Speculation on First 5 Inductees

[Mac Attack]

There are so many wrestlers who could be in the wrestling Hall of Fame however I want the public to guess the first five Inductees.

1) Hulk Hogan

He already has been revealed and I think it was an appropriate choice for him to be in the Hall of Fame. Without him there would be no Wrestlemania, and for all we know no WWE. He really was that crucial into building up the company and it only makes sense that he was put in first. He is legendary and rarely beaten and honestly a great performer. This guy have his heart and soul to a company that we all love and for that he clearly belongs in the Hall of Fame.

2) Bret Hart

Talk about a guy with tons of heart and a passion for the company. In his prime he was nearly unbeatable and one of the best in ring technicians. He was the inspiration to several of today's wrestlers. He was an innovator and a creator and a true master in the ring. He is adored by wrestling fans and is one of the biggest names in the entire wrestling industry. He has done so much for the wrestling industry and clearly deserves to be put into the Hall of Fame.

3) Stone Cold Steve Austin

This guys is on his way to winning two consecutive WrestleZone touraments. This just shows the true appeal of him. He is a legend on the mic, as well as for his gimmicks. He is excellent in the ring and really defines the WWE in the 1990's. Also he is a trainer on Tough Enough who is earning a better rating than any TNA show. This should be proof enough that he belongs in the Hall of Fame

4) Undertaker

The Undertaker has done it all. Has beaten almost everyone. Is undefeated at Wrestlemania. Is the best gimmick we have ever seen in the WWE, is the most passionate WWE star, is the image that comes into my head when I think of WWE. He deserves a spot in the HOF because he truly is one of the greatest. He is so passionate and willing to be Undertaker and not Mark and deserves a spot with the elite of the wrestling business.

5) Vince McMahon

This guy is the reason as to why wrestling is a part of each and every one of our lives. He deserves a spot because of what he is done, the risks he has taken and the career he has had. He is the inventor of Wrestlemania. The father of the WWE, and he is what drives the WWE to be the best that it is. If one person who is a nonwrestler deserves the HOF spot then it is non other than Vincent Kennedy McMahon.

 

[SavageTaker]

There are two other big names that definitely deserve inductions too.

1) Ric Flair: Just like with Hogan, say what you want about him but there is no denying what he's done for wrestling. He's another one of those wrestlers that a lot of the stars of today idolized when they were kids and became wrestlers because of him. So without Flair, there might be wrestlers that never would have entered this industry. Aside from that though, he's a multiple time world champion, carried the NWA on his back for years when it was still somewhat relevant, he was a part of a stable that some consider to be the greatest stable of all time and he's been involved in many classic matches.

2) Shawn Michaels: He should be on mostly everyone's list. He might not have been the greatest draw of all time especially when the WWF really need him to be, but even then he's still an amazing pro wrestler. He's wrestled the best of the best in classic matches, he's a multiple time world champion too, he's been a part of some of the best rivalries ever and so much more. I could honestly sit here and give you reason after reason why Shawn should be inducted but I won't bother because his career really does speak for itself.

 

[Nate DaMac]

Everyone on your list is certainly a shoe in to be inducted, but I'm thinking that JGlass and whoever else is doing this are going to look over wrestling history in it's entirety and not just over the last 20 years or so. Steve Austin, Bret, and Vince are guys that I could see being in the front 5, but there are a few others I think are more deserving.

Hulk Hogan-Already in, moving on.

Steve Austin- Much like Hogan, he is easily one of the top names in the industry of all time. He certainly is worthy of being inducted.

Bruno Sammartino-The biggest draw of the 60's and 70's, performing at about 190 sell out crowds at MSG, and he is the longest reigning WWE/F Champion of all time. Easily top 5 material.

Ric Flair-Often considered the best in ring performer of all time, also a massive draw throughout pretty much his entire career, and he has held more World Championships than anyone. Also, easily top 5 material.

A Japanese Wrestler-Yes, I'm aware that I sound like a moron, but I honestly don't know who would be considered the biggest Japanese Icon of all time. However, someone with more wrestling knowledge than I would certainly like to state their case. The impact and drawing power of Puro/Japanese/whatever wrestling on the industry cannot be ignored. Kenta, Inoki, etc.. Someone else should really be the one to make this case.

Honorable mentions-

Bret Hart-Arguably the best technical wrestler ever.

Rey Mysterio Jr.Probably the biggest name in Lucha Libre history.

