WWE Hall of Fame members

[Cbear]

We often argue on what zaniness Vince goes through in picking inductees and I think the perception that there are more jokes in than there really are. I looked over the list from the WWE website and there are a handful of celeb jokes but most are legit wrestlers. Are they really HOF? Some are and some arent but they were names. Here is the full list.

2012: 4 Horsemen, Edge, Mil Mascaras, Ron Simmons, Yokozuna

Past members:

Abdullah the Butcher
Andre the Giant
Antonino Rocca (huge star in the 50's who caused a riot in MSG)
Antonio Inoki
Anrnold Skaaland-better known as Sammartinos mgr and company employee, but also a rassler
Baron Mikel Scicluna- mid card heel in the Sammartino era.
Big John Studd
Cowboy Bill Watts
Superstar Billy Graham
The Blackjacks (Mulligan (Windhams dad) and Lanza)--great heel team I saw many times live
Bullet Bob Armstrong
Bob Orton Jr- major part of early Wrestlemania era
Bob Uecker (JOKE)
Bobby the Brain Heenan
Bobo Brazil- worldwide headliner in 60-80s
Bret Hart
Buddy Rogers- the original Nature Boy who was first champ off WWWF when Vince Sr broke with NWA
Captain Lou Albano
Chief Jay Strongbow-mid card face and longtime company employee
Curt Hennig
Don Muraco
Drew Carey (JOKE)
Dusty Rhodes
Eddie Graham- big name in Florida and one of the most influential NWA territorial promoters ever
Eddie Guerrero
Edge
Ernie Ladd- Big Cat main evented everywhere, I saw him many times and he had monster heel heat. Helped book too
Fabulous Moolah-most famous womens wrestler and also ran her own stable of women wrestlers
Four Horsemen
Classy Freddy Blassie- healined all over the world, caused heart attack deaths in Japan when bloodied Rikidozen and long time WWE company employee. Muhammid Ali copied Blassie for his promos but thats often mistakenly credited to Georgeous George.
The Funks-Terry and Dory Jr
Gene Okerlund
George the Animal Steele
Gerald Brisco- great amatuer wrestler, jr heavy champ in NWA, tag team with big brother Jack, long time company agent and employee
Gordon Solie-greatest announcer ever in the biz.
Georgeous George- was king of the world during the 50's early tv days.
Gorilla Monsoon
The Grand Wizard-great manager
Greg the Hammer Valentine
Hacksaw Jim Duggan
Harley Race
Chief Peter Maivia-big during my childhood and Rocks grandfather. Popped out Billy Robinsons eyeball in a bar room brawl.
Howard the Fink Finkel. Long time ring announcer
Hulk Hogan
Iron Shiek
Ivan Putski-was huge in Texas before joining WWF
Jack Brisco- possibly the greatest legit wrestler of all. Great amatuer record, NWA champ, legendary fued with Dory Funk Jr on the NWA belt. The ONLY wrestler of legendary status to quit and never return. He got pissed while traveling in a blizzard to a WWF show and walked out, never to return.
James Dudley (JOKE- was Vince McMahon sr.s chauffer)
Jerry the King Lawler
Jesse the body Ventura
Jim Ross
Jimmy Mouth of the South Hart
Jimmy Superfly Snuka
Johnny Rodz (JOKE) prelim wrestler who ran a wrestling school. For some reason Vince liked him.
Junkyard Dog
Killer Kowalski- tore off Yukon Erics ear with a knee drop, main eventer for years. One of Sammartinos biggest heel opponents.
Koko B Ware
Mae Young
Maurice Mad Dog Vachon- one of my all time favs. Olympic amatuer wrestler whose gimmick was a brawler.
Mike Tyson
Mil Mascaras-worldwide main eventer babyface for decades. Starred in tons of lucha movies
Ted Million Dollar Man DiBiase
Mr. Fuji- half of great heel tag team with Professor Toru Tanaka (he should be in) and longtime mgr
Nick Bockwinkel-great AWA champ
Nikolai Volkoff
Pat Patterson
Prescious Paul Ellering (Road Warriors Mgr)
Paul Mr Wonderful Orndorff
Pedro Morales-was the Puerto Rican champ after Sammartino as the tried to create a 2nd money draw like Sammartino but he was neveras popular.
Pete Rose (JOKE)
Ric Flair
Ricky STeamboat
Road Warriors
Rocky Johnson-main eventer and father of Rock
Roddy Piper
Ron Simmons
Sensational Sherri martel
Sgt Slaughter
Shawn Michaels
The Shiek-worldwide mega heel, owned the Detroit territory and was the master of juice along with Abby
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Stu Hart- legit amatuer, long time promoter and wrestler of the influential Calgary STampede promotion
Tito Santana
Tony Atlas- longtime main eventer (was in the dressing room in Puerto Rico when Brody was murdered)
The Valiant Brothers-long time main event heel tag team
Verne Gagne
Vince McMahon Sr
The Von Erichs
Wendi Richter
The Wild Somoans
William Refrigerator Perry (JOKE)
Yokozuna

[Cbear]

Names not in that should be.

