NoDQ.com > Columns > Doing WWE Hall of Fame 2009 the Right Way Posted by Eric Jenkins on 01/01/2009 at 03:55 PM
Wrestlemania is just around the corner, and there has been a lot of talk lately about who should be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Much of the talk centers on the fact that Wrestlemania 2009 will take place in the state of Texas, and there are a ton of legendary Texas-based wrestlers who might be considered for induction. Many of the possible inductees, like the Guerreros, the Funks, the Von Erichs and such would make for a good HOF, except for the fact that none of these people have roots within WWE. Sure, Verne Gagne, Eddie Graham and Gordon Solie have no WWE/F roots either, but that does not make it right. It only adds to the problem. Recently, I was watching WWE’s The Monday Night Wars DVD, and I came upon a solution for the WWE Hall of Fame that should satisfy most WWE fans.
Since the Hall of Fame is not about story lines as the Slammys are, and there is no kayfabe involved in the Hall of Fame, the inductees into the WWE Hall of Fame when Wrestlemania takes place in Texas are obvious. Steve Austin would be a perfect selection for the Hall of Fame for various reasons. The first is because not only is he a Texas native, he has Texas wrestling roots, having gotten his start in World Class Championship Wrestling. The next reason to induct Austin is because he is one of the wrestlers whose career was floundering when he came to the WWF and he became a star once he came to Connecticut. Lastly, Austin has had a Hall of Fame career. No matter what criteria you apply, Austin is a Hall of Fame wrestler.
So, I know that you are asking; what does this have to do with the Monday Night War DVD? Well, as I was watching the DVD, I was noticing all of the wrestlers who were switching sides back and forth between WCW & the WWF. During all of this, there were a group of wrestlers who chose not to get caught up in the hype of the feud and they stayed put and remained loyal to their organizations. I know by now that you know where I am going with this, but let me finish.
Sting stayed in WCW through the entire war, even though he could possibly have made more money and gained more mainstream exposure by switching sides. I am not suggesting that Sting be inducted in the Hall of Fame, even though he has the credentials to do so. This is not about Sting, but he was one of the few truly loyal wrestlers during this time.
Two of the other truly loyal wrestlers were with the WWF and are still with WWE. These two men also have had Hall of Fame careers, and both men are Texas natives. I know, you figured it out a few sentences ago, but what they are now would only be increased by what they would become by having “Hall-of-Famer” attached to their names and their ring introductions.
Mark Calaway & Michael Hickenbottom are the only two wrestlers to have appeared on the very first episode or Monday Night Raw back in 1987 who are still with the company. Mark Calaway & Michael Hickenbottom are the only two wrestlers who did not leave the WWF for the presumably greener pastures of WCW. Mark Calaway & Michael Hickenbottom are the only two wrestlers who have Texas roots, have had Hall of fame careers, who remained loyal to the WWF and who are still plying their trade with WWE, and Mark Calaway & Michael Hickenbottom are the only two wrestlers, other than Steve Austin, who should be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame at Wrestlemania when Wrestlemania takes place in Texas this year (since 2009 has already come).
Mark Calaway, the Undertaker, and Michael Hickenbottom, Shawn Michaels, are large now, but they would be even more legendary if the wrestled the remainder of their careers as Hall of Fame inductees. Imagine if, instead of referring to him as “The Phenom”, J.R. shouted, “Here comes WWE Hall of Famer, the Phenom, the Undertaker”. Even better, imagine if Lillian Garcia announced, “Coming to the ring, WWE Hall of Famer, the Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels”. These guys would have a whole new aura asurrounding their careers that no one else has ever had, and they bothe deserve it.
Ric Flair was inducted into the Hall of Fame, but at a point after which he was said to have retired. The fact that he wrestled again after his induction just skewed his farewell and his induction. We know that Taker & HBK are not retiring, but putting them in the Hall of Fame while they are still active wrestlers would validate their careers and the loyalty that they showed Vince.
Even beyond this, with the way that Vince thinks, he could create endless story lines around their inductions. Guys like Randy Orton & Edge would become obsessed with trying to prove that they deserved to be in the Hall of Fame by destroying Hall of Fame inductees Undertaker or HBK. Taker & Michaels could put over young guys like Cody Rhodes or John Morrison by having the young guys make remarks to the extent that the guys are only in the Hall of Fame because they are old and comment that these old guys should retire and make way for the future of the business. The possibilities are seemingly endless.
Vince has made a lot of mistakes regarding booking and the handling of characters, but the WWE Hall of Fame is an opportunity to get a lot of things very right. He could elevate HBK & Taker to astronomic levels, reward them for their years of service, and he could use their stature to create new stars, something that WWE has struggled to do over the past few years.
Austin deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, that goes without saying, but Shawn Michaels & The Undertaker deserve it also, and now is as good a time as any. The major sports usually make athletes wait until they have been retired 5 years (NHL 3 years) before inducting them into their Halls of Fame, but the NHL, realizing that Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux were automatic, first ballot, unanimous Hall of Fame choices, changed the rule and inducted them immediately after they retired. This would be akin to what hockey did for Gretzky & Lemieux. They deserve it, so why wait? Oh, and by the way, WWE should find a way to hold Wrestlemania 2010 in Miami so that the Rock could get inducted next year.
Send comments, complaints or questions to me @ ericej@netzero.net
Eric E. Jenkins is an author who is currently writing “Dead Too Soon”, a book chronicling the careers of and paying tribute to many of the wrestling stars who passed away very young.
Feel free to visit Eric’s blog at ericejenkins.blogcpot.com to read Eric’s views on other sports and other areas of life.
NoDQ.com will be having live coverage of TNA Turning Point on November 15th starting at 8PM EST. Please spread the word (using the Share button above) about NoDQ.com on MySpace, Facebook, and as many other websites as possible. Thank you and we greatly appreciate your continued support!
NoDQ.com Comment Board
(Click on Profile at the bottom to register your name!)
You'll find information on this fan-created website about the following: WWE News, WWE Rumors, WWE Spoilers, WWE Results, TNA News, TNA Rumors, TNA Spoilers, TNA Results, UFC News, UFC Rumors, UFC Spoilers, UFC Results, John Cena, Vince McMahon, Edge, Christian, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, CM Punk, Chris Jericho, Batista, Bret Hart, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Brock Lesnar, Frank Mir, Mick Foley, Sting, Jeff Jarrett, The Undertaker, Randy Savage, Shawn Michaels, Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Randy Orton, Chuck Liddell, RAW vs. Smackdown, Wrestling Video Games, WWE Divas, TNA Knockouts, Wrestlemania, Summerslam, Survivor Series, Royal Rumble, PPV Results, and much more!
