Post by The Heenan Family on Dec 18, 2022 0:21:02 GMT -5
This will be the first ceremony that Vince McMahon doesn't have the final word on who gets inducted. Or at least we assume this to be the case. That said, the ceremony itself is going to be like the 2022 ceremony and take place after the Smackdown before Mania. That was a deal cut before Stephanie and Triple H took over. This means the number of inductees might be low again due to time constraints and who gets in might be more complicated because of how it will be shown to the public. Contracts and legalities may become a factor. I don't expect Triple H to reinvent the wheel. He's still likely to go with the old playbook for the most part. He's going to have a headliner, a living female inductee, and at least one living non-white inductee. I'm not saying that in a negative way, it's just the way WWE handles the ceremony. But this is a new era. For as many grudges Vince could put aside in the name of business, he still clearly kept people away from the Hall. Will Stephanie and Triple H re-evaluate past decisions and legacies?
WARRIOR AWARD
This is probably the most wide-open category. Will James Miranda finally be honored as one of Warrior's final wishes? Does Miranda have surviving family that could accept on his behalf? What about that kid who called himself Drax Shadow? He has sadly passed on but was a big fan of Stardust. Or maybe they give the Warrior Award a break for a year because of time constraints.
CELEBRITY WING
It would be surprising if they went to Hollywood next year and didn't induct a celebrity. Now technically some of the potential headliners are mainstream celebs now, but one would think this would be the easiest location to muster up celebrity participation. I'd say Bob Barker has a shot but he's 99 years old and his biggest WWE moment involved AEW's Chris Jericho. Vanna White is possible if WWE is planning on some sort of Wheel of Fortune tie in that week, but nobody remembers her WWE appearance at Mania 4.
Given that Becky Lynch just played her on Young Rock, I'd say Cyndi Lauper is a real possibility this time. She could have been the first celebrity inductee and with her 2012 RAW appearance it doesn't look like she's unwilling to play ball.
LEGACY WING
They did not have a Legacy Wing Class at the last ceremony and WWE's website hasn't even bothered to add the 2020 or 2021 classes to the Hall of Fame section. With the video packages sometimes using the wrong footage and family members never being told their loved ones were being honored, it can certainly be said this wing has been handled rather poorly. In fact, for legal reasons, it seems like promoting the wing before the ceremony couldn't even be done. It makes me wonder if the last ceremony couldn't have one because of the way it was shown. Does this mean the next class cannot have one or will Triple H find a way to include more inductees? I think, given Triple H's love of wrestling history and based on who got into the first class of the Legacy Wing (Pat O'Connor specifically) that this was Hunters baby and when he fell out of power, Vince just canned the thing. Does it get revived next year? So many names could be thrown in like Johnny Valentine, Wild Red Berry, King Curtis Iaukea, Danny Hodge, The Crusher, Willie Gilzenberg, etc.
The most interesting possibility is Ivan Koloff. Koloff never being inducted prior to him joining a now dismissed concussion lawsuit and his death was mainly because Vince kept him out of the Hall. He wanted to be inducted. He attended the 1994 ceremony. He participated in some WWE dvd interviews. But Vince, for whatever reason just didn't like him enough. Prichard said on his podcast that his exclusion might have to do with what Vince called "bad business" in the early 1980s when Koloff abruptly left the WWE. For as many grudges as Vince would put aside in the name of doing business, he still held onto plenty. Koloff is the only WWE champion not in the Hall of Fame prior to 1996. But maybe if Koloff were to be inducted, Triple H would want it to be the regular way and not quickly mentioned in a Legacy Wing video? On the other hand, inducting someone with an evil Russian gimmick may not be appropriate at this time.
MAIN INDUCTEES
Headliner
I think the Rock is their number one choice here. If the Rock can't do it, break glass and induct Batista. Batista was announced as being part of the 2020 Class until the pandemic hit and they decided to hold off on his induction until people could see it live. If Batista can't do it, break glass and induct John Cena? If his schedule can't permit it, break glass and induct Rey Mysterio. He's from southern California and already works for the company. If Mysterio doesn't want to go in, break glass and induct Triple H as a solo performer. If that's too close to home, break glass and induct Vince McMahon. Though being a majority owner in the company and the scandal of his departure still lingering may prevent this from happening soon.
