2015 Hall of Fame

[odessasteps]

They should continue the family gimmick and induct the mulligan/windham/rotunda family. Kendall Windham > Mike and Chris VE

[Casey]

Y'know, X-Pac did a porn too... If you find the Chyna stuff, you find the X-Pac stuff.

 

SEXIST!

[Dewar]

He never dated someone that is currently married to a McMahon though.

[Cristobal]

Define "dated", cuz there's probably some road stories...

[SorceressKnight]

Y'know, X-Pac did a porn too... If you find the Chyna stuff, you find the X-Pac stuff.

 

SEXIST!

 

Again, that's also the same issue (as hinted by Triple H on his podcast with Austin yesterday), but outside sexism: with the X-Pac/Chyna one, it was a leaked sex tape, but Chyna herself went into actual porn films afterwards. So there's stuff outside the sex tape to hold against Chyna. With X-Pac on the other hand, to turn it to a equivalent female option: Holding it against him would be like, for example, If an active WWE Diva had her phone hacked in some "Fappening"-type scenario and had nude selfies leaked, then saying she should be punished for it happening to her (in both cases, it's not like they intended for it to be leaked to the public, but you'd still be able to find it if you Googled them- which HHH said was the risk.) 

 

...of course, then you have "X-Pac in the Hall of Fame", which would be an entirely different problem.

[odessasteps]

and then learn about waltman tearing his anus doing a bronco buster ...

[Casey]

Clearly you guys did not get the sarcasm of the smiley.

[Brandon-E]

Think Ivan Koloff will get inducted this year? I find it bizarre that he isn't in yet.

[BrianS81177]

I doubt it. I don't think he was ever a very big name in California. He seems more likely to go in when they're back in New York or if they ever do Georgia again. But, to be fair, by the time I started watching wrestling as a kid he was winding down his career in the NWA so I don't know a lot of his history other than he beat Bruno for the title and he spent a lot of time with Crockett.

[Cristobal]

I don't get the whole "inducting someone local" aspect of the HoF. Only a fraction of the people attending Mania are local, and only a small fraction of that fraction are going to be fans either old enough or steeped enough in wrestling history to care. As hardcore a crowd as Mania draws, how many people who will be there this year do you think could tell you who Ray Stevens is right now?

[PetrolCB]

As hardcore a crowd as Mania draws, how many people who will be there this year do you think could tell you who Ray Stevens is right now?

Anyone who paid attention to The Streak could.

[Charro!]

What would you say is the criteria for a WWE HoF inductee? Obviously, the entire Hall is on the whim of one old man, but where does the line get drawn? I mean, Koko B Ware and Johnny Rodz are in the HoF, but that was years ago when it wasn't taken quite as seriously as now. But then I thought of how Rikishi's name has been thrown around as a possible inductee. Why Rikishi? Did he really have a HoF worthy career? He was a popular character and an IC champ during the Attitude Era, but so were Val Venis and The Godfather. Do they deserve to go in, too? Or would Rikishi just go in because he's somewhat of a name from a popular era AND the father of the current tag champs? How about IRS/Mike Rotunda. Should he go in? Did he have a HoF worthy career? He had the same amount of kayfabe accomplishments as multiple time WWF and WCW tag champ. But he's also the father of two current WWE Superstars AND he's currently a backstage agent. How would his induction go over?

 

Bottom line: What do you think is needed for a HoF worthy career in today's environment. Is just having a memorable career enough? Is just being a "legend' who wrestled in the territories of the 70's and 80's enough? Where is that induction line drawn?

 

I think the whole WWE Hall of Fame thing is really down to who they want to induct. If this was a legitimate Hall of Fame there would be a number of inductees in ahead of Koko for example. Although he refused for a long time, one of the first time Hall of Famer's should have been Bruno. It makes you wonder if Bret still had beef with the WWE whether they would have taken as long to induct him that they took to induct Bruno Sammartino. I think for it to be seen as a credible Hall of Fame you definitely need a set of criteria, what those criteria should be, is debatable. If you just put in the major draws and former champions the Hall of Fame would be rather thin on the grounds. But if you fill it up with lower card guys or mid-carders then it does kinda devalue it. I mean, if they spread out the inductions and had maybe just three each year, then they spread the inductees out. For example, this year have Macho, Demolition and maybe Rock, next year Taker, JBL and say the Freebirds, following year Sting etc. So that way, you have a wider range of scope in bringing in marquee inductions in the future. Otherwise you throw too many inductions in at once then in say even ten years from now, the amount of notable inductees left will definitely will be very limited. 

[odessasteps]

When austin was discussing his induction on his pod this week, id forgotten how big that class was: austin, the funks, watts, the von erichs, and the fink and koko.

Its a shame that koko had such a solid career in memphis and other places, but will be the goto punchline for joke inductees.

