Official WWE Hall of Fame 2013 News and Discussion Thread

[LG]

http://ringsidenews.com/file/pic/photo/2013/03/34c6e1bfb63bfdeef374a0a80e0ec2ed_1024.jpg
Official Hall of Fame Class of 2013 News/Discussion Thread
At the Madison Square Garden arena in New York, New York
April 6th, 2013 the night before WrestleMania XXIX

Inductees - Inducted by

Mick Foley - Terry Funk
Bob Backlund - Maria Menounos
Trish Stratus - Stephanie McMahon
Bruno Sammartino - Arnold Schwarzenegger
Donald Trump - Vince McMahon
Booker T - Stevie Ray

For videos, go here (http://www.uowforums.com/showthread.php?t=219577&p=964252#post964252).

http://imageshack.us/a/img401/8303/31128099.jpg

[the madscotsman]

Foley has to be in.

[JohnCenaFan28]

Names Being Discussed For 2013 WWE Hall of Fame
The following are the top names being discussed for next year's WWE Hall of Fame class:

The Rock
Mick Foley
Owen Hart
Bruno Sammartino
Ultimate Warrior

Both Sammartino and Warrior have turned down numerous WWE offers to be inducted in the HOF, however there remain hope within the company that a deal can be worked out at some point with both legends.

Randy Savage is said to be a long shot due to the fact that Savage stated prior to his death that he would only accept an induction offer if the entire Poffo family was inducted along with him.

Names being discussed for the celebrity wing of the HOF include Mr. T and Cyndi Lauper.

Source: WZ

[Swinny]

Smith Hart HOF Thoughts

Smith Hart of the legendary Hart Family posted on his Twitter (@SmithHart1) that he would like to see Mick Foley, The Honky Tonk Man, Mr. Bob Backlund, Carlos Colon, and Lawrence Taylor to be inducted into the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame.

WNS

[Swinny]

Steve Austin On Who Should Be In WWE HOF
Source: BayNews9.com

ALLISON WALKER: With the recent return of alumni Brock Lesnar and The Rock to WWE, how likely are we to see you compete in a WWE ring again?

STEVE AUSTIN: Ah, that's a good question. Who knows? I'm really happy doing the acting things that I do. I'm really happy doing 'Redneck Island.' I love this show. I love the element of reality television. I'm having a good time. No one's chasing me around with a steel chair. I'm not traveling all over the world. I've been there, and I did it at a high level. I'm not going to rule out a return, but I'm not saying a return is in the near future."

You were introduced to the WWE Hall of Fame a few years ago. Who isn't in it ho deserves to be?

Well, if you're going to go down that road, I think 'Macho Man' Randy Savage needs to be in there. I think the Rock 'n' Roll Express need to be in there. I think the Midnight Express need to be in there. I think a guy like 'Superstar' Bill Dundee, who a lot of people haven't heard of, needs to be in there. I could go on and on, but those are a couple of people who'd be on the top of my list.

WNS

[Swinny]

Update on Sammartino/WWE
Source: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter

In another update on Bruno Sammartino possibly going into the WWE Hall of Fame, WWE COO Paul Levesque (Triple H) definitely wants it to happen, while WWE Chairman & CEO Mr. Vince McMahon reportedly goes back-and-forth about it.

WNS

[Konan]

There was a rumor recently going around WWE that Scott Hall and Jake Roberts were under consideration for induction into the WWE Hall of Fame this year, likely because of their recent training with Diamond Dallas Page. The report states that Page may have been the one to suggest the idea to WWE.

We noted before how Hall could be inducted with The Kliq, if they go in. It wasn't clear which group was getting more internal consideration - DX or The Kliq, but both were at least discussed.

An induction for Hall or Roberts is not confirmed and it's said that Roberts would be more likely than Hall to go in by himself. At the same time, Hall would have the support of guys like Shawn Michaels and others.

