I didn’t have much to talk about for this week and was planning on doing a little thing about how annoying I find Eliminator Matches. But then someone on r/SquaredCircle posted the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame ballot for this year, so my annoyance with Eliminator Matches will have to wait another day.
Historical Performers in U.S./Canada 1-20, Modern Performers in U.S./Canada 21-42, Japan 43-54, Mexico 55-66, Europe/Australia/New Zealand/Pacific Islands/Africa 67-76, Non-wrestlers 77-93
- Ole Anderson
- Afa Anao’i & Sika Anao’i
- Bob Armstrong
- Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson W/J.J. Dillon
- British Bulldogs (Dynamite Kid* & Davey Boy Smith)
- June Byers
- Wild Bull Curry
- Junkyard Dog
- Cowboy Bob Ellis
- Pampero Firpo
- Black Gordman & Great Goliath
- Archie “Mongolian Stomper” Gouldie
- Hart Foundation (Bret Hart* & Jim Neidhart)
- Sputnik Monroe
- Dusty Rhodes* & Dick Murdoch
- Johnny Rougeau
- Iron Sheik
- Ricky Steamboat* & Jay Youngblood
- Mad Dog Vachon* & Butcher Vachon
- Kevin Von Erich & Kerry Von Erich & David Von Erich
- Asuka/Kana
- Mark Briscoe & Jay Briscoe
- Young Bucks (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson)
- Edge
- Bill Goldberg
- Samoa Joe
- Matt Hardy & Jeff Hardy
- Becky Lynch
- Jon Moxley
- Kevin Nash & Scott Hall
- Paul Orndorff
- Randy Orton
- Kevin Owens
- C.M. Punk
- Roman Reigns
- Cody Rhodes
- Trish Stratus
- Rick Steiner & Scott Steiner
- Jimmy Uso & Jey Uso
- Sid Vicious
- Bray Wyatt
- Sami Zayn
- Cima
- Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan
- Yoshiaki Fujiwara
- Hayabusa
- Antonio Inoki* & Seiji Sakaguchi
- Kento Miyahara
- Zack Sabre Jr.
- Meiko Satomura
- Tiger Jeet Singh
- Shingo Takagi
- