LG
04-20-2013, 12:28 AM
The WWE Hall of Fame is a good idea that spans back to the 1993 induction of Andre The Giant. After a hiatus from 1997-2003, the 2004 class ignited a very fun 10-year run of stars who (mostly) deserved the recognition they got. But now we've got a problem. We're running out of stars.
Take a look at the major sports Hall of Fames and you'll notice one major difference: In every sport, there are many athletes who aren't in, but it could be argued that they deserve to be inducted.
Can we argue that with the WWE? Aside from the next crop of stars like HHH or The Undertaker, we're running out of people to put in there. That's one big reason why we've got celebrities going in.
It's not so much the "WWE" Hall of Fame as it's becoming the "Sports Entertainment/Pro Wrestling" Hall of Fame. Let's take a guy like Booker T. Sure, he had a long career and was an entertaining character. But Hall of Fame worthy? He won ONE World Heavyweight Championship and no WWE Championships. Most of his title reigns came in the now-defunct WCW.
The Hall of Fame is supposed to be a showcase of the best. You're not going to walk through Cooperstown and see baseball players that don't really deserve to be in there.
At least with a guy like Ron Simmons, even though his resume leaves a lot to be desired, he was a ground-breaker. As the first African American World Heavyweight Champion, he deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame.
The WWE is going to be forced to continue to look outside the organization. They'll have two headliners in HHH and Taker for the next two years, but what about the guys? How on earth are they going to fill these spots without going WAY outside the organization?
Mil Mascaras was a legendary figure in Mexico and had a short run in both the WWF and WCW approximately 25 years ago. Could the average fan recognize his greatness? Absolutely not. Still, he entered the Hall of Fame back in 2012.
Comedy pieces like Drew Carey or Bob Uecker don't belong. They're filler. Did they provide a memorable moment or two? Sure. Do we remember the video of Andre The Giant choking Uecker? Sure, because WWE plays it so often.
But did they have an impact worthy of being inducted? No way.
Donald Trump did a lot for the WWE behind the scenes. His willingness to put his name alongside WWE and his casino's hosting of WrestleMania IV and V were a big help to the organization when they were struggling. Still, that's more of a business-related matter and not something worthy of induction.
With so many questionable entries in the Hall of Fame and so few sure things left to induct, the Hall of Fame will continue to get watered down, hurting the legacies of those already enshrined. I guess that's what happens when they depend on older stars and don't focus on creating new ones.
BR
Take a look at the major sports Hall of Fames and you'll notice one major difference: In every sport, there are many athletes who aren't in, but it could be argued that they deserve to be inducted.
Can we argue that with the WWE? Aside from the next crop of stars like HHH or The Undertaker, we're running out of people to put in there. That's one big reason why we've got celebrities going in.
It's not so much the "WWE" Hall of Fame as it's becoming the "Sports Entertainment/Pro Wrestling" Hall of Fame. Let's take a guy like Booker T. Sure, he had a long career and was an entertaining character. But Hall of Fame worthy? He won ONE World Heavyweight Championship and no WWE Championships. Most of his title reigns came in the now-defunct WCW.
The Hall of Fame is supposed to be a showcase of the best. You're not going to walk through Cooperstown and see baseball players that don't really deserve to be in there.
At least with a guy like Ron Simmons, even though his resume leaves a lot to be desired, he was a ground-breaker. As the first African American World Heavyweight Champion, he deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame.
The WWE is going to be forced to continue to look outside the organization. They'll have two headliners in HHH and Taker for the next two years, but what about the guys? How on earth are they going to fill these spots without going WAY outside the organization?
Mil Mascaras was a legendary figure in Mexico and had a short run in both the WWF and WCW approximately 25 years ago. Could the average fan recognize his greatness? Absolutely not. Still, he entered the Hall of Fame back in 2012.
Comedy pieces like Drew Carey or Bob Uecker don't belong. They're filler. Did they provide a memorable moment or two? Sure. Do we remember the video of Andre The Giant choking Uecker? Sure, because WWE plays it so often.
But did they have an impact worthy of being inducted? No way.
Donald Trump did a lot for the WWE behind the scenes. His willingness to put his name alongside WWE and his casino's hosting of WrestleMania IV and V were a big help to the organization when they were struggling. Still, that's more of a business-related matter and not something worthy of induction.
With so many questionable entries in the Hall of Fame and so few sure things left to induct, the Hall of Fame will continue to get watered down, hurting the legacies of those already enshrined. I guess that's what happens when they depend on older stars and don't focus on creating new ones.
BR