Territory based HoF Class

[tvcolosi]

It seems that on occasion WWE bases some of their new members in Hall of Fame classes based on where WrestleMania is held. See the original Sheik at 23 in Detroit, Austin, the Von Erichs, and the Funks at 25 in Houston. Abby and Bob Armstrong at 27 in Atlanta. I am sure there a bunch more I am forgetting.

Even though it hasn't been announced officially yet, but most people know/think that WrestleMania 32 will be in the new Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, in front of 95,000 people (possibly closer to 100,000). If that is the case, the obvious 'Main Eventer" for that class has to be the Undertaker that writes it self. I am always a fan of who they choose as the "mid card" of those classes.

Normally you have a All time legend, a lower end top guy, a team or faction, a manger and/or a woman (worker or valet).A couple of ideas I have for Dallas are;

Bottom of the top guy- Stan Hansen- need I say anymore? His name and persona are still referenced today with young up and coming big guys. He is the reason some clotheslines are called the Lariat. The baddest of the bad-asses. There is some relationship with WWE as he inducted Abby a few years back. Inductor JBL

Team - The Freebirds, (put in the most famous 4 Hayes, Gordy, Roberts, and Garvin)
In all fairness they should have gone in at 25 in Houston, but to have the Freebirds and the Von Erich's not on the same class might be the last thread of kayfabe left. Inductor, Kevin Von Erich or maybe DDP and he managed the last version of the Birds (Hayes and Garvin) in WCW.

Woman- I would go with Missy Hyatt. Everyone likes to say that Sunny was the first "Diva" but all you have to do is go look at some WCCW tapes. Missy, Sunshine and Precious were very attractive managers long before Miss Elizabeth and Sherri Martel. Inductor, some baby-face Diva or possibly Paul Heyman (if they have squashed any heat) Mick Foley (he was good friends with Eddie Gilbert).

Manager- "Playboy" Gary Hart, this to me is long over due. I think Gary Hart is the most important figure in wrestling that most people have never heard of. He booked Dallas in their boom with the FB/VE feud. He was the heel manager that Dusty Rhodes beat up when he turned into the American Dream. Brought in Kabuki, Great Muta, Kamala, and many other incredible heels to work against the Von Erich's. Inductor Terry Funk or Dusty Rhodes. Outside the box Court Bauer.

With 31 in "the Bay Area" and 32 likely in Dallas, TX who do you want to see go in with local flavor?

 

[FlairFan2003]

Maybe Im wrong but I thought The Freebirds were already in the HOF. If not they are an obvious choice.

 

[NegativeFeedback]

If WrestleMania 32 is in Texas, The Undertaker will obviously be going into the Hall of Fame. He is the most deserving legend of all time. You can talk about the impact Flair, Hogan, Dusty and others had in wrestling, but Undertaker is #1 when it comes to WWE. Everyone else left WWE and made their impact elsewhere, no one stayed through every single era like the Undertaker. He's going in at WM32.

 

[JoeFromTomsRiver]

Maybe Im wrong but I thought The Freebirds were already in the HOF. If not they are an obvious choice.

They're not. On that "Legends Roundtable" show, it constantly gets brought up to Hayes that he's not a Hall of Famer but will be eventually.

Nobody on the OP's list does anything for me. I never watched WCCW, the only thing I knew of them was what I saw in PWI when I was a kid. Not to take anything away from them, but I can't really say how important someone like Gary Hart was.

And there's no way the entire ceremony is going to be WCCW-themed. If they were ever going to do something like that they would have done it when they were in Atlanta, theres a number of NWA/WCW guys (Goldberg, Luger, Steiners, for example) who aren't in who they could have made a case for putting in when they were in Atlanta.

 

[Elchicano15]

I noticed how some years have been very local friendly which makes a lot of sense. It's perhaps easier to get those names in as they're most likely close to the venue or just for nostalgia.

With next year's Mania in the Bay Area, I defiantly feel the Rock will be next year's headliner and he should. I wonder if he'll count as the celebrity inductee of that year that we wouldn't need one. Since the Bay area is huge for a lot of Samoans I can see Rakishi Fatu going in, Umaga as a posthumous inductee, if not him perhaps Randy Savage, since that induction is long awaited.

If in fact WM 32 is in Dallas then the wise choice would be to have Undertaker as your headliner. Another name that comes to mind, (and I'm very surprised he's not in yet) is Slick the Dr of Style. I know he retired several years ago to pursue ministry and became a reverend. The freebirds should go in, I'm suprised they haven't as yet. I figured they would have gone in, in Atlanta.

 

[#SAWFT]

I honestly think that Mania 32 should be Undertaker's year. However, I also think that Kane should be put in the Hall of Fame alongside his 'brother'. I think Kane should have retired by then. I still love his work, but would love to see Kane in alongside his 'brother'.

On a side note, I still think the year McMahon announces his retirement, (I think Wrestlemania 33), he will go in before the big event. He deserves it.

 

[CalciferBoheme]

As far as past ones, don't forget about LOD in Atlanta, as GCW is where they got their start, and they had huge success in NWA/WCW.

Also, in 2008 you had Eddie Graham, Gordon Solie, and Rocky Johnson in Florida.

As for the next two, I'm going to list more names that would likely be in each class, but people I feel deserve it non the less.

I'm counting the San Francisco for next year as it's the closest territory to Santa Clara. The territory was in its prime through the 60s, so most of the names are golden age, which I think they need to induct more of anyway. at least one a year: Ray Stevens, Roy Shire, Karl Gotch, Kinji Shibuya, Pepper Gomez, Bearcat Wright, Rikidozan (it's where he had his US success), and The Dusek Family. I doubt we'll get any (maybe Stevens), but that doesn't mean we shouldn't

Dallas is easier, as it was home of one of the biggest promotions of the 80s and people still remember it, or are discovering it on the network. Names for this one: Bruiser Brody, Stan Hansen, Freebirds, Jimmy Garvin (put him in with the birds or precious), Al Madril, Gary Hart, Gino Hernandez, The Missing Link, Ken Mantell, Bill Mercer, Chris Adams, Bronko Lubich, and Jose Lothario

Of course, Undertaker will likely be the headliner in Dallas as he should be.

I hop at least a few of these names will go in over the next two years