Living Female Inductee
Down the road, female inductees might headline the Hall of Fame. As for now, Victoria seems to be the obvious choice as she's billed from Los Angeles and on good terms with the company. I suppose they could consider the likes of Michelle McCool, Jazz, or Stacy Keibler. Every time they send Mania out west, they end up inducting someone from Japan like Antonio Inoki or Tatsumi Fujinami. So maybe Bull Nakano could get in this time. Mickie James isn't retired yet and so I think they'll hold off on that until it happens. It doesn't seem like Sable is going to change her mind but who knows.
Posthumous Inductee
They don't always have one, but the easiest solution here is Umanga. You tie this induction in with the Bloodline and just be done. However, I am kind of hoping WWE goes for talent that peaked prior to the 2000s. This is the first class after Vince and you have to figure Triple H has some ideas about omissions from the Hall.
Miss Elizabeth comes to mind. She was never going to be inducted before Savage in 2016 as they wouldn't want Savage chants during her induction but has been eligible from 2017 onwards. Is her surviving family (brother?) not wanting her to be inducted? I assume the royalty checks from the WWE Network or video game appearances got sent to her family and so there are contact numbers out there.
Another possibility I hope can be considered is King Kong Bundy. The concussion lawsuit was ultimately dismissed a few years ago and while participants in that lawsuit have since found work with WWE, none have entered the Hall yet. It just seems right to induct someone with the name King Kong in Hollywood. Not to mention he main evented Mania 2 in Los Angeles.
Inducting the "beast from the east," Bam Bam Bigelow, while out west would be very on par for WWE. Does he have surviving family that could accept on his behalf though?
Brian Pillman going in, since he was one half of the Hollywood Blondes, would be fitting. But Brian Pillman Jr is with AEW now and that might complicate things too much.
I'm not sure if WWE should induct someone with the name Earthquake in Los Angeles. Doesn't seem like the right place for it. I also am not sure I'd want it to be with Typhoon as part of the Natural Disasters. But I guess Uncle Fred going in wouldn't be the worst thing.
Bobby Eaton would be alright with the rest of the Midnight Express and Jim Cornette.
EDIT: Forgot about Kamala. Surprised he didn't go in during the 2000s. I think he was considered for the 2013 class but they kept it smaller because huge names like Sammartino, Foley, and Backlund were going in.
Living Non-White Inductee
This can be covered with the headliner or the female inductee, but if not, there are some options. As I said before, WWE tends to look at Japan when they head out west. With the Great Muta retiring, I could see him being available for Mania. Genichiro Tenryu (health permitting) and Tiger Mask might also be options. Then there's Konnan, Sabu, Tatanka, Slick, D-Lo Brown, and Haku. Haku would be interesting just for the stories. R-Truth might need to retire soon, and he could in if that officially happens.
Other Inductees
AEW is going to complicate things. It would be easy to say William Regal should go in but part of his AEW release might prevent him from appearing on WWE television for a year. This one may have to wait.
This also might throw a significant wrench into who I would consider the perfect inductee for Mania in Hollywood, that being Goldust. With Cody basically on his way to the main event of Mania, this would have been the most fitting induction possible.
Another potential complication is Lex Luger. Not only might it be viewed negatively if he went in before Miss Elizabeth, but Sting is in AEW. Who else but Sting would induct him?
Irwin R Schyster may be on the table again now that his son is back in the company. Not sure if WWE would want Ted DiBiase to induct him though.
If Triple H wants to give Shawn Michaels a third ring, he could have the Rockers go in. Marty Jannetty is nuts, but so are half of the inductees anyways.
Ken Patera would be an interesting choice. He was on a shortlist of potential inductees in 2007. He was a top heel for the company in the late 70s and early 80s. Maybe he's another that Vince just didn't care for and thus always got blocked when it came time to discuss the Hall. Then again, that drive thru incident in the 80s may have left a sour taste in Vince's mouth.
Tony Garea? What does he do?
Sycho Sid's name came up quite a bit earlier this year. It's possible he was set for induction but due to time constraints they decided to push it off until next year. If so, he could be a lock right now.
The One Man Gang is one of the last living giants of his era. He main evented several territories and WWE programs. Never heard a bad thing about him personally. Hell, even Big E dressed as Akeem for Halloween a few years back.
Though he barely ever worked for the company, Kevin Sullivan might be an option. He certainly played a significant role in WCW during the 1990s.
Rick the Model Martel is overdue for induction. Prichard once stated that he heard Martel wanted nothing to do with the business anymore and may have declined induction. However, he has since walked that back a bit and believes he'll go in eventually. Martel did appear on RAW with Tony Garea about 15 years ago and less than 10 years ago was giving interviews talking about how he'd like to be inducted.
