Tag: Hall of fame

Stephanie McMahon praises Paul Heyman: ‘You’re such an icon’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Before his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame, Paul Heyman received some kind words from Stephanie McMahon.

Heyman was inducted into the Hall of Fame last Friday as part of WWE’s WrestleMania week festivities in Philadelphia. Today, WWE uploaded a behind-the-scenes vlog from Heyman’s induction night. It included a backstage interaction between Heyman and Stephanie before the ceremony.

She told Heyman:

I was talking to Paul [Levesque] and I said, ‘Can you imagine this kid used to break into Madison Square Garden just to take pictures and to try to sell them? Because he loved the business so much.’ And you told me all those stories and driving the wrong way down one-way streets. You know, but that’s how it happened.

And it’s just amazing, Paul. And what you created, and what you did on your own, and then what you’ve done and who you are, and your legacy – you’re such an icon. And it’s so amazing that we all get to pay tribute to you tonight.

For the first time since resigning from the company in January 2023, Stephanie made an on-camera appearance at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony. She was in the crowd for Heyman’s speech wearing an ECW hat.

Stephanie then opened night two of WrestleMania 40 and called it the first WrestleMania of the “Paul Levesque Era.”

Despite her appearances over WrestleMania week, Stephanie is reportedly not back with WWE in any official capacity.

The Rock inducting Lia Maivia into WWE Hall of Fame

Posted on by Joseph Currier

On the eve of his return to the ring at WrestleMania 40, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will be playing a role at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony.

The Rock announced tonight that he’ll be inducting his late grandmother Lia Maivia into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the 2024 class. The induction ceremony is taking place after SmackDown in Philadelphia this Friday (April 5). The ceremony will air live on Peacock starting at 10 p.m. Eastern time.

Dave Meltzer had confirmed last month that Maivia was scheduled to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and that The Rock would be inducting her.

A trailblazer, Maivia was one of the first female promoters in pro wrestling history. She ran the Polynesian Pro Wrestling promotion in Hawaii from 1982-1988 following the death of her husband “High Chief” Peter Maivia.

In 2008, The Rock inducted his father Rocky Johnson and grandfather Peter Maivia when they entered the WWE Hall of Fame.

The Rock documented his grandmother’s story on his “Young Rock” sitcom for NBC that aired from 2021-2023.

Paul Heyman, Bull Nakano, The U.S. Express (Mike Rotunda & Barry Windham), Thunderbolt Patterson, and Muhammad Ali are the other members of this year’s WWE Hall of Fame class.

This Saturday, The Rock is teaming with Roman Reigns against Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins in the main event of WrestleMania 40 night one. It’s Rock’s first real wrestling match since 2013.

Reigns will also be giving a speech at Friday night’s ceremony. He’s inducting Heyman into the Hall of Fame.

Wrestling Observer Live: AEW Big Business, Trick Williams, RAW ratings, new Hall of Fame member

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive is back with tons to talk about including AEW Big Business, what we know versus what we don’t know, how it’s doing compared to the last time they were in town, NXT notes, RAW ratings, new Hall of Fame member and more. A fun show as always so check it out~!

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Wrestling Observer Radio: Eddy Guerrero history, RAW report, AEW and NXT previews, Hall of Fame

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including the career of Eddy Guerrero, AEW and NXT previews, War Games and who the likely fifth men will be on each team, Hall of Fame issue thoughts, Jericho vs. Takeshita, ratings, Conor McGregor, the RAW report and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!

Timestamps:

Start: Memories of Eddie Guerrero

13:21: NXT & Dynamite previews, Chris Jericho vs. Konosuke Takeshita

20:30: WarGames update

23:48: Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame issue out this week

26:48: NJPW World Tag League lineups

33:28: Ratings

38:11: Conor McGregor likely fighting next summer

43:39: WWE Raw report

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Figure Four Daily: Lance Storm talks time in FMW Japan, how to take suplexes, Hall of Fame

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Figure Four Daily with Bryan Alvarez and Lance Storm is back with tons to talk about including Lance’s thoughts on the WWE and WON Halls of Fame, how to take a proper suplex and the weird names people give spots in wrestling, his memories of his time in FMW in Japan, and more. A fun show as always so check it out~!

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Wrestling Observer Radio: Sasha, New Japan, RAW report, new AEW production hire, Hall of Fame Q&A

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including the annual Hall of Fame issue with your questions, updates on Sasha and Konnan and New Japan’s tournament wrapping up, Karl Anderson and the Tokyo Dome, RAW from Monday night, Winter is Coming, and tons more. A fun show as always so check it out~!

Timestamps:

Start: Nine Lives of Vince McMahon on Vice Tuesday night

3:37: Sasha Banks/NJPW update

6:43: Michael Mansury joins AEW

10:26: William Regal returning to WWE in a executive position, Konnan waiting for kidney transplant

13:47: NJPW World Tag League/Super Jr. Tag finals

20:37: BOLA tickets going on sale soon

22:08: Ratings

27:04: More on UFC judging

33:31: Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame Q&A

53:10: Raw recap

1:15:57: AEW preview

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Wrestling Observer Radio: Windham, Rampage ratings, Hall of Fame issue, RAW, tons more

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including a new Observer book out now, a health update on Barry Windham, Hall of Fame issue notes, Tales from the Territories, AEW and NXT previews, ratings for Rampage and Smackdown, your RAW report and tons more. A fun show as always so check it out~!