[Konan]

It is noted before that WWE reached out to Kamala for induction into the 2013 Hall of Fame. There's no word yet if Kamala accepted the invite or planning to accept but there was talk over the past few days that former WWWF Champion Ivan Koloff may be inducted in Kamala's place.

nodq

[Black Widow]

I'm glad Trish is in it not just to have Amy Dumas added into it too. It will be perfect if they induct each other

[Konan]

WWE's website has a new article up with current Divas reacting to Trish Stratus being announced for the 2013 Hall of Fame. Here are their comments:

Natalya: "Trish was a pioneer for the Divas. There were women that came before, but she broke all the barriers and all the stereotypes. Certainly, I’ve been extremely inspired by my family, but when I decided I wanted to be a lady wrestler, it wasn’t because of my family. It was because of Trish. … She is one of the reasons I’m doing what I’m doing today and I couldn’t be happier for her."

Kaitlyn: "It’s so cool to see. She made such a huge impact and she is so iconic. Everyone aspires to have just a little bit of what Trish had."

Aksana: "I’m really excited for her. I want to say congratulations to her. She’s my idol."

Lilian Garcia: "She totally deserves this. She worked incredibly hard and made such an impact."

AJ Lee: "To anyone in WWE, she’s an inspiration. She has helped us break a lot of glass ceilings. It’s really cool to have someone from our generation — that’s actually classified as a ‘Diva’ — to be in the Hall of Fame."

[Konan]

I wonder if macho man will every get in

[Black Widow]

awesome seeing Trish in this year well deserved I also think they should add Lita in this years one too

[Konan]

Source: WWE.com

The official WWE website announced today that Bruno Sammartino will be the forth inductee into the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame during a ceremony which is to take place on April 6, the night before WrestleMania 29. Sammartino is the longest-reigning WWE Champion of all time regularly headlining Madison Square Garden the location of this year's Hall of Fame which will also see the inductions of former WWE Champions Mick Foley and Bob Backlund and former Women's Champion Trish Stratus.

Bruno made the following comments to WWE.com on why he felt 2013 was the right time to finally enter the WWE Hall of Fame after many years of turning it down: "Triple H contacted me and started telling me all the things that had changed and everything that was going on with WWE," Bruno said. "I started watching it after talking to him and when I saw it, I was very, very impressed."

Triple H added: "I love the history of this business," Triple H said. "Without the history, there is no tomorrow. To look back on the history of WWE, one of the most important figures in the long story of where this all came from wasn't recognized. And that was Bruno."

[Konan]

WWE published an article featuring quotes from Bruno Sammartino and Triple H regarding Sammartino’s upcoming induction into the WWE Hall of Fame. Here is an excerpt from the article.

When asked Triple H's thoughts on Bruno’s previous reluctance to be inducted? Triple H replied, "Bruno has had his gripes about the company in the past and they were completely justified. But we’ve changed, we’ve grown and we’ve evolved as a company. We’ve evolved as a business. And I felt like if Bruno knew those things and was comfortable with those things, I felt like he would want to be involved. [Wrestling] is in your blood. It’s who you are. And it was important for me for a lot of reasons to have Bruno back with WWE."

nodq

[LG]

Partial Source: Pwinsider

– There was discussion about inducting Madison Square Garden (the building) into the WWE Hall of Fame. At this time it doesn’t seem as if it will happen, but there were talks.

– Plans are to induct another celebrity into the “celebrity wing” of the Hall. While not confirmed, most feel that it will be Cindy Lauper.

wzr

[LG]

I still can't believe that Trish Stratus is in the past. Gosh I miss the Attitude Era, but after watching the new Attitude Era, I remember why WWE went PG LOL

[Konan]

Bruno Sammartino reportedly approached the WWE Hall of Fame offer from Triple H as purely a business decision, giving Triple H a price that he thought would be turned down. Bruno didn't think the deal would go through and eventually believed that Vince McMahon likely nixed the deal due to his asking price. The price is apparently in line with what WWE would pay one of their top stars for a WrestleMania pay off. Nobody going into the Hall had ever asked a deal anywhere near what Bruno asked. Sammartino ended up getting a significant deal.

