WWE Hall of Fame 2017

[JamieStevenson]

Oh it's true, it's damn true! It's WrestleMania weekend and our first stop takes place tonight (1AM here). The annual ceremony will see the new 2017 class inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. This thread will celebrate the new class, a place for us to share our favourite memories and to discuss the stories told when the time comes. One thing notable about this year, is the omission of an induction to the Celebrity Wing.

 

Before we continue on to say few things about the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame Class, we should take a moment to acknowledge that since last year we've lost four WWE Hall of Famers;

 

Blackjack Mulligan (26/11/1942 - 07/04/2016) was inducted in 2006 as one half of The Blackjacks, alongside his partner Blackjack Lanza. Before finding fame for his talents in the squared circle, he was a U.S. Marine and played American Football for the New York Jets. Mullingan is recognised by WWE as being a one-time WWWF World Tag Team Champion. His other notable accomplishments include being a three-time NWA United States Heavyweight Champion and one-time NWA World Tag Team Champion. Sadly, WWE did not provide a tribute package.

 

Mr Fuji (04/05/1934 - 28/08/2016) was inducted in 2007. Mr Fuji was a wrestler and then later became a manager. He was infamous for throwing salt in the eyes of the fan favourite superstars. Fuji is recognised as being a five-time WWWF/WWF World Tag Team Champion, three times with Toru Tanaka and two times with Mr. Saito. He managed many superstars but gained his heightened success and popularity during his run in the early 90's with the late Yokozuna. Here is the tribute package WWE put together;

 

Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka (18/05/1943 - 15/01/2017) was inducted in 1996. Jimmy Snuka is the father of current superstar Tamina Snuka. He is considered as the pioneer of high-flying offense thanks to his splash from the top turnbuckle. His dive off the top of the steel cage against Don Muraco at Madison Square Garden is still remembered as one of the most memorable moments in WWE history. He is recognised as a one-time NWA United States Heavyweight Champion, two-time NWA World Tag Team Champion, two-time ECW Heavyweight Champion.
*As of September 2015, Jimmy Snuka's profile is no longer in the Hall of Fame section at WWE.com. However, this does not necessarily mean that Snuka has been removed from the WWE Hall of Fame completely. No statement has been made by WWE yet about this matter, however his name remained on the list of inductees for that year in the third volume of the WWE Encyclopedia released in 2016*. Here is the tribute package WWE put together;

 

George "The Animal" Steele (16/04/1937 - 16/02/2017) was inducted in 1995. Amazingly, he doesn't have any accomplishments recognised by the WWE other than a Slammy Award back in 1987. He was one of professional wrestling's first monster heels though. "The Animal" would act crazy in the ring, tearing up turnbuckles with his own teeth and often use the stuffing as a weapon and would stick out his green tongue. This would be accomplished by eating green Clorets breath mints. Here is the tribute package WWE put together;

 

 

2017 Hall of Fame Class

 

Kurt Angle will be inducted by former foe John Cena. Kurt Angle is the only Olympic gold medalist in the professional wrestling industry, which he won in 1996 with a broken neck! He took to professional wrestling with ease and is widely considered as one of the greatest of all time. Angle is recognised as being a four-time WWF/WWE Champion, one-time World Heavyweight Champion, one-time WCW Champion, and the 2000 King of the Ring winner. Angle has notable feuds with other greats including; The Rock, Stone cold Steve Austin, John Cena, The Undertaker etc. He is being credited as the third active wrestler to be inducted. The door appears to be open for future involvement in WWE programming. Here is the package WWE put together for him.

 

The Rock 'n' Roll Express inducted by their former manager Jim Cornette. Cornette was also manager for many of their rival teams too, including the legendary Midnight Express. The team are recognised as being four-time NWA World Tag Team Champions (Mid-Atlantic Version), Four-time NWA World Tag Team Champions, and ten-time SMW Tag Team Champions. Considered heartthrobs in the 80's as they were greeted with high pitched screams and chants of “Rock ’n’ Roll!” as they made their way through the crazed fans.  Here is the package WWE put together for them.

 

Theodore Long will be inducted by JBL & Ron Simmons. "Teddy" Long was a longtime referee, manager and an on-screen authority figure, most notably being the SmackDown General Manager totaling nine years. Long would try his best to make shows as exciting as possible, including introducing the WWE Universe to new talent, including Kofi Kingston and Jack Swagger, among others. He was often lauded for his matchmaking skills. When tensions ran high between groups of four (or more) Superstars, he knew how best to diffuse the situation – by splitting them up into squads for a tag team match! Long’s love for impromptu tag team matches became his calling card, endearing him even more to the WWE Universe. Here is the package WWE put together for him.

