Tag: Hall of fame

Jim Ross: Sid ‘overqualifed’ for WWE Hall of Fame, Legacy Wing a ‘joke’

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

The son of “Sycho” Sid Vicious has said his father’s induction at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony was “disrespectful as hell.” Jim Ross, who called Vicious’ matches in WWE and WCW, agrees. 

Vicious was technically inducted into the so-called Legacy Wing of WWE’s Hall of Fame. As such, he had no induction ceremony at the Hall of Fame, just a video package being aired and a shot of his family in the crowd. 

Vicious’ son Gunnar thought his father deserved better, and Ross doesn’t blame him. 

“If my daddy was going into the Hall of Fame, I would want them to have the biggest presentation that they could produce,” Ross said on an episode of Grilling JR. 

Ross was also disappointed that Vicious was limited to a Legacy Wing induction. “Based on previous years’ criteria, by a variety of talents, Sid was overqualified to go into the Hall of Fame,” he said. “[The Legacy Wing] is a joke. It’s just one way to give somebody a payday or some recognition, I understand that, but a guy who headlined WrestleMania a couple of times, a multi-time champion, he deserved and earned [it].”

Ross acknowledged that Vicious wasn’t always the easiest wrestler to work with. “Was Sid a pain in the ass?” he asked. “Yeah, sometimes. No doubt about it. He was moody. He had a lot of pride, and some who worked with him closely may say that he had too much pride because he became a pain in the ass to work with, but does that mean he doesn’t deserve to be in the regular Hall of Fame? No. He should’ve been in the regular Hall of Fame.” 

Regardless, Ross is happy Vicious will be remembered. “Sid’s legacy, whether he’s in the Hall of Fame of Legacy Wing, he’s never going to be forgotten,” he said.

Triple H: Stephanie McMahon’s impact on WWE is ‘second to none’

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Triple H discussed Stephanie McMahon’s impact on the women’s division and fans ahead of her Hall of Fame induction this weekend. 

Joe Tessitore interviewed Triple H to discuss the road to WrestleMania. From talking about the stacked match card, competitors, rising up and comers in WWE’s roster, Triple H discussed an array of themes relevant to the Premium Live Event. He emphasized McMahon’s influence ahead of her Hall of Fame induction this year. 

“Yeah, it’s so hard to even put in words because also Steph sometimes looks at herself as this inconsequential piece of the business. Yet I believe one of the most influential characters, especially on the women’s side, all the time when we’re out, people come up to Steph and talk about ‘when you were one of the only powerful women characters, female characters on TV at that time. And when I was 10 or I was 12 years old, man, I wanted to be you. I wanted to be that powerful woman in business, the powerful woman that, physically wasn’t intimidated all.’”

He addressed the impact she had on fans and the industry without her realizing it and everybody backstage in WWE says she’s the ‘heart and soul’ of the company. 

“These things, but forget how impactful that character was and what a big factor it was in the business. And that’s on camera. Behind the scenes to this day and she hasn’t been around for a few years, but to this day, if you walk through here and you bring up her name to anybody, either in this place or the crew, they will say ‘heart and soul’ of the company. Heart and soul of the company. She knew everybody that worked here. I can’t remember names to save my life. Steph knew everybody’s name. Steph knew their families, knew their kids’ names. We would laugh all the time because it would take us 45 minutes to leave the building as we were trying to get out of there when the show would be over ’cause Steph was stopping and saying goodbye to everybody along the way where we’d be like, ‘we’re gonna see him tomorrow at TV. Can we go and get in the car?’ It’s just who she is and her impact on this business is second to none. And I mean that, second to no one. So whether fans fully understand that or not, that it’s hard for me to think of many people that deserve Hall of Fame as much as she does and she doesn’t think she deserves it.”

McMahon was the first inductee announced for the Hall of Fame in September 2025. The ceremony will take place on April 17 at Dolby Live at Park MGM. In addition to McMahon, AJ Styles, Demolition (Ax & Smash), Dennis Rodman, Sid Vicious and Bad News Brown will be honored. Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant’s WrestleMania III match will also be honored as the Immortal Moment. 

WrestleMania 42 will emanate from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on April 18 and April 19, 2026. 

WOL: RAW Monday, AAA, new Hall of Fame match, Bron Breakker

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Lance Storm returns with tons to talk about including a full recap of RAW from Monday, why Lance stopped watching after the opening segment, thoughts on the AAA opener this past weekend, a new match going into the WWE Hall of Fame, Bron Breakker, the Mania line-up and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!

