Should Donald Trump still be in the WWE HoF?

[d_henderson1810]

With revelations of many women coming out and accusing Trump of sexual misconduct, I ask the question if Donald Trump should be removed from the WWE HoF?

Hulk Hogan got removed for calling one specific person the N word (and yet somehow, a whole race gets offended), and yet, I would say what Trump is accused of is much worse than anything Hogan has done.

Hogan got dumped partly because of media heat, and appeasing shareholders and sponsors. So how would these shareholders and sponsors feel if even some of the Trump allegations are true? Would they demand that Vince remove his good friend from the celebrity wing of the WWE HoF?

Why Hogan and not Trump?

 

[Richard Blonoff]

I think the reason that Hogan got removed and Trump is still there is because Hogan was an active part of WWE at the time the tapes were released and Trump hasn't been on WWE TV in like five or six years.

I also believe that Hogan's status as arguably the greatest professional wrestler of all time was taken into account. Ask people who Hulk Hogan is and they know he was a wrestler, but ask people about Trump and I'm not sure how many people will remember a forgettable hair vs. hair feud between he and Vince and a few appearances where he was scared of the Boogeyman or made money fall from the ceiling.

I'm not saying I agree that he should be there in the first place or that there isn't reason to remove him. The celebrity wing of WWE is largely a joke anyway, so I honestly don't think people care.

 

[Navi]

With revelations of many women coming out and accusing Trump of sexual misconduct, I ask the question if Donald Trump should be removed from the WWE HoF?

Hulk Hogan got removed for calling one specific person the N word (and yet somehow, a whole race gets offended), and yet, I would say what Trump is accused of is much worse than anything Hogan has done.

Hogan got dumped partly because of media heat, and appeasing shareholders and sponsors. So how would these shareholders and sponsors feel if even some of the Trump allegations are true? Would they demand that Vince remove his good friend from the celebrity wing of the WWE HoF?

Why Hogan and not Trump?

Well you see Trump is not a professional wrestler. Yes he made appearances in the WWE ring a couple of times, but that's it. Hogan is synonymous with wrestling. Ask anyone who Hulk Hogan is and they can tell you he's a wrestler, doubt Trump's name would even come up in the context of wrestling at all. As a matter of face I sincerely doubt that if your aren't a fan of the WWE, you would have no idea he was ever involved with them.

Another thing is Trump is being accused by these women. Mostly because he's running for President and he's all over the news. Why didn't they say anything a lot earlier? I mean it's not like he wasn't a household name before the election started. Not saying what he did was right, but he has denied what he did, Hogan on the other hand admitted to it.

The celebrity wing of the HOF is a joke and are you really suggesting that these people are as important as Savage, Andre, Eddie Guerrero and all the others that have made the WWE what it is today? If you are I don't know what to say to you. I don't consider Drew Carey and Donald Trump and the rest of them wrestlers, they appeared on the WWE once or twice never to be seen again. Besides the way Vince McMahon treated women in the WWE for the last 20 years is much worse than what Trump has been accused off anyway. So off with his head too I guess.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

Another thing is Trump is being accused by these women. Mostly because he's running for President and he's all over the news. Why didn't they say anything a lot earlier? I mean it's not like he wasn't a household name before the election started. Not saying what he did was right, but he has denied what he did, Hogan on the other hand admitted to it.

Same could be said about the Bill Cosby and Woody Allen situation, this wouldn't be the first time women came forward years after. I remember watching a documentary about rape in college campuses and these colleges created a culture wherein women are told to keep quiet and just let things slide if they are ever rapped. My guess if these women were indeed sexually assaulted Trump they probably felt his 2005 video was material enough to have an actual case going.

That said let's take away the accusations and just look at his comments towards specific ethnicity and his Bully Bush video. Based on the reason why Hogan was fired and removed from the HOF, if you were by just going by the WWE being consistent Trump should have been removed in the HOF. The things he said were as bad, if not worse, than what Hogan said to be removed from the HOF.

