Miscarriage of Justice: WWE Hall of Fame
Who are the nine acts that should have already been inducted?
The WWE Hall of Fame sparks debate and outrage every year as wrestling fans question why certain performers are enshrined on Vince McMahon’s imaginary mantle.
Fans are frustrated because although the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame and Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame do exist, they’re not as mainstream as WWE’s HOF. Yet, unlike other professional sports and entertainment halls, WWE doesn’t offer any criteria for how people are inducted. It’s simply at the whims of the McMaster.
But wrestling fans can agree on characters sorely missing their well-deserved permanent recognition. As a matter of fact, John Corrigan and David Gibb did just that on an episode of Corrigan’s Corner on Team LeftJab Radio.
Here are the names that should already be in the WWE Hall of Fame. (The following has been edited and condensed for your reading pleasure.)
You can check out the WWE Hall of Fame Roundtable here. The five pillars of the WWE Hall of Fame are here.
Vader
Gibb: “Because of his huge runs in WCW and Japan, he should definitely be in there. Vader was the most believable character during his time. He was so real in that cartoonish era of wrestling. It’s a shame that he would have to go in posthumously.”
Corrigan: “Vader is on my list as well for all the reasons you said, plus, his crossover appeal in Boy Meets World.”
Fabulous Rougeaus
Gibb: “In that late ’80s era of WWE, most of the really great work on those cards was being done by tag teams. We don’t have the British Bulldogs in there because they’re both dead and one was a political nightmare. We don’t have the Killer Bees in there because Brian Blair tried to sue the company a couple times. We don’t have Demolition in there because they tried to sue the company a couple times.
We really need that era represented. The Rougeau brothers were really exciting workers who had good matches with everybody. Of course, you have Jacques’ career as The Mountie and Raymond has been doing commentary off and on for 20 years.”
Ivan Koloff
Corrigan: “Not just a big name in the early days of WWE, but you talk about longevity, this guy wrestled from like the late ’60s to the early ’90s. And he’s the guy that ended the greatest world title run of all time. It’s a shame he passed away in the past year or two and never got his day in the sun.”
Gibb: “Even in the late ’80s, when you watch that Crockett stuff, he’s not only a great talker carrying those promos, he could still get in the ring and have a really credible match. Go back and watch some Ivan Koloff Russian chain matches if you want to see some really rugged, credible matches that also tell a great patriotic story.”
Midnight Express
Gibb: “I can’t live in a world where the Midnight Express are not considered hall of fame talent. Yes, that includes Bobby, Dennis, Stan and Jim Cornette. The Mid-South territory was built around them for a while, and then when they came to Crockett they continued to do so, so well. If you don’t count the win/loss record, and keep it based on pure selling ability, ‘Beautiful’ Bobby Eaton is the best wrestler of all time.”
Brian Pillman
Corrigan: “The timing is right because of the great biography that recently came out about Pillman. He’s an original. In that era of the Monday Night War, he ushered in that element of unpredictability. Plus, Brian Pillman Jr. has become a name in the wrestling world, so having him induct his father would be fun. Having a presenter contracted to another company coming in for only the WWE HOF isn’t unprecedented. ”
Andy Kaufman
Gibb: “How is Andy Kaufman not in the celebrity wing for actually changing both the wrestling and comedy businesses? I love when legitimate celebrities actually acknowledge the wrestling business. He is not only a comedic genius but also one of the greatest performance artists of all time. He chose to use the wrestling mat as one of his primary canvases for story-telling. I can’t believe he isn’t in there especially because they have had Lawler around for so long.”
Cyndi Lauper
Corrigan: “To carry on with the celebrity wing, why the hell is Cyndi Lauper not in the WWE Hall of Fame? Her contributions helped launch WrestleMania. She is the missing ingredient from that era.”
Gibb: “She still looks like Cyndi Lauper in the way that Hulk Hogan still looks like Hulk Hogan you know? I don’t think she’ll be out there for four hours thanking everybody. I’m sure she’d really lighten up the mood on stage. Of course, cause girls just want to have fun.”
Luna Vachon
Gibb: “She is part of a great wrestling family and we know they certainly like to honor that. She managed people off and on from Bam Bam Bigelow to Shawn Michaels to Goldust. Like Jacqueline, she’s a really scrappy, kick your ass woman that wasn’t to be messed with.”
Miss Elizabeth
Corrigan: “She is the first lady of WWE. Obviously her passing was controversial, but they’ve since patched things up with Lex Luger and all of her other contemporaries have passed away. Because she was the first woman in the company with a real consistent role, all of the current women wrestlers should come out on stage and pay homage. I don’t know if this is a hot take, but Randy Savage would not have had the career he did without Liz.”
Gibb: “That’s a really good call and I don’t think that’s a hot take at all. When he was a heel, him being mean to this beautiful, kind, meek woman was how he got a lot of heat. When he turned babyface, their love was a big part of his appeal. The whole Mega Powers run and buildup to WrestleMania V was really built around her.”
You can listen to the full episode here.
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