Ken Shamrock Says He Deserves To Be In the WWE Hall Of Fame: Is He Right?

[Jack-Hammer]

Earlier today, on the main page and various other sites, there's an article highlighting a bit of an interview former WWE, TNA and MMA star Ken Shamrock did recently. In the article, Shamrock basically states that he feels he should be in the WWE Hall of Fame.

“I do feel that I definitely deserve to be in their [WWE] Hall of Fame based on the things that I did while I was there, being able to change that sport along with other people. I feel I earned that right based on what I was able to do there in a small amount of time.

I’m not sure that I can stand here and boast about that. The fans are the ones that really tell the tale and I think they speak very loudly about where I stand in pro wrestling. I don’t think that there are too many people who would tell you that I don’t deserve to be there.

Obviously, a lot of times the fans aren’t listened to, or their opinions are overlooked a lot. Today’s promoters just push them aside and don’t listen to what they want and they want fans to ‘shut up, sit down and enjoy the show’, because we are going to do whatever we want to do, like it or not, because you are going to come to the show.

I hear it all the time in the WWE. I hear about how fans would like to see certain wrestlers, and obviously you can’t give them everything they want, but you at least have to listen to them and I believe they are being completely ignored. I’ve always said that I think the fans are most important that you have when it comes to the entertainment industry. They are the ones that matter most and they should be heard.”

Now the topic of whether or not someone "deserves" to be in the WWE Hall of Fame is one that's constantly debated and talked about. Some feel the HOF should only be for the very, very biggest stars, some feel that celebrities shouldn't be in at all, some feel that only wrestlers who were actually significant stars in WWE should be in or considered, etc. As a result, whenever a fan suggests that someone "deserves" something, it can often be a fairly loaded term.

So the question is whether or not Ken Shamrock should be in the WWE Hall of Fame. WWE sometimes gets flack for including celebrities, though it's not as if people have to look hard for reasons to slam WWE as people do it often enough, even though it's something that other sports halls of fame sometimes do.After all, the NWA Hall of Fame has a couple of referees inducted if I'm not mistaken. With the inclusion of wrestlers like Koko B. Ware, Hacksaw Jim Duggan & Jake The Snake Roberts, guys who were strictly mid-carders who wrestled in WWE for years without even winning any titles, it can be somewhat hard to look at someone and say that they don't "deserve" it for lack of title wins or marquee feuds. Koko & Duggan were bigger stars in other companies while Roberts was a highly memorable on-screen character in the WWF and all of them did make contributions that left lasting impressions. In a sport that's scripted, is leaving a lasting impression enough?

As for Ken Shamrock, it wouldn't bother me a whole lot if he were to be inducted, but I personally think that his contribution to WWE and wrestling in general is a whole lot greater in his mind than it might actually be. I think that one genuine contribution that can be attributed to Shamrock might be wrestlers tapping out in submission holds. I think he's the first guy in wrestling I saw making his opponents tap out. Apart from that, I don't really see how he helped change the sport. The most memorable thing about Shamrock, for me at least, was the novelty of him being a big MMA star who made the transition to the WWF. I never found him particularly great inside the ring, never cared about the guy on the mic and I think his most memorable moment came when he was refereeing Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13.

 

[The Boss]

When ever anyone brings up his name my first response is,"Who?". Not that I don't know who he is, but I have to be reminded that he ever existed. In my opinion he was one of the most boring and insignificant wrestlers of all time. I especially hate how TNA got their start having him win the "vacant" NWA World championship (in a battle royal no less) on their first show instead of bringing in the true NWA champion Dan Severn. It cheapened the title and got them of to a really weak start. (see there TNA has had bad booking since the very first Jarrett show so stop blaming Dixie Carter)


Now I admire what he did in UFC. But that shouldn't effect his consideration for the HOF. Should he go in? Maybe. But there are a lot more guys more deserving both living and deceased that should be c onsidered first.

 

[Radical Canadian Goose]

Shamrock in the HOF is an absolute joke. He is convinced that because he was part of the biggest era in WWE history he deserves to be in the HOF. Lets induct him along with Taka Michinoku, Val Venis , DLO Brown, Steve Blackman and Jason Sensation. Oh yeah, they didn't make an impact either. Sorry Shamrock

 

[Navi]

He'll go in one day in the future but as a filler behind bigger name stars. I also think the celebrity division of the HOF is a joke and shouldn't even be there, but it is and we'll live with it.