Now one can argue that Hogan is a prominent figure in the wrestling industry and Trump more of a celebrity HOF inductee. But I am not aware of any sub category that exist in the HOF whether you are Mike Tyson, Hulk Hogan, or Koko B Ware. Whatever grounds why someone is removed in the HOF should be the same all.

Also not removing Trump from the HOF seems like a conflict with the corporate image the WWE is trying to display in public. Their Make a Wish, Be a Star, Anti-Bullying and other initiatives and then saying Trump is someone that belongs to their HOF does feel a bit hypocritical.

 

[Stone Cold Tea]

Hulk Hogan got removed for calling one specific person the N word (and yet somehow, a whole race gets offended), and yet, I would say what Trump is accused of is much worse than anything Hogan has done.

Are you serious? You can't see why people would get offended by the use of that word?

You're a fucking idiot.

As for removing Trump from the HOF. People have done worse in the WWE and people will do worse. Like peapple say anyway, it's a joke really.

 

[OYDK]

It seems that Hogan's punishment was extremely severe mainly because of the fact that he's Hulk Hogan. If we're talking about who deserves to be in the WWE HOF in terms of ethics and morality, there are a lot of guys who have done a lot worse than Hulk Hogan and haven't been touched. Austin has physically assaulted his wife, Michael Hayes made racist comments towards Mark Henry, the Iron Sheik is a PR disaster every time he opens his mouth, Bill Watts is a well known racist, Abdullah the Butcher was convicted of knowingly spreading hepatitis, Scott Hall has admitted to killing a man, and the list goes on.

Sure, you can use the argument that Trump shouldn't be in the Hall because Hogan isn't (even though he is), but you can use that argument against 100 other guys that are in right now too. Why Hogan and not Trump? Well, there are two reasons. First, because there's proof of Hogan's racist rant whereas Trump is just being accused of sexual misconduct, and two, because it's Vince McMahon making the decision... does any more need to be said?

 

[George Steele's Barber]

They should absolutely take him out and they should make as big of a deal out of it as possible. Imagine all th e free press they could get if Trump went off with one of his Twitter rants. Maybe he will call Stephanie a "nasty girl". This would all be hilarious.

Plus the WWE HOF is a joke, so who really cares.

 

[HORRORHOLIC]

Same could be said about the Bill Cosby and Woody Allen situation, this wouldn't be the first time women came forward years after. I remember watching a documentary about rape in college campuses and these colleges created a culture wherein women are told to keep quiet and just let things slide if they are ever rapped. My guess if these women were indeed sexually assaulted Trump they probably felt his 2005 video was material enough to have an actual case going.

That said let's take away the accusations and just look at his comments towards specific ethnicity and his Bully Bush video. Based on the reason why Hogan was fired and removed from the HOF, if you were by just going by the WWE being consistent Trump should have been removed in the HOF. The things he said were as bad, if not worse, than what Hogan said to be removed from the HOF.

Now one can argue that Hogan is a prominent figure in the wrestling industry and Trump more of a celebrity HOF inductee. But I am not aware of any sub category that exist in the HOF whether you are Mike Tyson, Hulk Hogan, or Koko B Ware. Whatever grounds why someone is removed in the HOF should be the same all.

Also not removing Trump from the HOF seems like a conflict with the corporate image the WWE is trying to display in public. Their Make a Wish, Be a Star, Anti-Bullying and other initiatives and then saying Trump is someone that belongs to their HOF does feel a bit hypocritical.

You mention Mike Tyson, a member of the Hall Of Fame and convicted rapist!!

 

[enviousdominous]

I'm no fan of Donald Trump, but in his case there's room for doubt in regard to the idea that he ever committed a crime. Donald was caught on audio bragging about being famous enough to be able to grope random women, and it's reasonable to assume that he may have just been trying to be funny by one-upping Billy Bush with vulgar banter.

I won't say if the women accusing him are liars or if he's someone who casually commits sexual assault until a verdict is reached, even then I'll use my better judgment to speak on whichever side.

In Hogan's case; he had a video of him having sex with a married woman released to the public, and on that video he made prolific use of the n-word as a general term for all black men.