Vince McMahon and Bruno still have not spoken as Triple H has handled the deal. Triple H is hoping to get Vince and Bruno together to talk in April. Regarding Triple H's talks with Bruno, he portrayed himself as a student and a fan of Sammartino's era. Triple H told Bruno from the start that WWE cleaned up their product and that when he got more power, he wanted to make WWE's product similar to the product that Sammartino headlined years ago.

One of the connections between Bruno and WWE is Pittsburgh neurosurgeon Dr. Joseph Maroon. Maroon had operated previously on Bruno and worked on WWE's medical team. Sammartino credits Maroon with keeping him out of a wheelchair after successful back surgery years ago. Sammartino viewed Maroon in high regard when he spoke of changes that had been made when it came to the health of WWE's performers and their strict drug testing.

Sammartino said during negotiations that if the deal didn't happen this year, he was not open to it any time in the future. The deal will see Sammartino be involved with WWE after his Hall of Fame induction. Sammartino was asked to be part of DVD's on his era. He will also do voice-overs for some of his matches and a straight Sammartino DVD release is likely. Sammartino will also appear on WWE's Legends Roundtable shows at times.

[Kage]

So HHH lied to Bruno. That's nice.

[Konan]

Mick Foley says Bob Barker should be inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame this year. Foley tweeted:

"I might be biased WOZ93 but I think this is shaping up to be one of the strongest Hall of Fame classes ever. I think we just need Bob Barker in the celebrity wing, and the 2013 class is set. I will have no problem at all being inducted 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or anywhere else I'm asked to at the 2013 Hall of Fame."

[Konan]

WWE's website has a new article up with various stars commenting on Bruno Sammartino's Hall of Fame induction. Here are some highlights:

Tommy Dreamer: "It’s great that Bruno is being inducted into the Hall of Fame; it’s long overdue. To see him change his attitude about WWE is awesome. I credit Triple H with reintroducing Bruno to today’s WWE. I’m really glad he’s back as part of the WWE family."

Joey Styles: "As an Italian-American whose family is also from the Abruzzi region of Italy, Bruno Sammartino was and is an inspiration. The haunting story of his childhood in German-occupied Italy during World War II is even more amazing than his wrestling career. Back in high school, my paesans and I had a very bare bones gym above my friend’s garage that was adorned with posters of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Franco Columbu, Lou Ferrigno, Lee Haney and, the only non-bodybuilder who inspired us to load more weight on the bar, Bruno!"

Trish Stratus: "Bruno being inducted is long overdue. It’s like how the Hockey Hall of Fame would be incomplete without Wayne Gretzky; Bruno being inducted makes the WWE Hall of Fame complete. I'm absolutely honored that I'm going to be inducted in the same class as one of our industry’s greats."

JBL: "I don’t know what has happened in the past between him and sports-entertainment, but Bruno Sammartino belongs in the Hall of Fame. He sold out the Garden 187 nights. Most people go their entire career without 187 appearances in the Garden. Phenomenal record, what Bruno Sammartino did."

Shawn Michaels: "As a Hall of Famer, I feel that, respectfully, the Hall of Fame takes on a legitimacy [with Bruno] that, could be argued, was not there before. The entrance of Bruno Sammartino is an example of the exclusivity, prestige and honor that should be the hallmark of any Hall of Fame."

nodq

[LG]

- A documentary on Bruno Sammartino's life is almost completed and around five or six outlets have shown interest including HBO and CBS. A movie on his life has not been filmed but the script has been completed. Former WWE writer and "Liar Liar" writer Paul Guay did the script and two studios have shown some interest in it. WWE has also talked about producing the movie under WWE Studios but that is very preliminary talk.

nodq

[LG]

In recent weeks, it has been rumored that DX will be the headliners for this year’s WWE Hall of Fame class. Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Sean Waltman, Billy Gunn and Road Dogg would be the performers inducted. Shawn Michaels would then be the second two time hall of famer, along with Ric Flair. Speaking of DX, Shawn Michaels tweeted a photo from last Thursday night’s WWE NXT tapings. The photo features almost the entire D-X crew (Triple H, X-Pac, Billy Gunn, Shawn Michaels) as well as Kevin Nash.

pws

[LG]

WWE has announced that Donald Trump will be this year’s inductee into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame. The announcement was made by press release today, with the statement noting that “Mr. Trump has been a part of WWE’s most popular events and storylines dating back to WrestleMania® IV in 1988 and WrestleMania V in 1989 when he hosted the pop-culture extravaganzas in Atlantic City.” Trump also “bought” WWE in 2009, “reselling” it back to Vince a week later for double the price and then was part of the Battle of the Billionares match at WrestleMania 23.

