harlem, N.Y., Booker T & Stevie Ray arrived in WCW in summer 1993, bringing a streetwise, in-your-face attitude to the squared circle. They stared directly into the camera on their way to the ring, warning fans at home that they were about to bust some heads when they stepped between the ropes. And bust heads they did. Harlem Heat wasted no time in mixing it up with the top stars of WCW at the time, like Sting, Ric Flair and British Bulldog. They even joined forces with Sid and Vader to enter the unforgiving battleground known as WarGames.

It was when the brothers took on the managerial services of 2006 WWE Hall of Fame Inductee Sensational Sherri that their stars began to shine. With “Sister” Sherri in their corner, it wasn’t long before Harlem Heat captured their first WCW Tag Team Championship, defeating Stars & Stripes on WCW Saturday Night. Booker T & Stevie Ray brawled with the likes of The Steiner Brothers, Sting & Lex Luger and The Nasty Boys on their way to seven reigns as WCW Tag Team Champions.

By 1997, the two brothers went their separate ways, Stevie going on to become a trusted member of the infamous nWo, while Booker became a breakout singles star, capturing the WCW Television Title on several occasions.

After nearly two years apart, Booker T & Stevie Ray reunited and returned to a vastly different tag team landscape in WCW. However, Harlem Heat hadn’t lost a step, as they defeated The Jersey Triad to win their eighth WCW Tag Team Titles at Road Wild 1999. Before the turn of the millennium, they added two more reigns as champions to their incredible résumé, setting a WCW record that would not be broken before the company was purchased by WWE in 2001.

Though the brothers never competed as a team inside a WWE ring, there’s no denying their pure dominance of tag-team wrestling during The Monday Night War. That’s why Harlem Heat is being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Don’t miss Booker T & Stevie Ray take their place in sports-entertainment history during the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on the eve of WrestleMania 35, Saturday, April 6 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Tickets are available now, be sure to take part in this historic night!

USA Today spoke with Booker T & Stevie Ray about the induction. They both said they were surprised to get the call from WWE.

Stevie Ray said he was surprised to get the call from WWE.

“I was speechless for a couple of seconds. The last thing I was thinking about was the Hall of Fame,” Stevie said. “I’m going to be honest with you, I hadn’t really thought about it. You know, I get the fans hitting me all the time with different things about Harlem Heat needs to be in the Hall of Fame, so on and so forth. But you never know, so I never gave it very much thought.”

Booker added, “It was surprising, actually, I guess because one reason, my brother and I, we never actually wrestled in the WWE. My brother took a step aside at that point in time because he had a daughter, and he wanted to see her grow up and see her go to college. He got a chance to do that. But our career in WCW was awesome. My brother and I were together for eight and a half years in WCW and together another two years prior in the Global Wrestling Federation. So we had a career as a tag team, and to be recognized as one of the great tag teams of all time…. [there were] a lot of great tag teams that we competed against back in the day, like the Steiners, the Nasty Boys and the Road Warriors, Sting and Lex Luger, Public Enemy – so many guys we got a chance to grapple with back then, and to be recognized, it’s pretty awesome.”

Booker was asked what he wants WWE fans to remember Harlem Heat for in 20 years. He responded, “It would just be keep passing it on more than anything. Young guys right now, the Usos, those two guys came out of my school. Authors of Pain, right now, two guys wrecking shop. You’ve got Street Profits out there representing Harlem Heat. That’s what it’s about. If they look back and say ‘Harlem Heat was badass,’ that’s the only thing that really matters, as well as we were good people.”

Content with their careers, Booker and Stevie both said they would have nothing to say if they could go back and give themselves some advice as the beginning of their careers. Booker did have some advice for the up & coming wrestlers.

“What would I tell myself? Nothing. Learn things as you go,” Stevie said.

“I wouldn’t tell us anything, man. We had a dream. We had a blueprint, though, a gameplan. We didn’t slip on a banana peel and find ourselves in this position. Trust me, it didn’t happen that way,” Booker said. “But I would tell the young guys these days, look at the state of the business. The party, it’s real, it only lasts for so long. Make sure you prepare for what’s next, because it’s going to come very, very quick. Relish that, then move on to what comes next, because life moves in seasons.”

Sources: WWE.com and USA Today

WWE Announces Torrie Wilson For The 2019 WWE Hall Of Fame

WWE has confirmed Torrie Wilson for the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame Class.

Torrie joins headliners DX (Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Chyna, Billy Gunn, “Road Dogg” BG James, Sean “X-Pac” Waltman) and The Honky Tonk Man as confirmed inductees for the 2019 class. Taz, Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake and The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart, Jimmy Hart) are rumored.

The 2019 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, April 6 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn during WrestleMania 35 weekend.