[SorceressKnight]

 

What would you say is the criteria for a WWE HoF inductee? Obviously, the entire Hall is on the whim of one old man, but where does the line get drawn? I mean, Koko B Ware and Johnny Rodz are in the HoF, but that was years ago when it wasn't taken quite as seriously as now. But then I thought of how Rikishi's name has been thrown around as a possible inductee. Why Rikishi? Did he really have a HoF worthy career? He was a popular character and an IC champ during the Attitude Era, but so were Val Venis and The Godfather. Do they deserve to go in, too? Or would Rikishi just go in because he's somewhat of a name from a popular era AND the father of the current tag champs? How about IRS/Mike Rotunda. Should he go in? Did he have a HoF worthy career? He had the same amount of kayfabe accomplishments as multiple time WWF and WCW tag champ. But he's also the father of two current WWE Superstars AND he's currently a backstage agent. How would his induction go over?

 

Bottom line: What do you think is needed for a HoF worthy career in today's environment. Is just having a memorable career enough? Is just being a "legend' who wrestled in the territories of the 70's and 80's enough? Where is that induction line drawn?

 

I think the whole WWE Hall of Fame thing is really down to who they want to induct. If this was a legitimate Hall of Fame there would be a number of inductees in ahead of Koko for example. Although he refused for a long time, one of the first time Hall of Famer's should have been Bruno. It makes you wonder if Bret still had beef with the WWE whether they would have taken as long to induct him that they took to induct Bruno Sammartino. I think for it to be seen as a credible Hall of Fame you definitely need a set of criteria, what those criteria should be, is debatable. If you just put in the major draws and former champions the Hall of Fame would be rather thin on the grounds. But if you fill it up with lower card guys or mid-carders then it does kinda devalue it. I mean, if they spread out the inductions and had maybe just three each year, then they spread the inductees out. For example, this year have Macho, Demolition and maybe Rock, next year Taker, JBL and say the Freebirds, following year Sting etc. So that way, you have a wider range of scope in bringing in marquee inductions in the future. Otherwise you throw too many inductions in at once then in say even ten years from now, the amount of notable inductees left will definitely will be very limited. 

 

 

The problem is that there's not enough BIG name draws to the point where spreading out and lowering the number of draws, but making it all killer, no filler- just eliminates all the big name draws quickly and means within five years you have the same problem, but this time you either have to run with a "three midcarder" one or you have to do something gimmicky like, say, "John Cena becomes the first active wrestler, who will remain an active wrestler following induction, in the WWE Hall of Fame" (which I still wouldn't be surprised if it happens within five years, but still.) 

 

Right now, if you're trying to conserve the biggest stars for future HOF inductions, the current format of:

 

-huge name headliner

-second tier, still GOOD, headliner

-celebrity

-big ticket Diva

-two-four wild card spots for respected midcarders, WM city-local icons, tag team or stable, etc.

[Brysynner]

Right now, if you're trying to conserve the biggest stars for future HOF inductions, the current format of:

 

-huge name headliner

-second tier, still GOOD, headliner

-celebrity

-big ticket Diva

-two-four wild card spots for respected midcarders, WM city-local icons, tag team or stable, etc.

 

 

How many big ticket Divas are there? Moolah, Mae, Richter, Sunny, Trish, Lita are all in. So that leaves Elizabeth, Sable, Chyna, and maybe Medusa and Bull Nakano

[Matt D]

Stacy Kiebler and Torrie Wilson are famous enough, in general, to get in without a second thought. I could see them putting Beth in. I could see them putting Michelle in to appease the Undertaker. I'm not sure how Jackie is with the company but I could see her going in pretty easily and them touting she was the first black woman's champ maybe? Ivory is not going in. I could see a case for Molly given how she's pretty universally loved and Beth could induct her given their background. I don't know what condition Lealani Kai is in but she's a great choice being at WM 1 and WM X. 

 

It's not hard to put divas in if they want to.

[AxB]

No way they induct Woman though, is there? Shame. She arguably deserves it, she was a hell of a manager. But googling her would lead to someone reading negative things about Wrestling, so she's disqualified.

[lovchunky]

I'm trying to think of B+ players from the 80s and 90s that should be in: The Big Boss Man and Demolition need to go in.

[Matt D]

For alive WWF centric guys, past Demolition:

 

Patera

Beefcake, if he doesn't have too many marks against himself.

Neidhart, if he can drop some weight to look halfway human

Rougeaus make a lot of sense.

Hillbilly Jim should be in there. Likewise Brawler as lifetime service guys.

Barbarian and Haku should be in there.

HTM and Bundy would go in if they just said yes.

SID needs in. 

Butch Reed.

Martel

One Man Gang/Akeem

The Rockers (lets them induct Shawn again, but Marty's always a mess)

Bushwhackers are totally viable.

Ronnie Garvin is doable, I'm sure.