Trump said of the induction, “It was literally the thrill of a lifetime performing in front of 80,000 enthusiastic fans during the ‘Battle of the Billionaires’ match at WrestleMania XXIII. I’ve always enjoyed and respected WWE’s brand of entertainment and look forward to the ceremony in my hometown at Madison Square Garden.”

McMahon added, “Donald is a global icon whose status brought an unmatched level of publicity and grandeur to WWE.”

[Konan]

WWE Legend Superstar Graham has published a new Facebook post on why he wants WWE to remove him from the Hall of Fame. Here's what he wrote:

"In 2011 I became one unhappy retired wrestler when WWE inducted into its Hall of Fame Abdullah the Butcher (Larry Shreve). Not just because Shreve had never worked for the WW(W)F or stepped foot inside Madison Square Garden, not just because my good friend Randy "Macho Man" Savage was passed over in the honors list of that year, but because Abdullah actually is a butcher in a disturbingly real sense.

Now we all know that pro wrestling is largely make-believe. The trouble is that many of us end up losing the ability to distinguish fantasy from reality. The temptation to become in real life the characters we create in the ring can sometimes become just too overwhelming. I'm afraid that's the case with this WWE Hall of Fame inductee. For decades Larry Shreve has played the blood-lusting Abdullah the Butcher, a maniac psychotic enough to qualify as a Canadian-born Hitler, another Fuehrer.

Well, losing touch with reality is one thing; losing respect for other wrestlers' rights is another, and in my view the "Butcher" has blotted his copybook big time by becoming a suspected spreader of Hepatitis C through his negligence when blading in the ring. The Butcher, who is Hepatitis C positive Genotype 2 is currently facing allegations of negligence, assault and battery in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice stemming from an unsanitary blade assault in a 2007 professional wrestling match. Nicholson is being represented by Ronald Caza in the case. Caza, of the Caza Saikaley law firm is one of Canada’s most eminent lawyers.

In this link (youtube.com/watch?v=0rN4FI8yqq8) you will see how Shreve, in a match against Hannibal (Devon Nicholson), cut his own head with a razor blade and then cut the forehead of the unsuspecting Nicholson. It’s alleged that the end result of this assault was Nicholson, a healthy young man at the time who was just beginning a promising career, contracting Hepatitis C. How many others wrestlers have contracted Hepatitis C thanks to Abdullah's indifference to the danger he poses regularly to his fellow workers? Nicholson is now in the middle of a 9 month regimen with disturbing side effects to rid him of this disease.

In my opinion every time "The Butcher" behaves in this utterly irresponsible way, cutting the foreheads of other wrestlers, it is as if he is attempting murder, because the fact is the Hepatitis C can kill. I take no pleasure at all in saying this. Larry Shreve was once a friend of mine and it has saddened me to see him sink into such anti-social behavior. But right is right and wrong is wrong and never the twain shall meet. WWE, with its powerful influence on our vulnerable youth in these increasingly immoral times, should be strongly condemning life-threatening gimmicks in the ring, not rewarding them, and Larry Shreve needs to take stock of his actions and the tragic effects they have had on others. The world of pro wrestling is a rough and tough one, and none of us has a lily-white record when it comes to personal behavior. But carelessly spreading a deadly disease in the name of "entertainment" is beyond a joke. So hopefully now you will all have a better understanding of exactly why I asked WWE to remove my name from the WWE Hall of Fame list when Abdullah was inducted two years ago.