 

Diamond Dallas Page is to be inducted by WCW's main man Eric Bischoff.  DDP was a World Champion-turned fitness guru. He turned to wrestling at the age of 31, a little bit later than most but was a natural and had many accomplishments during the 90's in his run at WCW. He is recognised by WWE as being a three-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, two-time WCW United States Heavyweight Champion, one-time WWF Tag Team Champion, and four-time WCW World Tag Team Champion. He has received an immense amount of praise for his DDP Yoga programme. A programme which has turned the life around for down and out former stars such as Jake "The Snake" Roberts and Scott Hall, which you can see in the 2015 Documentary, The Resurrection of Jake the Snake. Many current stars have claimed to use DDP Yoga as well and should help with the longevity of their careers too. Here is the package WWE put together for him.

 

Beth Pheonix will be inducted by her former "The Divas of Doom" tag team partner Natalya. "The Glamazon" was an incredibly strong woman and one of the most dominant there has ever been. She was the second ever female competitor to enter the Royal Rumble match, which she did in 2010 and has her memorable moment of kissing The Great Khali which resulted in his elimination from the match. WWE recognise her as being a one-time WWE Divas Champion, three-time WWE Women's Champion, and the 2008 Slammy Award winner for Diva of the Year. Her introduction will make her the youngest inductee of all time at age 36 and the quickest female to be inducted after her retirement, which happened less than five years prior. Additionally, she and her husband Edge will become the first real-life couple to both be inducted. Here is the package WWE put together for her.

 

The late "Ravishing" Rick Rude (07/12/1958-20/04/1999) is to be inducted by one of his most greatest rivals Ricky Steamboat. Before entering the squared circle he was a bouncer in Minneapolis and a wold-class arm wrestler. He realised that he may have been one of the best-looking men in the professional wrestling industry. At 6-foot-3, 252 pounds and possessing the chiseled physique of a Greek god, that assumption wasn’t wrong. Calling himself “Ravishing” Rick Rude, he embraced his gifts and reveled in the spotlight, flexing his bulging biceps and suggestively swiveling his hips at every opportunity, to the delight of women across the country. WWE recognises him as being a three-time WCW International World Heavyweight Champion, one-time WWF Intercontinental Champion, one-time WCW United States Heavyweight Champion. Here is the package WWE put together for him.

 

Eric LeGrand will be this year's Warrior Award inductee, to be inducted by Dana Warrior. WWE introduced the Warrior Award for those who have "exhibited unwavering strength and perseverance, and who lives life with the courage and compassion that embodies the indomitable spirit of the Ultimate Warrior." Eric LeGrand was a former standout for the Rutgers University (American) football team before a spinal cord injury sustained during a match against Army Black Knights in October 2010 left him paralysed from the neck down.  LeGrand’s tremendous courage and unwavering strength throughout his rehabilitation captured the attention of the nation. He resumed his college classes via Skype and launched his sports broadcasting career as an analyst for Rutgers Football Radio Network. LeGrand founded the charity Team LeGrand of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation in 2013, and is now a highly sought-after motivational speaker. WWE will be making a $25,000 donation to Team LeGrand.

 

In 2016, WWE introduced a new category for the Hall of Fame called the "Legacy" wing. Inductees under this new category feature wrestlers from the early years of professional wrestling, primarily during the early part of the 20th century.[150] All inductees thus far have been inducted posthumously and were recognized with a video package at the ceremony.

2017 Legacy Inductees:

Rikidozan

Bearcat Wright

Haystacks Calhoun

Judy Grable

Luther Lindsay

Toots Mondt 

June Byers

Farmer Burns

Dr. Jerry Graham



 

[DA Baracus]

The Warrior Award, whilst for good causes, can get to f**k. Or rather shouldn't be named after an absolute c**t of a person.

Can't be arsed to stay up to watch this so will watch it tomorrow. Looking forward to the Angle, DDP and Rude inductions (in that order). Phoenix and Long should be alright too. The Rockers can just f**k off though. Never got their appeal.

[forameus]

They fucked up the Warrior award really.  Forgetting who it's named after, he initially wanted it to be one for the unsung heroes.  The guys who work tirelessly behind the scenes to keep the whole WWE running.  I have no issues with them giving it to Connor posthumously the first year, it was a lovely moment in what was a desperately sad story.  But now you've almost got to have someone in there each year in the same vein.  After them having several cancer survivors, can they really go back to Tam the Ring Guy?

Plus, like DA said, although it was pretty sad the circumstances around Warrior's death, and I feel for his young family and wife, he wasn't exactly the nicest guy with the nicest views.  I like to think I can separate the person from the performer, but the award named after him was a bit much.

I'll probably give it a watch at some point tomorrow, or at least the bits that don't drag.  Really looking forward to DDP's induction, guy's got an infectious energy in interviews I've heard of him, and seems like a genuinely great guy with a great story behind him.  Angle should be good too.

[Meatwad]

I've always been something of a wrestling geek so to see some names I know that perhaps others don't in the Legacy wing is always good.

 

With that in mind I've done a wee bit of a write up on who these folk actually are, although i'm far from Davis Love III on here for the Masters...

 

Rikidozan  (1924-1963) was the major guy in Japan before Inoki, he was murdered by the Yakuza in 1963, he was actually born in what is now North Korea beofre moving to Japan and becoming a sumo wrestler then transitioning to professional wrestling.