 

[OYDK]

The argument can definitely be made for Ken Shamrock to go into the WWE HOF. Throughout his 2 years in the WWF, Shamrock was an IC Champ, Tag Team Champ, King of the Ring and and was essential in contributing to the growth of people like The Rock and Chris Jericho through their feuds. He was also the special guest referee of Hart/Austin at Mania 13, feuded with Bret Hart and the Hart Foundation throughout 1997, was a big part of the Corporation angle, and also a part of "The Union" (if anyone remembers that..). He feuded with the likes of The Rock, Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Shawn Michaels, Goldust, and The Undertaker in his short tenure and was all-in-all beloved by the fans.I do feel that Shamrock is a bit of a mark for himself as I don't think anybody truly believes that Ken "definitely deserves to be there", but like I said, the argument can definitely be made.

Now as for if Shamrock deserves to go into the Hall? I think ultimately, he does for the reasons listed above and also for the fact that Shamrock did create change in the WWF, albeit a small change. Like it or not, he WAS crucial in ushering in the AE with the likes of Stone Cold and Shawn Michaels and for that alone, I believe he should receive a filler spot in the future.

 

[Terry Silver]

Ankle lock is a stupid submission finisher. I train bjj and you should see the new guys come in and try that shit when we roll. I blame shamrock for that shit

 

[Mustang Sally]

(Shamrock):I feel I earned that right based on what I was able to do there in a small amount of time.

I have a problem as it pertains to the "small amount of time." He was with WWE from 1997-99 and chose to leave because he wanted to pursue MMA fighting instead of pro wrestling.

Yes....to those of you who get passionate while yelling: "A person has a right to do what they want to do!"............and yes, they absolutely do. The problem for me is Shamrock wanting to be selected for an honor that usually requires longevity in the chosen field to qualify. I don't think WWE cares about Shamrock's service with Ring of Honor or TNA; it's what he did with their own company that counts toward consideration for entry to their Hall of Fame.

I enjoyed watching him wrestle....and wish we had the opportunity to do it for a much longer time. The latter part of that sentence is really the point of my message. Celebrate how great he was, if you want to......marvel at his skills in the ring, if you desire.......but he shouldn't cry about not being selected for HOF, because as a wrestler (not an entertainer, a baseball player or a game show host) he didn't give us nearly enough time served to qualify him for entry, imho.

 

[YourSavior]

The wrestling business did more for Shamrock than Shamrock did for the wrestling business. It's not like ppv sales skyrocketed once Shamrock was signed. It's a lot different from Lesnars situation because MMA wasn't as popular in 98 as it is now. Lesnar draws attention from a large audience that Shamrock never drew for the WWE. Basically what I'm getting at is that the hall of fame should be reserved for people who impacted pro wrestling in a big way. People like the macho man and gory guerrero and not Drew Carey or Ken Shamrock.

 

[Creepy Old Man]

Ken Shamrock was no jabroni. He is the 1998 King of the Ring, and a former IC and tag champion. He headlined a pay-per-view against Shawn Michaels for the WWF Championship. He wrestled Austin, Rock, Undertaker and Bret and was presented as a credible threat to them.

He's a former world champion in TNA, which WWE need not acknowledge publicly but can certainly appreciate. Bottom line: he did more than Koko B. Ware.

 

[My Couch Pulls Out But I Don't]

My biggest issue is that people have to be told or reminded of what Shamrocks WWF career entailed. In order to be in the HoF, fans all should remember on their own what the person accomplished. This applies to others that were already inducted.

 

[MartialHorror]

I don't think so, and I enjoyed his WWF run. He wasn't there for very long and didn't do a lot on the main event scene. But then again, they put Drew Carey in there, so the Hall of Fame is a joke with delusions of grandeur. If he was put in there, I wouldn't really care.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

It's a difficult one for me (and a topic I think we've discussed on WZ before). I like Ken Shamrock, I always have and to this day I make sure I have a CAW of him every year on the WWE video games- he usually gets the Intercontinental, US or Hardcore title. So personally, YES I'd like to see him in the WWE Hall of Fame as he was a favourite of mine.

But does he really deserve it? That's quite hard to say. Ken was only a part of the WWE for a very short period of time, which would often rule a person out of being part of a Hall of Fame due to lack of longevity, unless they did something exceptional in the short time they were with the company/team. Now, Shamrock didn't do anything "extraordinary" in his WWE run, but he did enjoy a lot of success- more than several other wrestlers who have made it into the Hall of Fame. He became King of the Ring, Intercontinental and Tag Team Champion and feuded with alot of big names with involvement in major storylines. So success-wise, I'd argue he does.