Other options could be Finlay, the Hurricane, Ken Shamrock, Santino Marella, the Nasty Boys, or outside of the box guys like Bill Apter or Jim Johnston.
Having said all of that, I think Triple H needs to get DEMOLITION into the WWE Hall of Fame. Bill Eadie turns 75 soon and was hospitalized with covid twice in 2021. Eadie and Darsow have indicated that they'd accept induction and so I think now is the time.
What are your thoughts and predictions?
WARRIOR AWARD
This is probably the most wide-open category. Will James Miranda finally be honored as one of Warrior's final wishes? Does Miranda have surviving family that could accept on his behalf? What about that kid who called himself Drax Shadow? He has sadly passed on but was a big fan of Stardust. Or maybe they give the Warrior Award a break for a year because of time constraints.
CELEBRITY WING
It would be surprising if they went to Hollywood next year and didn't induct a celebrity. Now technically some of the potential headliners are mainstream celebs now, but one would think this would be the easiest location to muster up celebrity participation. I'd say Bob Barker has a shot but he's 99 years old and his biggest WWE moment involved AEW's Chris Jericho. Vanna White is possible if WWE is planning on some sort of Wheel of Fortune tie in that week, but nobody remembers her WWE appearance at Mania 4.
Given that Becky Lynch just played her on Young Rock, I'd say Cyndi Lauper is a real possibility this time. She could have been the first celebrity inductee and with her 2012 RAW appearance it doesn't look like she's unwilling to play ball.
LEGACY WING
They did not have a Legacy Wing Class at the last ceremony and WWE's website hasn't even bothered to add the 2020 or 2021 classes to the Hall of Fame section. With the video packages sometimes using the wrong footage and family members never being told their loved ones were being honored, it can certainly be said this wing has been handled rather poorly. In fact, for legal reasons, it seems like promoting the wing before the ceremony couldn't even be done. It makes me wonder if the last ceremony couldn't have one because of the way it was shown. Does this mean the next class cannot have one or will Triple H find a way to include more inductees? I think, given Triple H's love of wrestling history and based on who got into the first class of the Legacy Wing (Pat O'Connor specifically) that this was Hunters baby and when he fell out of power, Vince just canned the thing. Does it get revived next year? So many names could be thrown in like Johnny Valentine, Wild Red Berry, King Curtis Iaukea, Danny Hodge, The Crusher, Willie Gilzenberg, etc.
The most interesting possibility is Ivan Koloff. Koloff never being inducted prior to him joining a now dismissed concussion lawsuit and his death was mainly because Vince kept him out of the Hall. He wanted to be inducted. He attended the 1994 ceremony. He participated in some WWE dvd interviews. But Vince, for whatever reason just didn't like him enough. Prichard said on his podcast that his exclusion might have to do with what Vince called "bad business" in the early 1980s when Koloff abruptly left the WWE. For as many grudges as Vince would put aside in the name of doing business, he still held onto plenty. Koloff is the only WWE champion not in the Hall of Fame prior to 1996. But maybe if Koloff were to be inducted, Triple H would want it to be the regular way and not quickly mentioned in a Legacy Wing video? On the other hand, inducting someone with an evil Russian gimmick may not be appropriate at this time.
MAIN INDUCTEES
Headliner
I think the Rock is their number one choice here. If the Rock can't do it, break glass and induct Batista. Batista was announced as being part of the 2020 Class until the pandemic hit and they decided to hold off on his induction until people could see it live. If Batista can't do it, break glass and induct John Cena? If his schedule can't permit it, break glass and induct Rey Mysterio. He's from southern California and already works for the company. If Mysterio doesn't want to go in, break glass and induct Triple H as a solo performer. If that's too close to home, break glass and induct Vince McMahon. Though being a majority owner in the company and the scandal of his departure still lingering may prevent this from happening soon.
Living Female Inductee
Down the road, female inductees might headline the Hall of Fame. As for now, Victoria seems to be the obvious choice as she's billed from Los Angeles and on good terms with the company. I suppose they could consider the likes of Michelle McCool, Jazz, or Stacy Keibler. Every time they send Mania out west, they end up inducting someone from Japan like Antonio Inoki or Tatsumi Fujinami. So maybe Bull Nakano could get in this time. Mickie James isn't retired yet and so I think they'll hold off on that until it happens. It doesn't seem like Sable is going to change her mind but who knows.