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Demolition explains how relationship with WWE changed

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

Demolition have waited 36 years to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. And if Vince McMahon were still in charge of the company, they might be waiting even longer.

Bill “Ax” Eadie and Barry “Smash” Darsow discussed their upcoming Hall of Fame induction with Dave LaGreca and Bully Ray on the Busted Open Podcast. Without using anyone’s name, Eadie said they might not be welcome in WWE had their not been a regime change at the top of the company.

“I think that, and Barry and I have both talked about it, if it wasn’t for the fans, I really believe the pressure over the years, and a lot of our peers mentioned it, we really never thought we would be inducted,” he said. “And I don’t think we would have been under a different administration. But that’s changed and our relationship with the company has changed drastically.”

That change, according to Darsow, began when they signed a WWE legends contract last year. “We debated, do we want to really get into this or what we’re going to do? So, finally, we decided, well, let’s let’s sign the Legends contract and see what happens.”

The two were then invited to the Hall of Fame ceremonies last year. Darsow said they were treated very well, specifically mentioning CM Punk, Steve Austin, and the Undertaker among those who welcomed them.

Demolition won three World Tag Team Championships in the WWE (then known as the World Wrestling Federation) in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Their first reign lasted 478 days, and they spent 698 total days as champion. Those are both records for those sets of tag team titles, which were retired in 2010.

Their last WWF match as Demolition was at Survivor Series in 1990 (though Darsow continued to use the gimmick, teaming with Bryan “Crush” Adams). Eadie would later sue the promotion over the rights to the Demolition gimmick; that lawsuit was settled out of court in 1997.

Demolition to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame

Posted on by Joseph Currier

One of the most memorable tag teams in WWE history is finally being inducted into the company’s Hall of Fame.

It was revealed today that Demolition (Bill Eadie & Barry Darsow) will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame over WrestleMania 42 weekend in Las Vegas. They join AJ Styles and Stephanie McMahon as members of the 2026 class. Like with Styles and McMahon, Demolition were informed of their induction by a surprise announcement from The Undertaker.

Demolition — who individually went by the names Ax & Smash — were three-time WWF Tag Team Champions in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Their first reign, which spanned for 478 days, was the longest in WWE history until it was broken by The New Day in 2015-2016.

A Hall of Fame induction did not materialize until now due to Demolition and WWE being on poor terms. In the 1990s, Eadie filed a lawsuit against the company over the rights to the Demolition gimmick. He and Darsow were later part of a class-action concussion lawsuit against WWE.

In 2025, Demolition signed Legends contracts with WWE. They now have a better relationship with the company under its new regime with Paul “Triple H” Levesque and Nick Khan leading the way.

WWE has yet to announce the venue or exact date for the 2026 Hall of Fame ceremony. It traditionally happens on the Friday of WrestleMania week.

AJ Styles says he’s ‘grateful’ for WWE Hall of Fame induction

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

At the end of his retirement ceremony on Monday Night Raw, the WWE surprised AJ Styles by having the Undertaker break the news that he would be going into their Hall of Fame this year. Now we’re getting to see how Styles reacted backstage.

The WWE posted a video of backstage footage from the evening on their YouTube page. The video showed Styles gathering with his family just a few minutes after Raw went off the air. 

“I guess we’re going to WrestleMania, at least to the Hall of Fame,” he said. “I’m very excited. I don’t know, I really can’t think of the words to express how I feel. ‘Gratitude’s’ a big one. ‘Thankful.’ ‘Blessed.’”

Styles added that getting the news in his hometown, surrounded by his loved ones, made it even more special. “I’m glad they were here to see it too,” he said, referring to his wife and children. “What a place, being told you’re going into the Hall of Fame in the city that you live in. It was going to be a great night, and you got married. It’s awesome.” 

Cagematch lists Styles with 14 matches in the city of Atlanta. The first was a win over Rick Micheals in a dark match at a WWF Jakked taping in July of 2001. The last was a no contest against LA Knight on WWE SmackDown in January of 2024. 

Rob Van Dam, Katie Forbes announce birth of twin girls

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam and his wife Katie Forbes have announced the births of their twin daughters on social media. 

“12/26/2025-Karma and Saba have officially left the womb,” Van Dam posted on social media. When asked by fans, Van Dam confirmed that Saba was named after his late friend Sabu.

The couple had originally announced in June that they were expecting twin girls to arrive in 2026, but unfortunately complications set in. Forbes spent time in the hospital with preeclampsia, a condition in which placental issues disrupt blood flow, leading to high blood pressure. He told TMZ earlier this month that doctors planned to deliver the babies at 34 weeks, which would make them Christmas babies. 