 

Dr. Jerry Graham  (1921-1997) was Vince McMahon's favourite wrestler as a teenager and was something of an eccentric character, he was arrested trying to steal his mother's body from hospital she died in.

 

Toots Mondt  (1894-1976) was the right hand man of Vincent J. McMahon, together they broke away from the NWA to form the WWWF in 1963. Also a part of the legendary Gold Dust Trio of American wrestling promoters in the 1920s which comprised of Mondt,  Ed 'Strangler' Lewis and  Billy Sandow, Lewis' manager. 

 

Farmer Burns  (1861-1937) was born in 1861 and his love of wrestling grew from watching the soldiers wrestle on another during the American Civil War, winning his first prize for wrestling aged 8.  He helped train many of the eminent wrestlers of the early 20th century including the aforementioned Toots Mondt. He had his own workout plan, published in 1914 and could also be hung in a noose and dropped from 6 feet and survive due to his 20 inch neck.

 

June Byers  (1922-1998) held the Womens championship for more than ten years before retiring in 1956 when the title was then won by The Fabulous Moolah. She was trained by Mae Young and Billy Wolfe, the husband [then ex-husband] of fellow legacy wing inductee Mildred Burke.

 

Judy Grable  (1935-2008) was the woman that Moolah defeated in 1956 to claim Byers' womens championship.  Known as the Barefoot Contessa during her career for her preference to wrestle barefoot. A two time Georgia Championship Wrestling womens champion

 

Haystacks Calhoun  (1934-1989) was among one of the first "big men" in wrestling, blazing a trail for the likes of Andre the Giant, Giant Gonzalez and Happy Farmer Humphrey et. al - Billed at 663lbs he won the WWWF tag team championship with Tony Garea, defeating Mr. Fuji and Professor Toru Tanaka in 1973.

 

Luther Lindsay  (1924-1972) was, like Sailor Art Thomas before him,  was a trendsetter for African-American wrestlers. One of the few wrestlers to get the better of Stu Hart in the Dungeon, Hart carried a picture of Lindsay who died suddenly in 1972 aged 47, in his wallet for the rest of his life.

 

 

[The Naitch]

4 hours ago, DA Baracus said:

The Warrior Award, whilst for good causes, can get to f**k. Or rather shouldn't be named after an absolute c**t of a person.

Can't be arsed to stay up to watch this so will watch it tomorrow. Looking forward to the Angle, DDP and Rude inductions (in that order). Phoenix and Long should be alright too. The Rockers can just f**k off though. Never got their appeal.

Just as well they're not being inducted then.

Highlight of the night will be Cornette's introduction.

[DA Baracus]

Haha whoops!

Rock 'n' Roll Express can get to f**k (although I forgot that Cornette was inducting so that indeed could be brilliant).

The Rockers can still get to f**k as well.

[JamieStevenson]

I saw 5 mins of the red carpet show and it really hurt my brain. Renee passing it over to Cathy, Cathy passing it over to Byron & Maria, Byron & Maria passing it to Renee. Renee passing it back to Byron & Maria. Byron & Maria passing it over to Cathy. 

f**k THAT.

[TheGoon]

Everyone is pished, tremendous. 

Hopefully the crowd aren't wanks.

[Dave1875]

And cue the speculation of Bischoff being the next Raw GM

[JamieStevenson]

Bischoff was terrific but those daughters stole the show so far. My word. 

[JamieStevenson]

HBK looks like he's asleep under that bloody hat.

[JamieStevenson]

Stone Cold's Twitter just got hacked. Also, anyone hearing muttering in the background during these stories? Quite off putting.

[TheGoon]

That was great, but 45 minutes long! Hope we don't end up with another Mr T situation...

[JamieStevenson]

Just now, TheGoon said:

That was great, but 45 minutes long! Hope we don't end up with another Mr T situation...

Might have to hook this half way through if I'm to get up for the game tomorrow 

[TheGoon]

1 minute ago, JamieStevenson said:

Might have to hook this half way through if I'm to get up for the game tomorrow 

I've got uni at 9 on Monday and doing Mania, man up!

[JamieStevenson]

6 minutes ago, TheGoon said:

I've got uni at 9 on Monday and doing Mania, man up!

Aye but everyone sleeps in their uni class so that's not very impressive. 

[JamieStevenson]

Fair play to anyone that still to this day pays money to see these two perform. 

[TheGoon]

Just now, JamieStevenson said:

Fair play to anyone that still to this day pays money to see these two perform. 

Do they still wrestle!? 

[JamieStevenson]

2 minutes ago, TheGoon said:

Do they still wrestle!? 

Absolutely! Looks like they've brought in their dissertations to read out too ffs, pages upon pages of shite to read. 

[TheGoon]

1 minute ago, Scotty Tunbridge said:

Going by their speech ddp defo ripped the arse out of his

You don't say. Long, Phoenix, Warrior Award, Rude and Angle still to go.