Below is WWE’s announcement on Torrie:

Torrie Wilson to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2019Torrie Wilson went from a small-town Idaho girl to a worldwide Superstar. Soon, she will be a WWE Hall of Famer, too.

Wilson is the latest Superstar to be announced for the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2019, joining D-Generation X and The Honky Tonk Man. The news was first reported by ESPNW. Wilson will take her place in sports-entertainment history on the eve of WrestleMania 35, Saturday, April 6, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Tickets for this historic evening are available now.

A budding fitness model in the late 1990s, Wilson’s entrance into sports-entertainment came out of a backstage visit to WCW with her then-boyfriend. She accompanied Scott Steiner to the ring, and ended up staying in the industry for close to a decade after that. While competing occasionally in WCW, Wilson was also the manager for competitors like David Flair, Billy Kidman, The Filthy Animals and Shane Douglas.

Wilson joined WWE when the company purchased WCW in spring 2001. Her athleticism and penchant for entertainment made her a great fit for WWE during one of the sports-entertainment industry’s biggest eras. Wilson’s partnership with her friend (and sometimes rival) Stacy Keibler made her a key figure in WCW’s invasion of WWE. Once that invasion was fought off, Wilson became a pivotal member of the WWE Women’s division, engaging in memorable rivalries with the likes of Keibler, Sable and Melina. She even fought for her family’s honor against the nefarious Dawn Marie.

Wilson later joined forces with Candice Michelle and Victoria to sow chaos on Monday Night Raw, even bringing her pet dog Chloe into the fray while battling Superstars, such as Trish Stratus and Mickie James. Injuries forced Wilson out of the ring in 2008, but she soon found a new passion: helping others get in shape through ventures like her business, Torrie Wilson Fit.

Wilson did not stay away from sports-entertainment for good, though. In 2018, she returned to the ring to take part in the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble Match – then later that year was a featured competitor at WWE Evolution, the first-ever all-women’s pay-per-view event, in a Battle Royal for a future championship opportunity. And now, for her contributions that helped blaze a trail for women in sports-entertainment, Wilson will take her place in sports-entertainment history.

Don’t miss Torrie Wilson enter the WWE Hall of Fame, along with D-Generation X and The Honky Tonk Man, during the 2019 Induction Ceremony on Saturday, April 6, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Tickets for the ceremony are available now.

The Honky Tonk Man To Be Inducted Into WWE Hall Of Fame Class Of 2019

Honky Tonk Man, WWE, WrestleMania, Hall of Fame, WWE Hall of Fame

WWE announced that The Honky Tonk Man (whose real name is Wayne Farris), the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in WWE history, is the latest inductee in the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2019, joining D-Generation X.

WWE issued the following:

The Honky Tonk Man to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2019

He’s cool, he’s cocky, he’s bad, and now, he’s a WWE Hall of Famer.

The Honky Tonk Man, the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in WWE history, is the latest inductee in the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2019. The news was first reported by CBS Sports. The 2019 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony takes place on Saturday, April 6, the eve of WrestleMania 35, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Tickets for the ceremony are available now.

With slicked-back hair and long sideburns reminiscent of a certain rock ‘n’ roll icon, The Honky Tonk Man first arrived on the scene in WWE in 1986 with a wide-eyed smile on his face, trying to earn the adulation of the WWE Universe. But WWE fans didn’t quite take to the Elvis lookalike, despite the stamp of approval from Hulk Hogan, as they jeered the newcomer relentlessly. A frustrated Honky Tonk Man called for a vote of confidence from the WWE Universe, and when the results came back overwhelmingly negative, the rockabilly wrestler snapped.

Enlisting the managerial services of fellow WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy Hart, The Honky Tonk Man unleashed his evil side, setting out to make his opponents twist and shout in agony. And if the damage he inflicted on his opponents wasn’t enough, he subjected the WWE Universe to his unique talents as a singer, facetiously thanking fans and telling them they were “a wonderful audience” as he belted out his own entrance music.

The new attitude was apparently just what the crooner needed, as he racked up victory after victory on his way to becoming Intercontinental Champion in June 1987 with a shocking victory over Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat. Following his big win, The Honky Tonk Man went on to claim that he was the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time. At first, that boast may have rang a little hollow, but his claims began to hold a little more water as his reign continued.

By hook or by crook, The Honky Tonk Man held onto the Intercontinental Championship for nearly 13 months before his reign ended in lightning-quick fashion at the hands of Ultimate Warrior at SummerSlam 1988. His record-breaking 454 days as Intercontinental Champion is a feat that has stood the test of time, as no Superstar has come close to eclipsing his unprecedented championship reign.