Both Van Dam and Forbes are still wrestling, though neither has been active much as of late—Van Dam broke both his heels in MLW’s Battle Riot in April, while Forbes has not wrestled since March for obvious reasons.

Lex Luger explains missing WWE WrestleMania Hall of Fame segment

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Lex Luger would have liked to appear for the Hall of Fame segment at WrestleMania 41, but he wasn’t able to due to not feeling well.

The WWE Hall of Fame class of 2025 was acknowledged on stage at night one of WrestleMania on Saturday. Paul “Triple H” Levesque, Michelle McCool, Steve Austin & Bret Hart, Tugboat, and the family of John Tenta were all there with only Luger missing. Luger explained on The Ariel Helwani Show today that, the day before his Hall of Fame induction, he suffered a fall at the airport while trying to get into his wheelchair. With that and with the ceremony going late into the night on Friday, Luger was feeling wiped out by the time WrestleMania began.

“The next day, on Saturday, I could hardly get out of bed,” Luger said. “So I just called the guys and they were so cool about it and said, ‘Look, we’d love to have you down there. Let’s see how you feel later today.’ But it was obvious by late afternoon that time that I wasn’t going to be able to get out there.”

Luger did make his scheduled appearance at WrestleCon earlier on Saturday.

When asked if it bums him out that he wasn’t able to appear at WrestleMania, Luger said he’s still basking in his Hall of Fame induction.

“Saturday would have been great, but it was a no-go,” Luger said. “If I could have, I would have.”

Diamond Dallas Page, who has been working with Luger to improve his mobility, helped induct him into the Hall of Fame. Luger was able to stand up from his wheelchair unassisted at Friday night’s ceremony.

Triple H says Chyna will ‘for sure’ get solo WWE Hall of Fame induction

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Chyna will “for sure” get a solo induction into the WWE Hall of Fame one day. Paul “Triple H” Levesque is just waiting on the right time and place to induct her.

In 2019, Chyna posthumously entered the WWE Hall of Fame as a member of D-Generation X with Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Billy Gunn, Road Dogg, and X-Pac. She has not been inducted individually yet. But when Levesque was asked about the possibility at Sunday night’s post-WrestleMania 41 press conference, he said it is only a matter of time.

“I don’t know about next year, but it’s definitely happening,” Levesque said. “There’s a lot of people, when you say the Hall of Fame, there are a lot of names that should be in that Hall of Fame and will be in that Hall of Fame. You just can’t put them in all at once, right? I think there will be the right moment.”

Levesque said Chyna’s contributions to the wrestling industry are still evident to this day with how much she influenced the current WWE roster.

“Her contributions to the business alone. I can see it in all these women when they get in there. We’re at the age…where they all grew up idolizing her. And I see it in their work, I see it in their demeanor, I see it in what they think works and doesn’t. It all, in a lot of ways, stems from that. She is in the Hall of Fame with D-X, but she will be in the Hall of Fame by herself when the time is right, for sure,” he said. “It’s just a debate every year of who goes in when and how. And you can look no further than Ivan Koloff in that. Needed to be in there. Same with Kamala. They need to happen, we just have to be judicious about when and how they happen so it’s done right for everybody.”

Koloff, Kamala, and Dory Funk Sr. were legacy inductees into the WWE Hall of Fame this year. The other members of the 2025 class were Levesque, Michelle McCool, Lex Luger, and The Natural Disasters (Earthquake & Typhoon). Plus, Steve Austin and Bret Hart received the first-ever WWE Immortal Moment Award honoring their match from WrestleMania 13.

A trailblazer in WWE who became a pop culture star outside of wrestling, Chyna (Joanie Laurer) passed away at 46 years old in 2016 of an accidental drug overdose. She and Levesque dated in the late 1990s/early 2000s prior to his marriage to Stephanie McMahon.

Steve Austin reacts to WM 13 match being inducted into WWE Hall of Fame

Posted on by Joseph Currier

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin is happy that his WrestleMania 13 match against Bret Hart still resonates with fans.

It was announced last week that the Austin vs. Hart match will be enshrined into the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania 41 weekend in Las Vegas. Receiving the inaugural “Immortal Moment Award,” it’s the first match to ever be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

While doing a private autograph signing for American Icon Autographs, Austin was asked if this award means anything to him.