Vince McMahon-No explanation needed.

 

[shattered dreams]

Hogan, Austin and Flair are obvious. Andre should be in as well. I am not as big of a Rock fan as most so I would pick someone else for that last spot. Definitely not Bret Hart though. He deserves to go in but not that quickly.

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

We already know one so I guess I'll take a run at the other 4:

Steve Austin: He's the only other guy to be considered as the first pick. He was hotter than a curry from Brick Lane and drew crowds like no one else could. His catchphrases have become known the world over. He's one of the first people you think of when you mention wrestling. He carried the second placed company to the Promised Land and was the driving force in the Attitude Era.

Ric Flair: Say what you want about Flair but he was the face of the NWA in the 80's. Ric Flair was 'The Man'. He was the greatest in-ring performer of his day and really was responsible for a lot of the success the NWA had in the 80's. Flair had success wherever he went. The NWA, WWF, WCW, it didn't matter; Flair was champion of each and every one of those promotions.

Antonio Inoki: I was thinking about what Nate said and I don't think we can doubt that there will be one Japanese inductee within the first few picks, and who better to start with than the legend that is Inoki. The man was one of the biggest draws in Japan's history and his influence is felt all over Japanese wrestling. He set-up NJPW and was a famous competitor the world over.

Vince McMahon: This one is obvious. Vince was and is still in charge of the largest wrestling company of all time. WWF/E has made the most money and is the best known the world over. It was responsible for Hulk Hogan's rise to superstardom as well as Steve Austin's and the Rock's. He continues to make profits every single year and is the best known promoter of all time.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

So Hogan is going to be the first inductee? I'd be lying if I said I didn't see him coming. While I'm not personally a big fan of Hogan, the man's accomplishments in and of themselves and what he's meant to wrestling are HOF worthy. He's the biggest star in the history of pro wrestling. If he's not in, then there should be no Hall of Fame.

As for the others, I think it'd be fun to choose very diverse wrestlers of different walks of life:

Lou Thesz - Lou Thesz was the most dominant man in professional wrestling during a time when it was much closer to being a "legit" sport than it is today. With his legitimate wrestling skills and toughness, Thesz dominated the 1950s and even had a very long and extremely respectable career afterward. Thesz's dominance began on November 27, 1949 when he was awarded the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. The previous champ, Orville Brown, was involved in a career ending automobile accident on 11-1-49. Prior to this, Thesz was the reigning World Heavyweight Champion of the National Wrestling Association. This title was unified with the National Wrestling Alliance strap, making Thesz the undisputed World Heavyweight Champion in all of wrestling. Over the course of his career, Thesz held the NWA WHC for a total of 3,749 days, longer than anyone else in wrestling history. A key reason for Thesz's success as champion, especially in the 50s, was because he was more than capable of handling himself if his opponent on any given night decided that he didn't want to cooperate turned the match into a shoot.

Rikidōzan - Often referred to as the Father of Puroresu, Rikidōzan is as revered in Japan as athletes like Michael Jordan & Muhammad Ali are in the United States. Rikidōzan left the world of Sumo for professional wrestling in 1950 and is credited with bringing pro wrestling to the masses of Japan during a period in which the morale of the Japanese people was low. Even though it was roughly 5 years since WWII ended, Japan was still suffering the effects of losing the war and Rikidōzan became a national hero during a day when Japan needed such a person. Rikidōzan's popularity was beyond immense and two of his matches were rated among Japan's 10 most watched tv programs of all time: Rikidōzan wrestled Lou Thesz to a 60 minute draw for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship that drew an 87.0 rating in Japan on October 6, 1957. The second was a 2 out of 3 falls draw against The Destroyer on May 24, 1963 which drew a 67.0 rating. In what was possibly the biggest win of his career, Rikidōzan defeated Lou Thesz for the NWA International Heavyweight Championship on August 27, 1958. Thesz was the biggest star in wrestling at the time and was respected across the world, so this really cemented Rikidōzan's star status. Rikidōzan's brilliant career, however, was cut short when he was stabbed by yakuza member Katsuji Murata using a blade that'd been soaked in urine. The wound, allegedly, wasn't serious but Rikidōzan died on December 15, 1963 due to Peritonitis.