There's a very big difference between what Donald supposedly did and what Hogan definitely did.

 

[The Yes Guy]

For the simple reason that Trump and Vince are extremely close. Closer than Vince and Hogan.
And of course, if by any means, Trump becomes The President, he'd be the greatest thing for them.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Because Vince and Trump have been friends for years... you really think Vince hasn't "grabbed a few Diva's by the p****y" in his time? Of course he has...

Most importantly though is like it or not, there is a VERY real chance that Trump is going to win... having the President in your fake sport's Hall of Fame is going to be a boon, even if he is crazy...

 

[kenvin100]

Because Vince and Trump have been friends for years... you really think Vince hasn't "grabbed a few Diva's by the p****y" in his time? Of course he has...

Most importantly though is like it or not, there is a VERY real chance that Trump is going to win... having the President in your fake sport's Hall of Fame is going to be a boon, even if he is crazy...

Let's not forget should Trump win, Linda McMahon gets a seat..somehow, someway. I recall that the McMahons actually donated a couple million to the Trump campaign. Trump will definitely throw democracy out the window..he'll use democrazy instead-yup I said it lol.

I think removing Trump from the HOF is the least of America's worries-but I'm not going to go to a political debate

 

[LBGetBack]

He never should've been in, in the first place. The celebrity inductees make it an even bigger joke. Basically he's Vince's good ol' boy Republican buddy, so he's in. Even kayfabe, what did he even do? Have Bobby Lashley wrestle for him in the haircut match at Mania, and have Mania 5 at Trump Casinos or whatever before? Big deal.

 

[therockiswwf]

Another element is that taking Trump out now could be seen as a political move. Businesses usually avoid taking a political stance.

A lot of people probably aren't even aware that Trump and Tyson are in the HOF. They aren't associated like Hogan is with the WWE.

 

[rmp0012002]

I, like everyone else, has no idea if Trump did anything these accusers say but it's not like he just became wealthy so unless its political why do it during the election. Both are poor choices and trainwrecks. As far as the HOF, people would never know Trump was in it unless you went digging. Wrestling is full of people that used a lot of drugs and used a lot of women.

 

[DCLXVI]

Not a Trump fan either but he did have more on-screen time than a lot of people in the HoF and you also have to realize... this isn't a *real* Hall of Fame. It's Vince's company... and like someone mentioned before - Trump and the McMahons are old friends.

 

[DCLXVI]

The type of product they were airing around that time had Vince McMahon literally getting caught pulling down his pants on live TV by Linda when Torrie Wilson tricked him to get naked - before that that were having bra and panties matches and "Terri's Tag Invitational" or "T.I.T." off the top of the head. just throwing that out there.

 

[Jeff Deliverer of Mail]

They really should remove the entire celebrity wing of the Hall of Fame. If a guy like Drew Carey is in the hall of fame for his two minute Rumble waste of time than everybody should be in the HOF. It's stupid and makes wrestling look bad. Put wrestlers and people that have put major contributions into wrestling into the hall, not half wipes that host game shows and have not adding anything to wrestling at all.

 

[Navi]

Same could be said about the Bill Cosby and Woody Allen situation, this wouldn't be the first time women came forward years after.

Also not removing Trump from the HOF seems like a conflict with the corporate image the WWE is trying to display in public. Their Make a Wish, Be a Star, Anti-Bullying and other initiatives and then saying Trump is someone that belongs to their HOF does feel a bit hypocritical.

There is a huge difference to what Donald Trump has been accused of doing and what Bill Cosby and Woody Allen did. Bill Cosby made it a career out of drugging women and having sex with them. Woody Allen had sex with his common law wife's daughter and then married her.

Bill Cosby is a serial sex addict on trial for his crimes and Woody Allen is most likely a pedophile, depending on the age of the child. Donald Trump is an idiot.

I don't think I've read anywhere that anyone thinks what Trump has said to have done is okay or proper. But they are allegations, that quite honestly we probably would never have heard about if he wasn't running for President.

