Testify! Team 3D To Be Inducted Into The TNA Hall of Fame

[It's Damn Real!]

As announced last night by Kurt Angle, both Devon and Bully Ray, collectively Team 3D, will be inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame this year at Bound For Glory.

Again, active wrestlers being inducted issues aside (we've been over this —*they have no choice in being such a young company), the other issue that is persisting here is something they are also simply not really in control of, and that's the idea that the TNA HOF without AJ Styles and/or Jeff Jarrett somehow fails to legitimize it. Well, that's simply not true. The fact of the matter is, while both men clearly need to be there at some point in the future, as of this moment, they are "the enemy" — at least Jarrett is. He's running a rival promotion, and until he's not, or is no longer associated with it, he can't be inducted. Styles also needs to return to the company in order to go in, if not retire.

That said, with that out of the way, the only other option I think they had was to go non-wrestler and induct Mike Tenay, so I'm OK with 3D being inducted. Fact is, they'd be inducted at some point in their future regardless, as they've been instrumental to TNA's history since debuting in the company in 2005.

Thoughts?

 

[Poop Master Flex]

Outside of AJ and Jarrett (both for obvious reasons can't be inducted) I would say Bubba and Devon are 2 of the most worthy going into the TNA Hall Of Fame. There are some I would put ahead (AMW for example) but this is a good choice. Team 3D's accomplishments are so well known there is no point in mentioning them anymore, they are names that people outside of the TNA audience know and most of all they have done pretty damn good since jumping to TNA.

TNA signing bigger talent often gets the cold shoulder and although a lot of cases its warranted I always felt Team 3D didn't come to TNA for a check, I always got the impression they were doing their best to help raise TNA's bar and I felt TNA breathed new life into the tag team when they arrived as they seemed to be winding down in their last year in WWE. Team 3D has been good for TNA and TNA has been good for Team 3D.

Overall good choice for the HOF.

 

[TDFG]

When I heard Angle was announcing it I had a feeling they might have went with Ken Shamrock. The first TNA World Champion introducing the first NWA:TNA World Champion with maybe a stare down or something at the end of it.

Raven would have been another contender, but in all honesty Team 3D deserve it, and I have no problem with them being the next inductees.

 

[Lowdown]

Nice choice selecting Team 3D. As mentioned before, outside of AJ and Jarrett, I couldn't figure who else wouldbe inducted. I missed out on a lot of their matches after their arrival, but considering their number of collective championships, it seems logical they would get the rub.

 

[ABMorales787]

Hebner gets screwed yet again. How a man who's been a part of more historic moments than the whole TNA Hall Of Fame is skipped thrice is beyond me.

But other than that, Team 3D is the biggest tag team in history not named "The Road Warriors" so it makes sense. I dig the "1 induction per year" formula since it makes it seem far more prestigious. Even if the thing has 3 glaring omissions.

A lot of people are gonna raise a fuzz about TNA inducting a 3rd wrestler that's still active, but you know what? Get the hell over it. WWE is the only company where all their Hall Of Famers are actually retired and it's because they have over 50 years of existence. It's an irrelevant point. So congrats to Bubba and Devon. But please keep Devon the fuck away from the ring.

 

[Cena's #1 In My Heart]

Right It was a very pleasant surprise and I couldn't think of who would it be other than Jarrett, Styles, Christian, or a dark shot was Abyss. For some reason when they announced the tag team the first team to pop in my head was Motorcity Machineguns, and then I thought Beer Money while scratching my head... then Team 3D was announced and it felt right.

I don't want a reunion of them in TNA, I'd personally like them both to leave TNA and free up the roster to the younger talents that are coming from the indys.

I do want to see them have a nostalgic last run in the WWE as The Dudley Boys where they truly made their mark. I think they would be a great addition to the tag division and I can just imagine how cool the tables matches would be with The Wyatts and The Usos.

 

[Papa Pillman]

The idea of TNA forming a Hall of Fame shortly after reaching just ten years as a company seemed absurd to a lot of people- and they did have a decent point. But TNA has so far managed to continue to legitimize its Hall of Fame by only adding truly HOF worthy talent. Many thought that they wouldn't manage to keep that up this year unless they reached for a commentator(Tenay) or a referee(Hebner), but they proved that theory wrong.

Also for those who advocate for AJ and Double-J, while they are clearly deserving of a spot, the case can be made that all of the wrestlers that have been chosen were more worthy dependent upon the criteria you value. They may not have been to the same level in TNA, but they were damn close and if you also factor in their entire careers and what they meant to the grand scheme of pro wrestling and not just simply TNA, then Sting, Angle, and Team 3-D could easily be a notch above Styles and Jarrett.

TNA is inducting the most decorated tag team of all-time- 8x ECW champs, 8x World tag team champs(WWE), 3x TNA(once as NWA), 2x IWGP champs, 1x WCW champs(WWE), 1x WWE champs. That's 23 legit world tag title reigns right there. TNA made another stellar choice for its Hall.

What is another bonus that looks good for TNA here? Once again they have managed to beat the WWE to the punch. TNA is three-for-three in inducting acts that would have been 100% guaranteed future WWE Hall of Famers had TNA never started its own Hall. And each will probably still get a WWE induction even in spite of the fact that they were TNA HOF'ers first.

 

[CM Steel]

Really Team 3D didn't exist until Devon & Bubba made their way to TNA Wrestling. But of course the wrestling world will always remember then as the Dudley Boys! Going back to their days in the original ECW. They were the grestest tag team to ever come out of ECW. And that's a fact! They made even more wrestling history in the WWF/E. With table matches, TLC matches, Hardcore matches. Now if TNA wants to induct Devon & Bubba into the "TNA Hall of Fame" then have them go in as Team 3D. But if Devon & Bubba get inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in the near future have them go in as the Dudley Boys. And have Spike Dudley come in for the final curtain call with Devon & Bubba.

 

[salopstick]

I've said it before and I will say again tna's hall of fame is too soon for the company and they have only done it to take a shot/copy wwe.

It's a bit small time to induct non tna originals just so they can say they are HOFers before WWE did it.

Jarrett, joe and aj all should have been in before angle sting and bubba. In my opinion that would have legitimated better

 

[Chadmw]

I originally had no problem with TNA having a HOF, sure it may be a little to soon, but they have had enough talent that they could pull it off. Then last year they turned Kurt Angles HOF nomination into a storyline, and that just turned me right off of it and I couldn't take it seriously at all after that.

 

[MrPlatano1989]

I've said it before and I will say again tna's hall of fame is too soon for the company and they have only done it to take a shot/copy wwe.

It's a bit small time to induct non tna originals just so they can say they are HOFers before WWE did it.

Jarrett, joe and aj all should have been in before angle sting and bubba. In my opinion that would have legitimated better

Well for what its worth they are also taking into account the years in the wrestling business as a whole not TNA. Now Sting has been a part of TNA for almost as long as Joe, Bubba joined in 2005 around 4 months after Joe. Both have more World Title reigns than Joe. Team 3D stopped teaming in TNA years ago as Team 3D. Angle doesnt seem to have much time left in the company either. Joe will wrestle for much longer and so will AJ as both are in their mid 30's. For as much as these group of guys have done on-air, they have done much more behind the scenes guiding the young guys and taking them under their wing. Jarrett worked full time for TNA for the first 4 years and returned 2 years later for a few months before returning again a few more months after that. The point I'm making is that even though he created TNA his actual wrestling time doesn't match the almost 8+ years straight these guys gave to the company. That being said one they TNA's HOF will feature guys like Abyss, Lynn, AJ, Raven, JJ, Hogan, AMW, BM, hell even Foley. When they are all in it wont matter who came first, just that they are part of the Hall. Also I except a full GFW vs TNA war storyline one day. Jarrett probably wont be inducted until a few years after that is over lol.

 

[Anti-IWC-Marks]

I can't stand when promotions pretend major players didn't exist just for political reasons.

Jeff Jarrett should have been #1.
Sting could have gone in with him as a figurehead.

AJ Styles should have been #2
Angle could have gone in with him as a figurehead.

Next should probably be Samoa Joe.. and Team 3D.

 

[King Patrick Star]

I like Sting, Kurt Angle, and Team 3D, but they should not have been inducted before the Founder of TNA, Jeff Jarrett, the first TNA Triple Crown / Grand Slam Champion, A. J. Styles, and the third TNA Triple Crown / Grand Slam Champion, Samoa Joe. I understand why things happened the way they did, but I don’t agree. I do think Sting, Kurt Angle, and Team 3D should be in the TNA Hall Of Fame, but just not before the 3 names synonymous with TNA.

Then again, Koko B. Ware is a WWE Hall Of Famer, before the Macho Man Randy Savage.

 

[Dirk]

I think it's great. Nobody (as far as WZPC goes) saw it coming. Was nice to see Devon again and he has such a history with Bully Ray (was a lock to go in someday anyway). Jarrett and AJ will go in eventually. So will both Hebners, Tazz and Tenay.

What I have against somebody like Joe or Aries going in is that they're active. Sure, so were Sting and Angle, BUT at least they didn't have long left. Bully probably has a while left still, but we'll most likely never see 3D again.

 

[T2KFreeker]

Like it or not, The Dudley's/Team 3D is easily one of the Greatest Tag Teams Pro Wrestling has ever had. They sit up there with guys like The Legion of Doom, Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson, The British Bulldogs, etc. What it was like to be a full career Tag Team. Before anyone smarts off about the Bulldogs, I have no doubt they would have been had Dynamite Kid not gotten injured like he had. Point is, these guys were amazing together and only made each other better. Sure, we all know who Bully Ray is now, but without The Dudley's/Team 3D, I doubt he would have been a blip on the mainstream map of Professional Wrestling. I could be wrong, but somehow I doubt that at this point. Say what you will about there not being homegrown talent on TNA's Hall of Fame thus far, and yes, there are politics at work here as Jerry and Jeff both should be in, but all three years, the inductees have been deserving, and here is no exception as one of the reasons I started watching TNA back in the asylum days was the Tag Team Division was so much better than what WWE was offering, and Team 3D was a HUGE help in that department as seeing Devon and Bubba there in TNA did help to add credibility to the Tag Team Roster. They worked hard and also helped put younger guys over like Beer Money and the Motorcity Machine Guns. It's a good move for TNA to put these guys in.