Ric Flair - Ric Flair is considered by many to be the greatest overall professional wrestler of all time. Many of Flair's matches are all time classics, his promo work is second to none & his dominance of the NWA during the 1980s was rivaled only by Hulk Hogan's dominance of the WWF during the same time period. Flair began wrestling in the mid 70s and eventually made his home in North Carolina. Flair's greatest successes came while working in Jim Crockett, Jr.'s Mid-Atlantic Championship wrestling where he eventually wound up winning every championship the company had, including several runs with their version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship. Flair's career reached new levels on September 17, 1981 when he defeated Dusty Rhodes for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in Kansas City, Missouri. Even though Flair's first run was a very respectable 476 days, Flair still wasn't thought of as a "huge" star by many. He was huge in the Mid-Atlantic area, which was to be expected since that's where he'd spent most of his career at that time. It was his feud with the legendary Harley Race in the summer of 1983, however, that would make Flair a true superstar. Race defated Flair for the NWA WHC on June 10, 1983 to win the title for an unprescedented 7th time. This feud would continue for much of the rest of the year with Flair recapturing the title on November 24, 1983 at the first Starrcade event. This was arguably the biggest night in the history of Flair's career and cemented him as a superstar. Flair went onto legendary feuds throughout the remainder of his career against some of the biggest stars of all time. Along the way, Flair held the NWA WHC a total of 10 times, the WCW WHC 8 times and the WWF Championship 2 times.

I'll have to think on the other one but those are the first 3 that immediately spring to mind for me.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

I think that the first 5 hall of fame members need to be American pro wrestlers from the Hogan era and beyond. I respect the contributions of guys like Lou Thesz and Bruno Sammaritino and I understand that they helped shape up pro wrestling but I think that I can safely say that without the Hogan era or the Attitude Era wrestling would not have survived. Same deal with Japanese wrestlers. I am not from America but American wrestling organizations were the only ones I knew about till I became a smark. You have to again respect and recognize the efforts of a wrestling organization that took upon itself the responsibility to entertain the world audience.

With Hogan already in, I would pick Austin and Flair as the next two inducties for the HOF, for obvious reasons that have already been detailed by the other posters. After that, I am in a bit of a muddle. I think that the next two inducties should be two among Rock, Bret Hart and John Cena. I personally like Rock the most among the three but logially speaking he might be the one who misses out as he wa not the biggest draw in the company for as long as Bret or Cena. Some might want to add either Undertaker or HBK to this list but I do not think that they are big enough draws to deserve being put onto the list so early.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Gorgeous George. In many ways, George is the inventor of the modern heel in so many ways. George Wagner existed in pro wrestlings original Golden Era, and he wrestled for 30 years from 1932-1962. I have a few critical reasons why he should be a first ballot Hall of Famer.

1. He was 5'9, 215 lbs. Why is that important? Simple - long before Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels, George was the prototype for the smaller wrestler as a top draw. He wasn't a freak of nature like Andre or a bodybuilder like Luger. He didn't have Windham's height or Hogan's build. He wasn't even much of an athlete. He was pure, unadulterated, personality. While Lord Patrick Landsdowne may have invented the character, George refined it.

2. He wrestled when wrestling was "real." Must like Thesz, George had to LIVE the business. There was no off button. And considering how over the top his character was, that's sure no easy feat.

3. On the WAY to the ring. He wasn't the first to use a manager or a valet, but George was among the first to use flamboyant flowing robes, and is credited as the first man to come to the ring with Entrance Music. Think about that - we take entrance music so seriously now a days, and this is the man who started that.

4. As a TV Draw. Wrestling hasn't always been on TV, kids. George was professional wrestlings first massive TV Draw, and he was often compared to entertainers such as Lucy Ball and Bob Hope. His TV debut made Entertainment Weekly's Top 100 televised Acts of the 20th Century. In the 1950's, he was the #1 highest paid athlete in the world, regularly breaking $100,000. He made more than Mickey Mantle many years.

5. Influence. Let's even leave Ric Flair, Buddy Rodgers, Rick Martel, Shawn Michaels, and the COUNTLESS others who owe their careers to this man's innovations off the list. Two names that jump out at me who said George was among their top influences: James Brown and Muhammad Ali. Yes, you read those right. George was SO flamboyant, and SO charismatic, that he transcended professional wrestling before anyone else did it.

I read all about George in the book "The Heels," and more than anyone else in that book with the exception of MAYBE Buddy Rodgers, this man sticks with me for how influential and important he was to the product we know today.

 

[ugotpwned999]

I might go a little over, But here we go:

1- Hulk Hogan: No questions here. The biggest name in wrestling history. Coesnt matter if your a fan or not you know about Hulk. Single Handedly put wrestling on the map and made wrestlemania into a international phenomenom. Nuff Said

2- Bret Hart: The Best there is, best there was, best there ever will be. Arguably best technical wrestler of all time. Multiple time WWE/F champion. In short, Its Bret Hart.

3- Stone Cold: Most Popular superstar of the 90's(IMO). Worldwide phenomenom. No matter where his music hits the stadium completely erupts. Has had many great fueds/ Matches, Headlined Wrestlemania. Its Stone Cold.

4- Vincent K McMahon jr: Leader of sports entertainment all over the world. Developed wrestling from territory systems to an international extravaganza. Father of modern day wrestling(IMO). MADE Hulk Hogan aswell as many other stars into what they are today. He just doesn't need anymore explanation.

5- Ric Flair: 16x world champion. Career spanning more than 3 decades. Its Ric Flair. (It literally is!!!)

Honourable Mention:

6- Bobby Heenan+Gorilla Monsoon Arguably the greatest and one of the most entertaining announce teams in WWE history. Great chemistry together.Induct them together. Need an announce team for The Hall Of Fame.

 

[The Prodigal Anti-Lemming]

My first four picks as to the new hall of fame are the obvious ones whom everyone else has cited: Hogan, Flair, Thesz, and Austin.

My fifth pick perhaps is less obvious. I don’t think he’s been mentioned here. But anyone who knows anything about wrestling history should hopefully know him. To wit:

Frank Gotch was, without question, the premier human sports machine in the world during the early-20th century. A top wrestler for many years, Gotch captivated the public eye like none other, surpassing even George Hackenschmidt’s considerable popularity. An unmatched athlete, Gotch continued to be a sound ambassador for the sport years after its fall from grace. He was the pre-eminent world champion of the era, reigning from 1908 until 1913. After retiring as champion, Gotch was recognized almost nationally until his premature death. In the mainstream, he rubbed shoulders with presidents, heavyweight boxers and retired lawmen. He was simply and unequivocably the most visible and talked about wrestler during the first fifteen years of the twentieth century.

 

[nachoman13]

1. Hulk Hogan For the obvious reasons, he put wrestling on the map blah blah blah

2. Ric Flair He had some great matches and amazing promos.

3. El Santo A phenomenal athlete, iconized in Mexico and he had his own range of movies.

4. Steve Austin He was the 90's.

5. Sting All I need to say is he was and still is a main eventer, but now his 50 odd and still hasn't retired

 

[B.Ware]

Ok, I've been thinking about this for a while now and I would have started my own thread for this but i'm new here and still learning the ways of this forum so I hope it doesn't get lost in this thread. If it was going to be my HOF I would suggest having a few different categories. For example you could have:

1. megastars-the obvious guys who go in with no questions asked (Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Ric Flair, Austin and Taker)

2.promoters, who in my opinion are the unsung heroes of the business (Mcmahons, Shoei Baba, Jim Crockett, Stu Hart). These guys all worked hard to give us the shows and build up careers so we are all able to have these conversations now.

3.Japanese/Asian wrestlers who are overlooked by american and european audiences but have thrilled people worldwide with their unique styles and exceptional manners (Inoki, Riki Chosyu, Tiger Mask, Rikidozan, Jushin Liger)

4.Mexican/Latino wrestlers who have excited millions with their high-flying abilities and in some cases gone beyond the world of wrestling into film, comics and music (El Santo, Blue Demon, Eddie Guerro, Rey Mysterio Jr and Mil Mascaras)

5.British/European wrestlers- with great technical abilities on the mat and exceptional grappling styles some of these guys lit up British TV's for decades with dodgy ring gear and questionable gimmicks! (Big Daddy, Giant Haystacks, Davey Boy Smith, Kendo Nagasaki, Mick McManus)

6.Hardcore heroes- wrestlers who helped change the face of wrestling and pushed the audiences perception of wrestling to a whole different level. (Mick Foley, The Sandman, Tommy Dreamer, Abdullah The Butcher, Sabu)

But that's just my two cents. However, I do think all of these things should be considered during the selection process as hard as it is.

 

[JGlass]

Mod Announcement

The next two inductees will be revealed after tonight's Extreme Rules pay per view.

Thank you making the first week of the Hall of Fame a success, and please keep up the good work moving forward.