However, even with those titles Shamrock was never a legitimate main-event threat, but then again neither were many other HOF names. If the WWE HOF was simply for the biggest stars of all time (Hogan, Warrior, Austin etc) then I'd argue then Ken shouldn't go in, but if each year is going to include a class of several, then perhaps Shamrock will get in as a low entry one year. Personally, I'd like to see it. If someone like Abdullah The Butcher- a garbage wrestler with 0 ability who never appeared in WWE can go in, then a MMA-WWE pioneer like Shamrock who actually had some success with the company may get in one day.

 

[Just Do It]

He is absolutely right. He brought a legitimacy to the WWF in 1997 which penetrated through the roster quite frankly. One of the best ever physiques in wrestling, he always was looking to improve in the ring as well. He was man enough to leave his ego at the door in terms of doing business, and he was one of the biggest stars of 1997 / 1998 (His 1999 was pretty rotten to be fair). But for those two years, he is more than deserving. His feud with Rock through Wrestlemania 14 was brilliant, he participated in one of the greatest matches ever at Canadian Stampede (and was brought in as the special guest ref for the greatest match ever at WM13, and was involved in the build and conclusion of the match aiding in hart turning heel).

Anybody who thinks Shamrock doesn't deserve a spot is....... questionable.

 

[obamartins]

Ken Shamrock achieved more in a short period of time than anybody in WWE history with the exception of than The Rock, Brock Lesnar & Kurt Angle (off the top of my head). As someone who grew up watching the Attitude Era I don't understand the argument against him other than his short tenure.

Ken Shamrock was thrust into the main event scene basically from the get go as a co-headliner or headliner on house shows, TV & PPV. His reputation, look & presence instantly elevated him.

He refereed the classic Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart match at WM 13. He made his in-ring debut in May 1997 on PPV against headline act Vader & by December 1997 he was challenging Shawn Michaels on PPV for the WWF Championship. In the interim he was one of the headliners at Canadian Stampede, feuded with top tier role player British Bulldog & had matches against Bret Hart on multiple occasions for the WWF Championship on house shows & on RAW.

He then went on to have a great feud with The Rock for the IC Championship. Ken Shamrock also beat The Rock in the 1998 King of the Ring Finals for a reason. He was going to be the next bonafide main event star until The Rock exploded in popularity right after & jumped ahead of Ken Shamrock the pecking order. You only have to watch & examine the co-headline match of WWF Breakdown in September 1998 to figure out Ken Shamrock, Mick Foley & The Rock were the three men just behind Steve Austin, The Undertaker & Kane in terms of position on the roster.

Ken Shamrock then went on the be a Tag Team Champion with Big Bossman, had a PPV match against The Undertaker & then had a solid feud with Steve Blackman however by this point he had his mind set on leaving to going back to MMA (in fact there was talk in late 1998 according to a PWTorch Newsletter I've just read that he wanted to go back to MMA which is possibly a reason he push came to a halt because Vince McMahon knew he couldn't invest in a guy who wasn't fully committed).

PWTorch ranked Ken Shamrock #8 on the roster in both 1997 & 1998. He was a significant part of the Attitude Era brought a lot of credibility to that era & without a doubt contributed to WWF's revival because he was a great example of WWF's edgy persona furthermore he was apart of the youthful WWF roster which Jim Ross often put over when bashing WCW on commentary (especially when Ken Shamrock, The Rock, Triple H & X-Pac were in the ring). I know he made a BIG impression on me. I think most people who don't think he should go in didn't watch the Attitude Era.

I'm pretty positive Bill Goldberg said his character was influenced by Ken Shamrock also.

 

[CrucifiedRaven]

I always liked Shamrock. I thought he was entertaining enough, good enough in the ring, and had a decent gimmick. A legit tough guy who could snap at any time. He unfortunately just never caught on as well as other guys with bigger, more likeable personalities. I think the best example of this is the triple threat cage match at Breakdown with The Rock and Mick Foley. Despite getting the strong push as "the next top guy", it was obvious in this match that he was #3 with the fans.