Sting
Fabulous One-STan Lane and Steve Kiern (big tag team faces)
Midnight Express (Dennis Condry & Randy Rose, later Dennis and Bobby Eaton, later Eaton and Stan Lane)
Jim Cornette
Rock and Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson)
Rockers- Shawn Michaels and Marty Janetty
Ivan Koloff- the Russian Bear beat Sammartino of title and the heat was so hot they basically had him drop the belt and leave the territory. Long time member of Russian team with Nikita Koloff and Krusher Kruschev). He was really French Canadian
Bob Backlund
Bruno Sammartino- MUST go in someday despite him hating Vince and refusing to attend. He was the guy who made Vince sr mega money.
Ray Stevens- one of the greatest bump takers of all time, huge star in California and in AWA with legendary tag team with Nick Bockwinkel.
Don Leo Jonathon- the mormon giant heel and challenger to Sammartino. One of the first athletic big men.
Mr T- there would have been no WRestlemania without him.
Rick Rude
Jake the Snake Roberts
El Santo-most famous Mexican luchador of all and headlined in southern U.S. also
Rikidozen-most famous Japanese of all
Randy Savage
Larry Zybyzko- huge fued when he was Sammartinos protege and turned heel on him. This was the main event for the biggest of the U.S. shows that simulcast Ali/Inoki. Also main evented for AWA for years.
Wahoo McDaniel
Bruiser Brody
Freebirds- Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy, Buddy Roberts
Paul E Dangerously (Paul Heyman)
Lex Luger


Lots of names missing that will probably never get in.

[wK78]

I'll give this a better look over tomorrow. From the other thread, yes I understand why some aren't in the WWF Hall of fame, and why others are put in. But to me it comes down to Vince having no respect for the history of the sport. Its just like a said a ratings ploy. You know if you don't have a big guy one year, so be it. Hall of Fame should be what it is Hall of FAME. Oh and doing a quick look through this, Pete Rose really, really??? I had no idea. WHo runs this Vince McMahon or Vince Russo????

[Cbear]

I'll give this a better look over tomorrow. From the other thread, yes I understand why some aren't in the WWF Hall of fame, and why others are put in. But to me it comes down to Vince having no respect for the history of the sport. Its just like a said a ratings ploy. You know if you don't have a big guy one year, so be it. Hall of Fame should be what it is Hall of FAME. Oh and doing a quick look through this, Pete Rose really, really??? I had no idea. WHo runs this Vince McMahon or Vince Russo????

Pete Rose was part of two different wrestlemanias and got them main stream publicity at the time which was the goal. I agree its a joke but I understand the thinking.

The real problem of who is not in comes down to Vince wanting to ignore ANY history he didnt create. He owns most of the territorial tape libraries so he "won" but he has always had the attitude that if you werent created or pushed in the WWF/WWE then you werent ****. Thats why guys like Bruiser Brody, Wahoo McDaniel, Ray Stevens arent in. No matter how good they were, they didnt do their time in the WWF so Vince ignores them. Hell, he still buries WCW guys and he owns their stuff. Pure stupidity on that part.

Lou Thesz isnt in either.

[wK78]

Ultimatly we are debating the Hall of Fame, I mean what is it really, nothing. But you know its Vince that has made it that way. It could be a really cool thing, and actually mean something. I just think he has a total lack of respect (broken record here) and need someone who actually cares about the product. I'm done ranting for now, but it'll be interesting to really look at your list tomorrow.

[niniendowarrior]

I'd include Mr. Randall Poffo... because he was an icon of the time. NWO also, I think needs a future HOF because of its influence in the mid-90s on Prowrestling.

The Hall of Fame including jokes such as Drew Carrey is like... what the heck? But I think that's to the reality of it when you talk about such a commercialized trophy. I am happy that Nick Bockwinkel got recognition. Liked him a lot in AWA.

[Cbear]

Nick was actually an invester in Houston WRestling. Small world how things work in rasslin. I always liked his elitist gimmick. He was fairly boring as a wrestler but had a great look and arrogance to be the champ.

[niniendowarrior]

Nick Bockwinkel was a real character there and had some real charisma. Also a great fit with Bobby Heenan.

I'd also hope to put in Shinya Hashimoto, Keiji Mutoh and Masahiro Chono, but haha... that's not happening.