2005 Hall of Fame

[Guest The Shadow Behind You]

Early this afternoon, I rented the WWE 2004 Hall of Fame DVD and after being throughly entertained by it and moved by the speeches of Bobby Heenan and Harley Race. I got curious think who would and should be the Class of 2005.

 

There's such a long list and to cut it down to 11 was hard; some really big names are left off here because they aren't like the Baseball and other HOF's where there's no timetable to WHEN people can be inducted and politics play a part here (Piper would never be inducted the same year as Hogan is).

 

So here is the list and I added a match to represent their careers as bonus features for the 2005 HOF Induction Ceremony DVD.

 

"Hollywood" Hulk Hogan

(Hulk Hogan Vs Harley Race-Saturday Night Main Event 1987)

Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat

(Ricky Steamboat Vs Ric Flair-Chi-Town Rumble 1989)

 

"The Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase

(Ted Dibiase Vs Randy Savage-Cage Match)

 

Mr. Perfect Curt Hening

(Mr. Perfect Vs Ric Flair-Raw 1993)

 

"The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith

(British Bulldog Vs Bret Hart Summerslam 1992)

 

Bob Backlund

(Bret Hart Vs Bob Backlund-Survivor Series 1994)

 

Bruno Sammantino

(any of his famous MSG Title defenses)

 

"The Enforcer" Arn Anderson

(Arn Anderson Vs Ric Flair-Fall Brawl 1995)

 

Jake "The Snake" Roberts

(Jake Roberts Vs Randy Savage-Saturday Night Main Event 1992)

 

Gordon Solie

 

Bob Uecker (Celebrity Wing)

 

Who has their own opinion on what the class of 2005 will or should be?

[Lil' Bitch 0]

Bret "The Hitman" Hart

(Bret Hart Vs. Owen Hart - Wrestlemania X)

 

Randy "Macho Man" Savage

(Randy Savage Vs. The Ultimate Warrior - Wrestlemania VII)

 

Rick "The Model" Martel

(w / Tito Santana Vs. The Hart Foundation where they won the tag titles)

 

Ray "The Big Boss Man" Traylor

(The Big Boss Man Vs. "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan - SNME Steel Cage Match)

 

Koko B. Ware

(Can't think of any)

[JoeDirt 0]

Just to name a few that haven't been mentioned...

 

Owen Hart

Ted Dibiase

Sid

Jim Duggan

Demolition

One Man Gang

King Kong Bundy

 

-Are there any particular qualifications to get in the Hall of Fame, or do they just pick who they feel like?

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Of the above lists, I think the first is the most realistic...the only guys they might have trouble getting to participate would be Bob Backlund and Bruno. Hogan maybe too, but it seems like at this point in his career they could cut him some kind of deal.

 

I really doubt Savage and Hitman would do anything with WWE at this point. As for the last list, I frankly don't think guys like Sid and One Man Gang really did enough in their careers to warrant induction at this point in the Hall's existence. Maybe a few years down the road, but not now. Oh, I'd love to see Demolition mentioned, but I think WWE still has that lawsuit pending, or did that finally get settled?

[Guest scratch]

Mr. Perfect

(Mr. Perfect vs Bret Hart - Summerslam 1991)

 

Big Boss Man

(Big Boss Man vs Hulk Hogan - MSG Cage Match - 1989)

 

Wild Samoans

(Wild Samoans vs Tony Atlas and Rocky Johnson - Tag Title Switch -1983)

 

Ted DiBiase

(Million Dollar Man vs Bret Hart - The Main Event 1991)

 

Arn Anderson

(Arn and Tully vs Demolition - July 1989 - Tag Title Switch)

 

Ricky Steamboat

(Steamboat vs Flair - Chi Town Rumble 1989)

 

Ravishing Rick Rude

(Rude vs Warrior - Cage Match - Summerslam 1990)

 

Road Warriors

(Road Warriors vs Sting and Dusty Rhodes - Starrcade 1988)

 

Hacksaw Jim Duggan

(Duggan vs Haku - 1989 - Duggan becomes King)

 

Those are my picks, and I think probably could be realistic.

 

--Scratch

[Guest ShootingStylesPress]

Where is this physical Hall of Fame, anyway?

[The Mandarin 0]

I'd go with Rude, Yokozuna, Solie, Double A, Road Warriors, Big Boss Man, Steamboat, Hennig, and either Steve Austin or The Rock, or both.

 

For the Celebrity wing, I'd induct Schwarzenegger, since they're going to be in California.

[landy1987 0]

they have to induct Gene Okerlund and Mr. Fuji I feel. Other definite candidates need to be Bruno Sammartino and Bob Backlund, but as someone said it could be difficult to get them to appear.

 

Also I'm surprised Tony Garea hasn't been inducted yet as I'm sure he still works for WWE as a road agent

[Guest Duncan Eternia]

I would keep the number of guy limited. Last year had a lot but keep in mind that they didn't have an indution for a while.

 

My Picks:

 

Ricky Steamboat

Match: any vs. flair, vs. savage at WM3

 

British Bulldog

Match: vs. Bret at Summer Slam and/or a tag match with Dynamite Kid

 

Bob Backlund

Match:1st World title win, title win from Bret at Series

 

The Midnight Express

Maybe I'm still on my Midnight Ex. high form ROH but I think a tag team should get in.