The Honky Tonk Man was, surprisingly, also willing to share the spotlight later in his WWE career, whether it was as one half of the tag team/band Rhythm & Blues with Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, or as the manager of Rockabilly (fellow 2019 inductee Billy Gunn of D-Generation X).

But once again, the spotlight will be on The Honky Tonk Man as he takes his place in sports-entertainment history. Don’t miss The Honky Tonk Man’s enshrinement during the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, April 6, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., during WrestleMania 35 Week. Tickets for this historic evening are available now!

 

Rumored Names For 2019 WWE Hall Of Fame

The Wrestle Votes Twitter account, which has broken news stories in the past, reports that The Hart Foundation (Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, Jimmy Hart, Bret Hart), Tazz and The Honky Tonk Man are being considered for this year’s WWE Hall of Fame class. They would join D-Generation X if the rumor is true.

Tazz would also be one of the first big names from ECW to get inducted, as WWE has relied mostly on their own history and WCW in the past.

https://twitter.com/WrestleVotes/status/1098962673436409856

Source: 411 Mania 

WWE Confirms DX In The 2019 WWE Hall Of Fame Class, Triple H On Chyna’s WWE HOF Induction

WWE and ESPN have confirmed that DX will be going into the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame class during WrestleMania 35 weekend. It will be Chyna, Sean “X-Pac” Waltman, Billy Gunn, “Road Dogg” BG James, Triple H and WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels going in together as a group.

“I think it’s the most meaningful for us all to go in together and to be recognized together,” Triple H told ESPN. “Because I think both groups were [just] as impactful.”

Triple H told ESPN that the idea to induct DX as a group had been “swirling around” for some time before a few key events and decisions allowed everything to slide right into place.

“It’s a funny thing, because DX was something that, before Kevin [Nash] and Scott [Hall] left, at the time we all talked about using ‘The Kliq’ as it was — kind of morphing that into television, since it was so out there anyways,” Triple H said. “But things worked out the way they did — they left, and the timing was right. Shawn and I still wanted to do it. Vince saw the value in it, I guess, and finally let us go at it. By that point in time I was looking for a heater, and we had brought Chyna.”

ESPN noted how fans have wanted Chyna’s role in WWE history to be better recognized, and how her induction with DX is a major step forward in that regard. Triple H said Chyna absolutely deserves to be in the Hall.

“Look, people believe what they want to believe. When I said a few years ago on the Austin podcast, or show, or whatever you want to call it, there’s complexities around it,” said Triple H. “But absolutely, definitely deserves to be in there. It’d be tough to pick a female that was more impactful on the business. She did something that was completely so out of left field that it wasn’t even being considered when we first brought it up for her to come in. It wasn’t even a consideration… it wasn’t an easy thing, and against all odds she did all of that. She earned everybody’s trust. She won over the fans. She won over the boys. She did all of it. From that standpoint, absolutely 100 percent deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, and should probably be more than once — as a group, but individually as well. There’s more complexity to that than meets the eye, but here we are. I’m just happy that it’s here. I’m happy for her family, the people that she was close to, that hopefully this is super meaningful to them. I know it would be to her. It’s a great thing — very deserving.”

Below is WWE’s full announcement on the induction:

D-Generation X to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2019Are you ready?

As first reported by ESPN, D-Generation X, the most rebellious group in WWE history, are the first inductees in the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2019. As first reported by ESPN, Triple H, Shawn Michaels (who now joins Ric Flair as a two-time inductee), Road Dogg, Billy Gunn, X-Pac and the late Chyna will take their place in sports-entertainment history during the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, April 6, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., during WrestleMania 35 Week. Tickets for the ceremony will be available starting Friday, Feb. 22, at 12 p.m. ET.

DX was born out of the friendship between Shawn Michaels and Triple H, along with Chyna and their “insurance policy,” “Ravishing” Rick Rude. The two pals were lewd, rude and in-your-face, bucking authority and letting anyone in their way know that they had two words for them. Their penchant for crossing the line with regularity led to Bret “Hit Man” Hart calling Michaels “nothing more than a degenerate,” which HBK embraced, sparking the idea behind the alliance’s name.

When Michaels went on a hiatus from the squared circle following WrestleMania XIV, Triple H expanded the membership of the group, welcoming in The New Age Outlaws, Road Dogg & Billy Gunn, and the cocky X-Pac. Though you might not think it would be possible, the new DX turned up the irreverence to 11 and helped lead WWE into the Attitude Era. DX’s defiance wasn’t just limited to WWE. In one of the most infamous and groundbreaking moments of the era, the rebels hopped aboard a tank and drove from Monday Night Raw to rival WCW’s Monday Nitro, launching one of the biggest attacks in The Monday Night War.