“Yeah, yes and no,” he responded. “I mean, yeah, because it was a hell of a match and we knew it at the time. And I think that it was good that it was in Chicago, because Chicago was kind of a stronghold for me, but it would have worked anywhere. But the fact that it happened with Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart. There’s a couple behind-the-scenes stories that, you know, I don’t want to talk about. But, man, it was a hell of a match, and it’s cool for people to still remember it damn near 30 years later. So, yeah, it means something to me, because, I don’t know, if it wasn’t for the fans, I wouldn’t be sitting here. So the fact that that match is relevant and it’s going into the 2025 Hall of Fame for matches and it’s the first match to be inducted, cool.”

Austin vs. Hart was a no holds barred submission match with Ken Shamrock as the special guest referee. Along with their stellar in-ring work, the match is memorable for its double turn that helped Austin become one of the biggest babyfaces in pro wrestling history. With blood streaming down his face, Austin refused to tap out while in the Sharpshooter and lost by referee stoppage.

Both Austin and Hart have already been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame individually, and The Hart Foundation (Hart & Jim Neidhart) are in the HOF as a tag team as well.

The 2025 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony is set for Friday, April 18 and will air live on Peacock and WWE’s social media channels. Paul “Triple H” Levesque, Michelle McCool, Lex Luger, and The Natural Disasters (Earthquake & Typhoon) are also part of the inductee class.

Ken Shamrock’s name mentioned for potential WWE Hall of Fame induction

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Ken Shamrock has been mentioned as a potential addition to the 2025 WWE Hall of Fame class.

Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that, while not confirmed yet, Shamrock’s name has been “bandied about” for a potential induction into the WWE Hall of Fame. The ceremony is taking place during WrestleMania 41 weekend in Las Vegas next month with Paul “Triple H” Levesque, Michelle McCool, Lex Luger, and The Natural Disasters (Earthquake & Typhoon) already announced for the class.

“As had been reported a few weeks ago, Earthquake John Tenta and Fred ‘Typhoon/Tugboat’ Ottman will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame at the 4/18 ceremony in Las Vegas at the Fontainebleau Hotel,” Meltzer wrote. “While not yet announced, Ken Shamrock’s name has been bandied about as well.”

The 61-year-old Shamrock is already a member of the UFC Hall of Fame and TNA Wrestling Hall of Fame. A star during the Attitude Era, his WWE accomplishments included Intercontinental and Tag Team title reigns. He was also the winner of the 1998 King of the Ring tournament.

During an appearance on Insight with Chris Van Vliet last year, Shamrock said joining the WWE Hall of Fame would be a “true thrill,” but he isn’t losing any sleep over not being in yet. Shamrock loved his time in pro wrestling and his happy with the way his life turned out. He noted that he is under a Legends contract with WWE.

The WWE Hall of Fame ceremony is happening late Friday night on April 18 during Mania week. The ceremony will stream live on Peacock and WWE’s social media channels.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson filmed an induction speech for Shamrock when he was inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame in 2020.

Natural Disasters confirmed for 2025 WWE Hall of Fame class

Posted on by Joseph Currier

While their induction was already all but confirmed, The Natural Disasters are now officially part of the 2025 WWE Hall of Fame class.

WWE announced today that Earthquake (John Tenta) & Typhoon (Fred Ottman) will be inducted into the company’s Hall of Fame next month during WrestleMania 41 weekend in Las Vegas. They join Paul “Triple H” Levesque, Michelle McCool, and Lex Luger in the class.

Tenta, who died of cancer at 42 years old in 2006, is being inducted posthumously. Earlier this month, Ottman spoke to Sportskeeda WrestleBinge about their impending induction and the friendship they shared together.

“He was literally my brother from another mother. I’d tell him that all the time because we’d cut up and joke and have a good time and John was just so amazing as an athlete. I was proud when they put us together,” Ottman said. “It was great. I never had to worry about him, he never had to worry about me. We were always where we were supposed to be. We’d be early, and whatever needed to be done, we did. And that makes for perfect business.”

The two were one-time WWF Tag Team Champions together in the early 1990s. Levesque praised them as two unsung heroes of that generation’s tag team division:

Ottman is being inducted as Typhoon but is perhaps best remembered for playing the character Tugboat during his WWF run.

Tenta was a sumo wrestler before starting his pro wrestling career in Japan. Among his career highlights as a singles competitor was a memorable feud with Hulk Hogan in the WWF.

The 2025 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony is taking place on Friday, April 18 at the BleauLive Theater at the Fontainebleau hotel in Vegas. Kamala is also rumored to be part of this year’s class, though his induction has not been made official.