As for hypocrisy the WWE is the worst offender. Sure kick him out, no one cares if they do or not, but at the same time kick out everyone that has ever committed a crime. That would include wrestler's as well as celebrities. That way they would look good to their shareholders and they couldn't be accused of favouritism. My guess is that will never happen, too many big name will disappear, the place would be half empty.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Generally speaking, the WWE Hall of Fame is something that generally matters to hardcore fans. For something that some claim doesn't seem to mean much, forums all over the internet are flooded during WrestleMania seasons with posts on who should be in, who shouldn't, why someone does or doesn't deserve it, etc. If the WWE HOF doesn't matter, then no other wrestling HOF matters because, let's face it, it's the only HOF that anyone really gives a damn about or talks about at any given time.

Hogan's name has been removed from the HOF section and it's been removed since July of last year. Does that mean Hogan is no longer in the HOF? It's reasonable to assume so but, then again, WWE hasn't made any sort of statement clarifying its position one way or another. If he is ultimately out, as someone mentioned, it has a lot to do with Hogan being such an extremely high profile member; there's really only a small number of HOF members who're well known outside of pro wrestling fans and Hogan is the highest profile member. Is it fair? Probably not because even though Hogan's legacy is tarnished, possibly beyond repair, his contribution and his status as a pro wrestling legend can't simply be wiped away because of political correctness. I've never been a huge fan of Hogan, even as a kid, but that doesn't mean that what he's meant to the pro wrestling industry is completely overshadowed by his racist rant just because it may be PC to do so.

If only saints should get recognized as Hall of Famers, then half the people currently in the HOF would have to be removed and you might be able to induct a few people every 5 or 10 years if they're good little boys & girls. As has been mentioned, Michael Hayes has been known to throw the N-Word around quite casually once he's had a few drinks, just ask Mark Henry. Mike Tyson was the most dominant heavyweight in boxing history, but he's also a convicted rapist. Bill Watts has been praised as one of the great bookers in pro wrestling history, yet accusations of racism have followed him around for generations. Abdullah the Butcher wrestled for years knowing that he gad Hep C and bled all over other wrestlers.

As far as I'm concerned, there shouldn't be a "celebrity wing" in the WWE Hall of Fame. It's something I'd very much like to see done away with whenever Vince ultimately steps down from running WWE because it's something that he himself embraces more than anyone else. With that being said, to take Donald Trump out of the HOF really means you'd need to take out people who're known to have done things as disgusting or even more so. I'm no fan of Donald Trump, never have been and I think he's a strong example representing almost everything that's wrong with America. I don't think he should've been in the HOF in the first place but, since he is and until the HOF in & of itself becomes more balanced in terms of which loathsome human beings get in and which don't, he should probably stay.

 

[d_henderson1810]

Are you serious? You can't see why people would get offended by the use of that word?

You're a fucking idiot.

As for removing Trump from the HOF. People have done worse in the WWE and people will do worse. Like peapple say anyway, it's a joke really.

No. I don't see why they are offended. You know why, because I am a white man.

According to blacks, the white man has never suffered the level of persecution that the black man has. If that is the case, then how do you expect me to walk in your shoes, if I am incapable of ever experiencing that.

The problem is, instead of the blacks telling us why it is offensive, and what it means to them, they tell us how WE should feel about a word which means nothing to us. You have demanded that we feel your pain, when we have never experienced it ourselves, according to you. We can only sympathize, but not empathize.

How about accounting for the ignorance of white people, and helping us to understand your plight, instead of labelling anyone who asks a "racist". Hogan was ignorant, not David Duke. Just because he called Brooke's boyfriend one, in a private conversation illegally taped (and if it wasn't, then how come Hogan won the case against Gawker), doesn't mean that he supports black suppression, or couldn't work with the Rock, Ron Simmons or others.

Hogan wouldn't do the job to Bret Hart, SCSA and others, who happened to be white. So Hogan was a jerk to all races.

This is assuming that you are black. However, if you are actually white, just pushing the "barrow", then don't pretend to know how they feel. Blacks should just dismiss someone who doesn't understand their culture as "ignorant" rather than racist. To do otherwise just inflames things.