The group eventually went their separate ways, but the DX name would not be limited to the history books after that. Following a long rivalry against each other, Michaels and Triple H patched things up and donned the green and black once again. The reunited DX may have only been the tag team of The Game & HBK, but that did not stop them from making Mr. McMahon’s life a living hell. The two troublemakers were a thorn in the side of the WWE Chairman, subjecting him to a flurry of pranks, even going so far as to vandalize Mr. McMahon’s personal limo and jet, and leaving their mark on the façade of WWE’s world headquarters. But it wasn’t only fun and games for Michaels & Triple H, as they also captured the WWE Tag Team Championship along the way.

Even though they disbanded once again and moved on to other roles within the industry, the DX Army maintained a close bond, and the tight-knit unit got the band back together for special occasions like Monday Night Raw’s 25th Anniversary, where they shared a “too sweet” moment with the Bálor Club.

And now, D-Generation X will enter the annals of sports-entertainment history. What will the rebels have to say when they take their place in the WWE Hall of Fame? Find out during the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, April 6, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. during WrestleMania 35 Week. Tickets for the ceremony will be available starting Friday, Feb. 22, at 12 p.m. ET. Don’t miss your chance to witness history!

Source: WrestlingInc

DX Advertised For 2019 WWE Hall Of Fame Ceremony

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Iconic stable D-Generation X (DX) look to be the headliners of the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony … and Chyna appears to be going in with them.

An advertisement apparently aired locally in the New York area, seen below, which states the popular group will be inducted this year and tickets go on sale Friday.

Shawn Michaels, Triple H, X-Pac, Road Dogg, Billy Gunn and Chyna are all featured in ad.

Chyna’s mother and friends have been on a public mission to get the deceased wrestler inducted into the Hall of Fame ceremony this year. Based on the advertisement, it looks like they achieved their goal.

This will also be the first inductions for Triple H, the New Age Outlaws and X-Pac.

https://twitter.com/Red_Carousell/status/1097395559424577537

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Hulk Hogan Reinstated To WWE HOF, Backstage At Extreme Rules, Has Not Signed New Deal

Image result for hulk hogan

WWE announced after a three-year suspension Hulk Hogan has been reinstated into the WWE Hall of Fame. Below is WWE’s full announcement:

“After a three-year suspension, Hulk Hogan has been reinstated into the WWE Hall of Fame. This second chance follows Hogan’s numerous public apologies and volunteering to work with young people, where he is helping them learn from his mistake. These efforts led to a recent induction into the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Alumni Hall of Fame.”

According to PWInsider, Hogan was backstage at WWE Extreme Rules and made a formal apology to the WWE locker room for his comments in 2015. Sources who were present for the meeting noted Hogan apologized for embarrassing himself and the company, and told the wrestlers to be careful what the say as they could be recorded withing knowing it. He received a big reaction afterwards with a number of wrestlers shaking his hand and hugging him. Hogan was said to be very emotional during this meeting.

Hulk Hogan then made his first statement on Twitter, looking to acknowledge that same meeting.

https://twitter.com/HulkHogan/status/1018589061852917766

Before the meeting with the WWE locker room, Hogan met with a number of WWE officials and “the feeling backstage is he’s back on board with the company.” However, another report from PWInsider does note that he has not signed any kind of contract with WWE, despite showing up backstage.

The report also said he might be at this week’s TV tapings, but that’s not set in stone as of right now. Hogan hasn’t appeared for WWE since being fired by the company in 2015 shortly before a tape containing him making racist remarks was made public.

Update: Bryan Alvarez of F4Wonline.com noted on Twitter that Hogan’s meeting with the roster was filmed for an upcoming WWE Network special. Hogan reportedly said his goodbyes during Extreme Rules and was headed back home to Florida.

Regarding Hogan’s WWE future, Hogan will not be on this week’s TV shows and there’s no word yet on when he might be back. There was some speculation on Hogan being backstage for RAW and SmackDown but PWInsider reports that Hogan is not booked for this week’s episodes. It was also noted that Hogan has not signed a new contract of any kind, as of Sunday. The feeling at Extreme Rules was that Hogan is back with the company and Charly Caruso noted on the Extreme Rules Kickoff pre-show how everyone was excited for Hogan to be back with the WWE family.

Source: WrestlingINC

Update: According to a rep from WWE, Hogan’s meeting with the roster was not filmed by a camera crew. This was confirmed by WWE according to Pro Wrestling Sheet.

Mark Henry, who was present at the meeting, talked about it on Busted Open this week. “He [Hogan] made an announcement, he apologized, he’s done a lot of stuff with the Boys and Girls Club. But I didn’t want to lose track of the fact that there’s more work to be done,” Henry stated.

Mark also told TMZ Sports there’s currently a divide amongst the black wrestlers over the backstage apology, describing at as a 50-50 split … with some saying “to hell with him.”