Timestamps:

Start: Dave’s new Observer book on 1995

6:58: Barry Windham suffers heart attack

10:06: Ric Flair documentary to air on Peacock, Hall of Fame issue out this week

13:49: Tales from the Territories on Mid South Wrestling airing Tuesday

15:00: SmackDown and Rampage ratings

22:14: AEW Dynamite and WWE NXT previews, a look at this weekend

31:30: WWE RAW recap

54:02: Mailbag

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August 24, 2005 Observer Newsletter: 2005 Hall of Fame issue

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

In what has to be the most surprising result in the history of the balloting, the trio of Michael Hayes & Terry Gordy & Buddy Roberts, the Fabulous Freebirds, were the leading vote getters, as we added three new acts this year to the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame.

In the 10th year of what has become our August tradition, The Freebirds were joined by HHH and Paul Heyman in being inducted into the Hall, in what was considered a wide open field. To be elected in, you have to get 60% of the votes from your specific region, from our panel of active wrestlers, retired wrestling legends, historians and reporters from around the world. Many, if not most of the biggest names in the history of the business who are still alive participated in this year’s balloting, as did many of the top stars in today’s wrestling world.

With no new performers on the ballot this year who figured to come close to election, and the election of six people last year, it opened it up in a year where, based on last year’s results, HHH, and Jesse Ventura, who each came two votes short of induction last year, figured to be the only strong candidates going in. In fact, the consensus remarks I’d heard from various voters this year, is it was HHH as the only strong and obvious pick on the ballot, and plenty of people who you could make a case for, but no other sure things.

Read this issue of the Observer here.

Wrestling Observer Live: HHH retires, Shad Gaspard HOF, Smackdown, Dave Meltzer interview

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive is back with tons to talk about including an update on Triple H’s heart issues and why he’ll never wrestle again, Shad Gaspard into the Hall of Fame, Smackdown tonight, Cody, Dave Meltzer talks the latest stories in the new Wrestling Observer Newsletter and more. A fun show as always so check it out~!

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Wrestling Observer Radio: Hall of Fame, WWE blood, NJPW Strong, Smackdown, Rampage, more

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including more on the Observer Hall of Fame, WWE cries about AEW doing blood after doing blood themselves for decades including recently, New Japan Strong taping results, Rampage and Smackdown reviews, ratings, UFC recap and tons more. A fun show as always so check it out~!

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Wrestling Observer Live: WON Hall of Fame, Rampage and Smackdown previews, more!

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive is back with tons to talk about including AEW Rampage tonight, Smackdown, the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame issue that just came out on the website, all the news, phone calls and more. A fun show as always so check it out~!

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August 23, 2004 Observer Newsletter: WON Hall of Fame class of 2004

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

For probably the past three years, the 2004 elections for the Wrestling Observer looked to be the most interesting in the history of the elections because more unique candidates than in any other election would become eligible. At the time, in 2001, the list was Jun Akiyama, HHH, Kazushi Sakuraba, Great Sasuke and Kiyoshi Tamura. Over the past two years, the name Kurt Angle would have been added.

Akiyama had a career filled with incredible matches, but he also worked with some of the best people in history, and was never a success when the spotlight of being the top singles star in his promotion was put on him. Angle is the first man in the history of pro wrestling to be the consensus best legitimate wrestler in the world in his weight division, and later become the consensus best illegitimate wrestler in the world. However, Angle started his career in late 1998, and didn’t even come up to the main WWF roster until late 1999.

Current subscribers click here to continue reading.

November 16, 2020 Observer Newsletter: 2020 Observer Hall of Fame issue

Posted on by F4W Staff

The 2020 class of the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame features five new members, a Bulgarian sports icon, a 13-year world champion, Mexico’s first heavyweight legend, along with a 28-year top tier worker and “the best bout machine.”

Four members were voted in. Two came from Mexico, 1950s star Medico Asesino, who was a major wrestling television and movie star and later the top babyface in Texas as El Medico, and Karloff Lagarde, who had more time as an NWA world champion than any wrestler in history, and was also half of one of the most famous tag teams in Lucha Libre history, Los Rebeldes.

The other two came from Japan. Kenny Omega, the 2018 Wrestler of the Year who has had nine different career matches win major Match of the Year awards in various polls both in this publication as well as in other fan voted and media voted polls in the U.S. and Japan; joins Jun Akiyama, who was one of the best wrestlers in the world from very quickly after the start of his career in 1992 until more recent times.

Current subscribers click here to continue reading.

August 25, 2003 Observer Newsletter: 2003 Hall of Fame class

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

The single most controversial candidate in the history of the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame balloting, Shawn Michaels, heads the list of four new members for 2003 in the Hall of Fame.

Michaels, 38, who had come close in three of the past four elections, got through easily this year, and was joined by Chris Benoit in being voted in on balloting from reporters, historians, as well as current and past wrestling figures. Two others, early 1900s world champion Earl Caddock, and famous Mexican promoter Francisco Flores were also added as overlooked figures from the past.

Michaels’ return to active wrestling after (with one exception) a more than four year hiatus largely due to lower back surgery, spelled the difference, as in particular his respect among past wrestling major players changed and gave him enough votes to make it by an easy 13 vote margin. Michaels got mentioned on 119 of the 177 ballots that came from or listed wrestlers from the U.S. and Canada region, or 67%.

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August 18, 2003 Observer: Hall of Fame preview, PRIDE Total Elimination, more

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

he 2003 Hall of Fame issue will be next week, so this week we’ll look at the candidates, their strengths and weaknesses and how they’ve done in previous years.

I should note that all voting has been completed. At the time this article was written, nothing had been tabulated. We had more participation this year than any other year. There should be some differences because as a percentage, more people within the industry participated this year including many of the both the biggest current names and biggest names of all-time. Ballots are sent to active stars, retired legends, those who work in the industry and have a long-time association with the product, historians and current reporters.

The rules of the balloting are that it is broken into three categories, the U.S. and Canada, Mexico and Japan. To be elected, you have to get 60% of the vote from your specific region. As history has shown, that is a very difficult figure to achieve.

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