Matches: Rock n Roll Express feud matches

 

Hogan I dont agree with because he was just on the active roster not too long ago.

Bret should should be saved for when/if he ever returns to give an on air speech.

Owen would make a good choice I just wanted to limit the numbers

Perfect is another good choice, definately next year

Savage- *cough* TNA *cough*

[Guest Rrrsh]

I dunno if teh ME would get in since tehy were never in the WWF.

 

I'd go with Million Doller Man, Bossman, Henning, Owen and Davey Boy.

 

I think if they keep it to 4 or 5 a year, it will mean more.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

Five guys this year.

 

1. Hollywood Hogan (Everyone still likes him, but they won't pay to see him. There is no point in bringing him back to wrestle, so he is free to be inducted now. The biggest name in history.)

 

2. Gene Okerlund (The ultimate sideline announcer.)

 

3. Bret Hart (Another obvious choice.)

 

4. Ricky Steamboat (Flair's best opponent, and one of the best babyfaces of all time.)

 

5. Jim Cornette (NWA/WCW's greatest manager, who went on to make Yokozuna into a viable draw and has done a lot of work building promotions and training the next generation in OVW.)

[Guest Rrrsh]

Ah, Steambaot didnt do enough for the WWF to get in just yet.

 

I need to wait for Hogan to actually retire.

 

I would put Bret only if he isn't being a bitch and actually shows up.

[justcoz 0]

Since they now own WCW, shouldn't the Hall of Fame be represented of WWF, NWA, WCW, etc? I would think that people like Ric Flair, the Road Warriors, Steamboat, Dusty (well probably not due to his role with TNA) would be eligible regardless of their acomplishments in the actual WWF.

[Guest Rrrsh]

They own their Tape Library, but the NWA would never honour HBK if the WWF went bankrupt, so why would Vince reconzie the Midnight Express. Most of the NWA guys came over to the WWF at one time, but they shoudlnt take precident over long time WWFers.

[Guest The Shadow Behind You]

Steamboat was #2 babyface for 2 1/2 years with WWE and they inducted Harley Race last year and he spent 1 1/2 years with wwf

 

The WWE HOF now reflects the HISTORY of Wrestling...not just WWF.

 

Flair will be there once he's no longer a active roster member, same goes for HHH, Taker, Austin(give him a couple years before he's inducted), Foley, Rock, HBK.

 

Bret has no problems being there and has gotten along with the McMahon family for awhile now. The bad blood is gone. he just doesn't want to see it turn into an angle or storyline and If Hogan is in the class of 2005, bret won't go. He'd want to have the focus himself (so wait for class of 06 for that) and he won't go if Flair's in the vicinity of the place and if Steamboat or Anderson get inducted next year...Flair's introducing them.

 

Bruno and Vince are actually talking again, so it's not a long shot.

[CBright7831 0]

Why hasn't Flair been inducted?

[Guest The Shadow Behind You]

Why hasn't Flair been inducted?

He is still a active wreslter. I'm guessing you have to be retired for good to make the HOF.

[Slickster 0]

Where is this physical Hall of Fame, anyway?

There isn't one, really. They used to make a temporary one as a part of Axxess, but with the end of that fan festival this HOF exists only on paper...like the real Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame.

[Placebo Effect 0]

Keep in mind that they're not going to blow their load all in one year by inducting ten very known guys.

[Slickster 0]

My picks for future celebrity inductions:

 

Mr T. (main-evented WM1, co-main of WM2)

Lawrence Taylor (main-evented WM11)

Mike Tyson (refereed main event of WM14)

 

 

Also, Howard Finkel, Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Hugo Savinovitch, and Carlos Cabrera could also be picked for induction at any time.

[Slickster 0]

Why hasn't Flair been inducted?

He is still a active wreslter. I'm guessing you have to be retired for good to make the HOF.

Well, retired from WWE, at least. Jimmy Valiant and George Steele were inducted in 1996 but still wrestle at indy shows.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

I'd like to see The Road Warriors get inducted.

[Guest The Shadow Behind You]

so does Superfly and Terry Funk.

[Guest LooneyTune]

Snuka wrestled in WWE the night after he was inducted! (Surprise Partner for Survivor Series 1996)

[RHR 0]

I'm pretty sure Pat Patterson will get a nod , if not this year, soon. Sort of like a final thank-you for the loyalty kind of thing.

[Guest The Shadow Behind You]

Patterson is already there.

 

He was inducted years ago.

[RHR 0]

Really? I apologize. I didn't know. As they say on the streets, "My bad".

[Internet Warfare 0]

I'd love for Michael PS Hayes to be inducted, granted he wasnt FANTASTIC but neither was Jim Duggan.

[JoeDirt 0]

Patterson is already there.

 

He was inducted years ago.

So other than last years inductees and Patterson, who is already in the HOF?

 

I think Dibiase is a must, btw. He's one of my top picks for sure.

[Guest The Shadow Behind You]

Off the top of my head

 

Andre

Superfly

Dory and Terry Funk

James Dudley(not related)

Ernie Ladd

Arnold Skallad(sp?)

Pedro Morales

 

and about 20 more.