Posthumous Inductee
They don't always have one, but the easiest solution here is Umanga. You tie this induction in with the Bloodline and just be done. However, I am kind of hoping WWE goes for talent that peaked prior to the 2000s. This is the first class after Vince and you have to figure Triple H has some ideas about omissions from the Hall.
Miss Elizabeth comes to mind. She was never going to be inducted before Savage in 2016 as they wouldn't want Savage chants during her induction but has been eligible from 2017 onwards. Is her surviving family (brother?) not wanting her to be inducted? I assume the royalty checks from the WWE Network or video game appearances got sent to her family and so there are contact numbers out there.
Another possibility I hope can be considered is King Kong Bundy. The concussion lawsuit was ultimately dismissed a few years ago and while participants in that lawsuit have since found work with WWE, none have entered the Hall yet. It just seems right to induct someone with the name King Kong in Hollywood. Not to mention he main evented Mania 2 in Los Angeles.
Inducting the "beast from the east," Bam Bam Bigelow, while out west would be very on par for WWE. Does he have surviving family that could accept on his behalf though?
Brian Pillman going in, since he was one half of the Hollywood Blondes, would be fitting. But Brian Pillman Jr is with AEW now and that might complicate things too much.
I'm not sure if WWE should induct someone with the name Earthquake in Los Angeles. Doesn't seem like the right place for it. I also am not sure I'd want it to be with Typhoon as part of the Natural Disasters. But I guess Uncle Fred going in wouldn't be the worst thing.
Bobby Eaton would be alright with the rest of the Midnight Express and Jim Cornette.
EDIT: Forgot about Kamala. Surprised he didn't go in during the 2000s. I think he was considered for the 2013 class but they kept it smaller because huge names like Sammartino, Foley, and Backlund were going in.
Living Non-White Inductee
This can be covered with the headliner or the female inductee, but if not, there are some options. As I said before, WWE tends to look at Japan when they head out west. With the Great Muta retiring, I could see him being available for Mania. Genichiro Tenryu (health permitting) and Tiger Mask might also be options. Then there's Konnan, Sabu, Tatanka, Slick, D-Lo Brown, and Haku. Haku would be interesting just for the stories. R-Truth might need to retire soon, and he could in if that officially happens.
Other Inductees
AEW is going to complicate things. It would be easy to say William Regal should go in but part of his AEW release might prevent him from appearing on WWE television for a year. This one may have to wait.
This also might throw a significant wrench into who I would consider the perfect inductee for Mania in Hollywood, that being Goldust. With Cody basically on his way to the main event of Mania, this would have been the most fitting induction possible.
Another potential complication is Lex Luger. Not only might it be viewed negatively if he went in before Miss Elizabeth, but Sting is in AEW. Who else but Sting would induct him?
Irwin R Schyster may be on the table again now that his son is back in the company. Not sure if WWE would want Ted DiBiase to induct him though.
If Triple H wants to give Shawn Michaels a third ring, he could have the Rockers go in. Marty Jannetty is nuts, but so are half of the inductees anyways.
Ken Patera would be an interesting choice. He was on a shortlist of potential inductees in 2007. He was a top heel for the company in the late 70s and early 80s. Maybe he's another that Vince just didn't care for and thus always got blocked when it came time to discuss the Hall. Then again, that drive thru incident in the 80s may have left a sour taste in Vince's mouth.
Tony Garea? What does he do?
Sycho Sid's name came up quite a bit earlier this year. It's possible he was set for induction but due to time constraints they decided to push it off until next year. If so, he could be a lock right now.
The One Man Gang is one of the last living giants of his era. He main evented several territories and WWE programs. Never heard a bad thing about him personally. Hell, even Big E dressed as Akeem for Halloween a few years back.
Though he barely ever worked for the company, Kevin Sullivan might be an option. He certainly played a significant role in WCW during the 1990s.
Rick the Model Martel is overdue for induction. Prichard once stated that he heard Martel wanted nothing to do with the business anymore and may have declined induction. However, he has since walked that back a bit and believes he'll go in eventually. Martel did appear on RAW with Tony Garea about 15 years ago and less than 10 years ago was giving interviews talking about how he'd like to be inducted.
Other options could be Finlay, the Hurricane, Ken Shamrock, Santino Marella, the Nasty Boys, or outside of the box guys like Bill Apter or Jim Johnston.
Having said all of that, I think Triple H needs to get DEMOLITION into the WWE Hall of Fame. Bill Eadie turns 75 soon and was hospitalized with covid twice in 2021. Eadie and Darsow have indicated that they'd accept induction and so I think now is the time.
What are your thoughts and predictions?