(It will be interesting to see if you get me banned now, for "being racist". I mean, that's how problems get dealt with by minority groups, isn't it, by shutting down all debate).

Louis Farrakhan is considered a racist too, and ordered the bombing of buildings where white men worked. So racism comes in all colors. Being equal means that you are equally as bad as us.

BTW, you have no problem with what Trump said? Okay, so being supposedly being "racist" one time is a "crime" worth losing your job and legacy for, but having multiple allegations of sexual harrassment against women is "just joking around". So you see black people as more important than women, then? I would call you a "sexist", but I don't lower myself to name-calling (like you do).

 

[d_henderson1810]

There is a huge difference to what Donald Trump has been accused of doing and what Bill Cosby and Woody Allen did. Bill Cosby made it a career out of drugging women and having sex with them. Woody Allen had sex with his common law wife's daughter and then married her.

Bill Cosby is a serial sex addict on trial for his crimes and Woody Allen is most likely a pedophile, depending on the age of the child. Donald Trump is an idiot.

I don't think I've read anywhere that anyone thinks what Trump has said to have done is okay or proper. But they are allegations, that quite honestly we probably would never have heard about if he wasn't running for President.

As for hypocrisy the WWE is the worst offender. Sure kick him out, no one cares if they do or not, but at the same time kick out everyone that has ever committed a crime. That would include wrestler's as well as celebrities. That way they would look good to their shareholders and they couldn't be accused of favouritism. My guess is that will never happen, too many big name will disappear, the place would be half empty.

But saying the "N" word isn't a crime either. So Hogan is no worse than Trump, and may even be looked at as it not being quite as bad what Hogan did (considering that it was done once against one person, and is treated as unfairly as Michael Richards), yet the Trump allegations, if true, happened more often, to more women.

Trump shouldn't be removed, but neither should Hogan have been. I consider Chris Benoit the standard as to what it takes to be banned from a HoF (maybe Snuka as well). I mean, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, a perrenial wife-beater is still in, and go put in AFTER being admitting to his crimes (he plead "guilty" to Debra's allegation). If you murder someone, that is one of the worst things you can do (Benoit is accused of murdering two people, so it goes without saying. I was a fan of Benoit, and yet even I say you have to draw the line somewhere, and Benoit's crime is the drawn line). Merely saying a word falls way, way below that, and trivialises Benoit's exclusion by comparison.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

You mention Mike Tyson, a member of the Hall Of Fame and convicted rapist!!

As for hypocrisy the WWE is the worst offender. Sure kick him out, no one cares if they do or not, but at the same time kick out everyone that has ever committed a crime. That would include wrestler's as well as celebrities. That way they would look good to their shareholders and they couldn't be accused of favouritism. My guess is that will never happen, too many big name will disappear, the place would be half empty.

I do realize there are those in the HOF that have done questionable things and yet are in the the Hall of Fame. Booker T and Steve Austin are some examples.

However the point I was making that one would think Hogan's removal in the HOF is precedence on how WWE handles it's policy with their current HOF inductees.

You could argue that you know what your are getting yourself into by inducting certain people with a questionable past, but then what happens if you find out other things about them afterwards?

 

[Stone Cold Tea]

No. I don't see why they are offended. You know why, because I am a white man.

According to blacks, the white man has never suffered the level of persecution that the black man has. If that is the case, then how do you expect me to walk in your shoes, if I am incapable of ever experiencing that.

The problem is, instead of the blacks telling us why it is offensive, and what it means to them, they tell us how WE should feel about a word which means nothing to us. You have demanded that we feel your pain, when we have never experienced it ourselves, according to you. We can only sympathize, but not empathize.

How about accounting for the ignorance of white people, and helping us to understand your plight, instead of labelling anyone who asks a "racist". Hogan was ignorant, not David Duke. Just because he called Brooke's boyfriend one, in a private conversation illegally taped (and if it wasn't, then how come Hogan won the case against Gawker), doesn't mean that he supports black suppression, or couldn't work with the Rock, Ron Simmons or others.