Superstar Billy Graham"

[Konan]

Booker T tweeted the following on being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year:

"I guess you all no by now I'm going in the ( HALL OF FAME 2013 ) Just want to say there or no words but thanks to all me fans.#youdidit"

[Konan]

Below is WWE's new Hall of Fame logo for 2013, which first appeared in Booker T's induction video:

http://ringsidenews.com/file/pic/photo/2013/03/34c6e1bfb63bfdeef374a0a80e0ec2ed_1024.jpg

[LG]

http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/5996/77532868.png

[LionDen]

Based on commercials airing on the USA Network, the WWE Hall of Fame special next Tuesday will feature highlights from inductions for Bruno Sammartino, Donald Trump and Trish Stratus. I am really shocked they aren't going to feature Mick Foley.

[LionDen]

Vince McMahon announced this evening on Twitter that he will be inducting Donald Trump into the WWE Hall of Fame this Saturday in New York City.

[LionDen]

http://imageshack.us/a/img694/9031/uowfol.jpg


Mick Foley posted the following to Twitter regarding the possibility that he may not be on the USA Network WWE Hall of Fame special on April 9th. The tweet was removed shortly after it was posted:



Um.. guess you didn’t hear the rumor @SantaClausWay..If you want to see my Hall of Fame speech, come see it live @TheGarden – might not be on TV.


Mick Foley also twitted:


"Thanks for all the messages of support concerning #WWEHOF. I'll give the best speech I can, and let the decision makers make the decisions."

[LionDen]

http://imageshack.us/a/img694/9031/uowfol.jpg

Mick Foley promises to make WWE decision not to broadcast his HOF speech 'look glaringly stupid'

Since WWE promos for the Tuesday 4/9 broadcast of highlights from the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony have made it clear there will not be highlights from Mick Foley's induction, fans have begun making noise via social media platforms to change that decision.

Mick Foley himself noted the issue in several comments written on his Twitter account before writing the following, "I'm in a much better frame of mind after watching my new DVD with my kids. I have SO much to be proud of. No way I'll give fans anything less than the best possible speech I can. And if the powers-that-be decide not to air my speech on television, I'll accept that it was a simply a decision that was beyond my control, and do everything I can - through the passion for my profession - to make that decision look as glaringly stupid as possible."

Given Foley's reputation for excellent mic work, this could be a speech for the ages.

pwinsider

[LG]

http://imageshack.us/a/img833/714/uowtrish.png

Trish Stratus & Stephanie McMahon recently spoke about the WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony this weekend. Here are the highlights…

Trish on Stephanie Inducting Her: “As the Hall of Fame is a nod to what one has accomplished in their career, my mind naturally went to Stephanie as there would have never been a Women’s Division to win seven championships and create lasting memories in, without her continuous support of the women in our company.”

Stephanie on Their Bond: “We both started around the same time, we were both ‘green’ as you would say,” McMahon said. “Trish went on to become an incredible Diva in the ring… but we had the opportunity to start in a similar place. To be able to tell the story that we told was quite an amazing opportunity at a really entertaining, attitudinal time in our business.”

You can check out the full interview at this link (http://www.trishstratus.com/news/index.php?news=1093).

wzr

[LG]

Booker T has announced his Hall of Fame Inductor to be his brother Stevie Ray

[LionDen]

Mick Foley Confirms He Was Angry At HOF Snub

Here is Mick Foley speaking with Between the Ropes about his WWE Hall of Fame induction speech and more.

Foley said, “I’ll give you guys and exclusive. I did get a little bit angry when I thought that my speech wasn’t going to be televised…One thing I promised myself when I heard the WWE mention my book while I was not working for them, while I was working for a different company. I said, ‘You know, if I’m ever asked to be in the Hall of Fame, I will gladly go and I won’t place any conditions on my entry.’ Then I started, ‘Hey, wait a second.’ And I regretted that and I apologized to a few people directly for that… Fortunately, Santa Claus got involved and he apparently released Vince McMahon from his decades long stay on the naughty list and things are going to work out fine.”


vPoDgZ_Hz2c

[LG]

USA has announced that they have set a 75 minute block for the WWE Hall Of Fame broadcast on Tuesday night. The show will air from 10 to 11:15 p.m. ET/PT.

wzr