Tatanka is as good as anyone else.

Keirn's viable between his early run, Skinner, and training guys at FCW. 

 

There's no shortage really.

[Charro!]

I think the issue with Koko (although I was just using him as an example in my post) is that there was and still is, more people deserving to go into the Hall of Fame before he did. I do think it's kinda unfair to knock him, because at one time he was a name in the WWF, he was on the Mania III card against Butch Reed and teamed up with Owen in High Energy too so it's not like he was an enhancement talent.

 

The problem is that there's not enough BIG name draws to the point where spreading out and lowering the number of draws, but making it all killer, no filler- just eliminates all the big name draws quickly and means within five years you have the same problem, but this time you either have to run with a "three midcarder" one or you have to do something gimmicky like, say, "John Cena becomes the first active wrestler, who will remain an active wrestler following induction, in the WWE Hall of Fame" (which I still wouldn't be surprised if it happens within five years, but still.) 

 

I agree to a certain degree. I was thinking more in terms of their current format, when they have inducted marquee names together. I know the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has done that, in their first year they inducted Elvis, Sam Cooke, James Brown, Ray Charles, Buddy Holly & Little Richard among others. But their set of criteria is more stringent, in that you are only eligible after 25 years when your first album was released. But now for the recent class they have Bill Withers, Green Day, Lou Reed, Joan Jett et al, which and this is no way a knock on any of those performers, but for the general public, they don't really have the same marquee name & value as a Elvis Presley or a James Brown. It's a problem that WWE will face sooner rather than later too, because the only Hulk Hogan/Austin level of inductee they have left for the future are The Rock, Taker, John Cena and arguably Randy Orton. I was thinking if they go for one big name each year and a few top level mid-card talent then they can have quite a few solid years of inductees. But with their current format, they will exhaust it by having most of the mid-card level talent go in and if they go for Sting this year or the Rock, then that's a year where they've wasted another marquee inductee. I think Macho should be the big name this year and next year if he's retiring, go for Taker, following year Sting, then Rock etc. Plus even if they do induct X-Pac, Ronnie Garvin, Tatanka et al there's only a limit of solid mid-carders they have and once they are in, along with the upper level talent like Sid & Diesel then you'll be devoid of notable inductees. WWE isn't the star making machine they used to be and that's what I'm referring to by having them spread the amount of inductees. They don't have a infinite amount of what you could call 'draws' for the hall of fame in the future, unless they induct Davey Boy, Rick Rude, Owen, Big Boss Man et al but they aren't really fans of posthumous inductions either. Say we go 15 down the line and Cena, Miz, Orton, Sheamus and the current top level talent is in, I don't know if they have created any notable names recently who you'd say is a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Bray Wyatt?, Roman Reigns?, Dean Ambrose?, we'll have to see how their careers pan out and they still could probably have active careers, so they wouldn't be eligible yet anyway. So WWE should be smart and plan out who'll induct

instead of putting in too talent heavy inductions because down the line, their list of future inductees looks at present thin on the grounds IMO. 

 

How many big ticket Divas are there? Moolah, Mae, Richter, Sunny, Trish, Lita are all in. So that leaves Elizabeth, Sable, Chyna, and maybe Medusa and Bull Nakano

 

Stacy Keibler was rumored last year before they announced Lita, so whether they asked and she said no, I don't know. I also think Torrie Wilson could get an induction and there's Molly, Victoria, Ivory, The Kat, Debra, Jackie & Terri (Marlena). There's also Candice, Kelly Kelly et al too. Thing is from WWE's perspective, do you put in Molly and the wrestling Divas before the more 'eye candy' Divas like Stacy, Torrie & Kelly, or would you put for example Stacy Keibler in before Molly because she's more famous outside of the wrestling business?. 

[Brysynner]

For alive WWF centric guys, past Demolition:

Barbarian and Haku should be in there.

 

So when they get inducted who's gonna be the poor bastard to tell them they're speech is going long and they need to wrap it up.

[Matt D]

 

For alive WWF centric guys, past Demolition:

Barbarian and Haku should be in there.

 

So when they get inducted who's gonna be the poor bastard to tell them they're speech is going long and they need to wrap it up.

 

[Cristobal]

They'll be "special bonus Hall of Fame content only available on the WWE Network" and Kevin Dunn is just gonna sit there and wait until they're finished talking.

[Craig H]

HHH should have just said "she isn't going in because she isn't going in. There's plenty more entertainers worthy of going into the HoF and it's our HoF. Nuff said."

[JRGoldman]

A lot of the deserving women have been covered, but I think Lillian Garcia will go in at some point as well. You could make a case for Mike McGuirk, although I have no idea if she is on good terms with WWE or not. Once they go back to TV-14 in a couple years, I wouldn't be surprised to see Francine or Dawn Marie to go in either.