I think Shamrock could have been bigger in WWF than he was if he was pushed a little harder, instead of ending up a Corporate lackey. But considering his career, I really think he is ultimately no different than Val Venis. Entertaining at what they did in a unique era, could have been bigger, but never reached that potential. He is probably the exact definition of what is NOT a Hall of Famer. You should have had to separate yourself from the Shamrock's, Venis' in order to be considered for the HoF.

 

[FromGlasgow]

I don't think he is undeserving, He was the UFC champion and brought legitamacy to the wrestling business that sort of started the whole UFC and wrestling crossover craze so for that alone I think he's deserving of being there but he was only in the WWF for a short time and didn't exactly set the wrestling world on fire during that time and same argument could be said for Dan Severn except his time in the WWF was a lot less than Shamrocks.

 

[ford f150]

Really Ken Shamrock hall of fame HAHAHAHA , that seems a bit of a stretch, I mean he was ok though hall of famer I wouldn't go that far

 

[DCLXVI]

Honestly with a lot of the weird selections they've made with the Hall of Fame, "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock isn't that far of a stretch. He is definitely a memorable part of the timeframe he was involved... he was one of the first guys to make people "tap" in a submission MMA style... esp. via ankle lock - and as others have mentioned, there was Dan Severn but Ken Shamrock was the recognizable name that started MMA fighters professionally wrestling without people questioning it... Tank Abbott etc. tried to follow suit and failed but Ken wasn't bad in the ring for what he was.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

No, he is not right. Not even part of the top 100 of all time. Never had a truly great match (was a part of one though)


Not great. Barely above average.

 

[thebarber]

considering some of the "talent" in the HOF, there is no real reason why Shamrock wont be inducted at some point.
He was the first UFC guy to cross over to pro wrestling in WWE, was the guest ref in the classis Austin vs Hart Mania match and had a solid 2.5 year run.
Sure he could have had a more successful run, but he elevated The Rock in their series in early 1998 and also was the 1998 KOTR.
I would have no issue with Shamrock being inducted at some stage.

 

[ford f150]

Why not just put Drew McIntyre in there why your at it,

Ken Shamrock HOF just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me

 

[HeroForHire]

This is a tough question. I loved Shamrock's run in the WWE. He was intense, and he seemed like a legit tough guy. He did have great feuds with a lot of guys, and he did have some good title runs. When he was a heel was when he was at his best, because the guy would just flip out and hurt someone. You really believe when he put on the ankle lock that he really broke someone's ankle. He had great feuds with some top guys, and was a very strong mid-carder.

I agree with some of the guys that he is a bit of a mark for himself. Was he important to the WWE while he was there? I think he was, but I do believe he could be replaced with someone else. Someone else could have filled his shoes, and I don't think anything would change. I don't think he should be in the Hall of Fame, because at the end of the day he was expandable. There would be a lot of guys inducted in the HoF just because they happen to be apart of the company during its best years.

 

[alaricrose]

Even though I do have a lot of childhood memories where Ken Shamrock was involved, I'm going to have to say no. To borrow from Jim Cornette, he could never be "the guy" who drew money, in my opinion. He was the guy who worked with "the guy" who drew the money and have a solid feud. If he gets into the WWE Hall of Fame, it would probably be in an attempt to lend a measure of credibility to that entity among the Mainstream due to his MMA background. Then again, if they were to do that, they would be better served with Dan Severn or Kazushi Sakuraba (even though he never competed in WWE).

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

Ken Shamrock was always fairly bland to me, both in the ring and in promos. I remember him more for his UFC days, and his transition to the WWF than anything that he actually DID in the WWF. The problem, though, is that once you start adding guys like Koko B. Ware (who got in based upon how colorful his ring entrance was and having a parrot), who's to deny a guy like Shamrock?

But then why not throw in Hillbilly Jim? Or Steve Blackman? Or Savio Vega? Or Men on a Mission?

They all have cases to make based on people who have previously been inducted too. There's no real criteria other than McMahon's whims and what would make for good TV.

 

[joey414]

seeing as everyone gets inducted in wwe HOF why dont we just induct anyone who appeared on raw from 1997 onwards

Also special inductions to ozzy osbourne, seth green, the 1992 denver broncos, my cat and the guy at number 12 who keeps stealing my newspaper

WWE HOF was a nice idea but is now just another 3 hour waste of time on the network ( still only $9.99) for it to mean anything maybe only induct 2 or 3 true former superstars, it would add credibility and i wouldnt have to watch junk yard dog career highlights or Tyson decking HBK for the 9 millionth time