WWE reveals location & time for 2025 Hall of Fame ceremony

Posted on by Joseph Currier

With WrestleMania season ramping up, WWE has finally revealed the details for this year’s Hall of Fame ceremony.

The 2025 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony will take place at the BleauLive Theater at the Fontainebleau hotel in Las Vegas on Friday, April 18, It will stream live on Peacock in the United States and WWE’s social media channels starting at 1 a.m. Eastern/10 p.m. Pacific.

Paul “Triple H” Levesque, Michelle McCool, and Lex Luger are the first three inductees that have been confirmed with more legends set to be added to the class in the coming weeks.

Though it’s still happening on the Friday of WrestleMania week, this represents a change from how the Hall of Fame ceremony has been presented in recent years. It had taken place immediately after SmackDown — from the same venue as the episode — since 2022.

Tickets for the Hall of Fame ceremony are going on sale to the general public at 11 a.m. Eastern/8 a.m. Pacific this Friday (March 14). Leading into that, there will be a ticket pre-sale beginning this Wednesday (March 12).

WWE has partnered with Fontainebleau Las Vegas as the official hotel of WrestleMania 41, and it’s noted that additional WWE events taking place at the venue will be announced soon. The hotel, located on the Las Vegas Strip, opened in December 2023.

“As the official host hotel and the resort to be, Fontainebleau Las Vegas is offering WWE fans up to 30% off room rates for new and existing Fontainebleau Rewards Members, the best guaranteed rate at Fontainebleau Las Vegas during WrestleMania 41,” WWE wrote in a press release. “More details on WrestleMania 41 at Fontainebleau Las Vegas can be found online. Additional WWE events taking place at Fontainebleau Las Vegas will be announced in the coming weeks.”

WrestleMania 41 is being held at Allegiant Stadium in Vegas on Saturday, April 19 and Sunday, April 20.

Lex Luger ‘always hopeful’ for WWE Hall of Fame induction

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Lex Luger remains hopeful that a WWE Hall of Fame induction is in his future.

Speaking on a new episode of Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Luger said he has an “awesome” relationship with WWE and has been part of their Legends program for more than 10 years now. It would be an honor to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, but Luger still feels like he had a great career even if that never happens.

“Well, people say that good things come to those who wait,” Luger responded when asked about a potential induction. “Always hopeful. If not, I still feel I had a great career. There’s a lot of deserving guys other than me who still aren’t in as well. So, yeah, it would be a huge honor though — if and when it happens.”

Luger said he does not know why he hasn’t been inducted yet, but it’s not something he takes personally. He feels there are a lot of deserving candidates that have not been inducted.

“You know, I don’t know what criteria they do, because there’s a lot of other guys too that should have been in,” he said. “So I don’t know if it was me personally or anything with Vince [McMahon] at all. I’m not sure about that. Only they can answer that.”

Though he has a great relationship with WWE now, it wasn’t always this way. Luger said he “absolutely” takes responsibility for the mistakes he’s made in the past, including being a contributing factor to Miss Elizabeth’s death because of the lifestyle he was leading when they were together. Elizabeth died at 42 years old in 2003 due to an accidental drug overdose. Luger said he understands that some fans will never forgive him for Elizabeth’s death.

Luger believes that WWE has seen that he’s truly a changed person now. He told Van Vliet that the company has been a blessing in his life, and being under a WWE Legends deal has helped him financially.

“I think they waited and saw — I think they observed that I was a different guy now. And I felt that they learned to maybe trust who I was, that this wasn’t some temporary thing, that this is the new Lex and this is the direction he’s headed with his life,” Luger said. “So I’m thankful. They’ve been a real blessing in every way, including financially. You know, they gave me new merch out and [send what] the guys call ‘mailbox money.’

“So I’m very thankful for them welcoming me back into the family and making me a part of WWE. Obviously, the Hall of Fame would be the whipped cream and cherry on top for sure. If I never get in the Hall of Fame, I feel like I had a great career. That won’t change it, but it would obviously be a huge honor. It would be like definitely the creme de la creme, for sure. No doubt.”

Luger, 66, said he’s loving life and wakes up every day thanking God for the breath in his lungs and the beat of his heart. He’s confined to a wheelchair because of a spinal stroke he suffered in 2007, but Luger is working with Diamond Dallas Page to improve his mobility. DDP shared a video last week showing Luger standing up from his wheelchair on his own without assistance.

Paul “Triple H” Levesque and Michelle McCool are the first two inductees confirmed for the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2025. Details regarding the ceremony have not been announced yet.

Van Vliet’s full interview with Luger can be watched below: