Quote:
Originally Posted by Nordicdusk  What is the criteria to get inducted into the hall of fame |
Not an easy question to answer because the actual criteria has never been disclosed! What is known, however, is that a wrestler must have made their debut '
over 20 years ago' - therefore, anyone who was wrestling up to 1999 could be included
Other than that, there seems to be no official requirements to get inducted. Inductees are mainly chosen based on their impact within the WWF/E; the wrestling scene as a whole (i.e ECW, WCW, RoH etc); or their impact with the fans - if someone reaches a certain level of popularity, or wins a certain number of championships, chances are that they will be inducted at some point
However, it has to be said that politics also plays its part. Hulk Hogan, one of the biggest names in wrestling history, was inducted in 2005, but he was removed in 2015 following racist comments he made. [He was reinstated in 2018]. Chyna, one of the biggest name in female wrestling history, has yet to be inducted on her own because of her post WWF connections with the 'adult film industry'. [She is due to be inducted this year, but only as a member of D-X]
It seems since the WWE became 'family friendly' it refuses to acknowledge members of its own community who might carry a semblance of controversy or could potentially cast a negative shadow on the company. However, to contradict this, Sunny (inducted in 2011), was also involved in
EITHER shady businesses
OR the adult industry, but she is still there; Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka (inducted in 1996) is still a recognized member of the HoF even though he was found guilty of murdering his former girlfriend in the 70’s; and 'Macho Man' Randy Savage was inducted posthumously because of a falling out he had with WWE for reasons that were never made public
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nordicdusk I'm surprised it's taken these guys so long. |
There are a lot of people who you would have thought would have already been included - The Undertaker, Kane, The British Bulldog (Davey Boy Smith) etc. There was also a lot of anger/disappointment when Lemmy was overlooked for inclusion in the celebrity wing following his death