Hogan wouldn't do the job to Bret Hart, SCSA and others, who happened to be white. So Hogan was a jerk to all races.

This is assuming that you are black. However, if you are actually white, just pushing the "barrow", then don't pretend to know how they feel. Blacks should just dismiss someone who doesn't understand their culture as "ignorant" rather than racist. To do otherwise just inflames things.

(It will be interesting to see if you get me banned now, for "being racist". I mean, that's how problems get dealt with by minority groups, isn't it, by shutting down all debate).

Louis Farrakhan is considered a racist too, and ordered the bombing of buildings where white men worked. So racism comes in all colors. Being equal means that you are equally as bad as us.

BTW, you have no problem with what Trump said? Okay, so being supposedly being "racist" one time is a "crime" worth losing your job and legacy for, but having multiple allegations of sexual harrassment against women is "just joking around". So you see black people as more important than women, then? I would call you a "sexist", but I don't lower myself to name-calling (like you do).

Nice essay. What's your point?

Fact is,Hogan was caught on tape using a term in a derogatory manner that for crnturies was used against blacks in an offensive way.

It's really that simple.

 

[Navi]

But saying the "N" word isn't a crime either. So Hogan is no worse than Trump, and may even be looked at as it not being quite as bad what Hogan did (considering that it was done once against one person, and is treated as unfairly as Michael Richards), yet the Trump allegations, if true, happened more often, to more women.

Trump shouldn't be removed, but neither should Hogan have been. I consider Chris Benoit the standard as to what it takes to be banned from a HoF (maybe Snuka as well). I mean, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, a perrenial wife-beater is still in, and go put in AFTER being admitting to his crimes (he plead "guilty" to Debra's allegation). If you murder someone, that is one of the worst things you can do (Benoit is accused of murdering two people, so it goes without saying. I was a fan of Benoit, and yet even I say you have to draw the line somewhere, and Benoit's crime is the drawn line). Merely saying a word falls way, way below that, and trivialises Benoit's exclusion by comparison.

No it isn't a crime to say the "N" word, it's just in extremely bad taste. I agree maybe he shouldn't have been kicked out, but when you look at the circumstances surrounding the whole thing and the fact that he was basically erased from the WWE, they had no choice. Did the WWE go too far, maybe they did, and I have no doubt we will see Hogan back in a WWE ring at some point in time.

But my point is if you are going to kick someone out for using the "N" word, or for supposed sexual allegations, then kick out everyone who has done something that would be considered criminal. You would see a lot of big name former WWE stars lose their HOF status.

I do realize there are those in the HOF that have done questionable things and yet are in the the Hall of Fame. Booker T and Steve Austin are some examples.

Yes I do realize this, and I said kick them all out if they have proven somewhere at some point in time to be unworthy of a HOF induction. My guess is you won't find Vince McMahon willing to punt them out. The Benoit and Hogan cases are different as they made national headlines. In other words they embarrassed the WWE and the WWE acted.

However the point I was making that one would think Hogan's removal in the HOF is precedence on how WWE handles it's policy with their current HOF inductees.

You can't have one rule for some and one rule for another. I agree with dhenderson in that you have to draw a line in the sand somewhere. Maybe the Benoit and Snuka cases are that line, only Vince and Co would be able to make that decision. In other words either have all saints in there as JH suggested and get rid of the riff raff, or look past what they've done and put Hogan back in.

You could argue that you know what your are getting yourself into by inducting certain people with a questionable past, but then what happens if you find out other things about them afterwards?

In some of these cases what the wrestlers did happened before they were inducted. Austin beat up his wife beforehand, Booker T was convicted of a crime before he was inducted as well. There are stories of racism running through the WWE on the part of several employees and they are in there. The WWE didn't care at the time and I'm sure they don't care now, otherwise they would act. Doubt highly that they will unless there is a groundswell of support to kick these wrestlers out. My guess is that not enough people care about the WWE Hall of Fame to even notice.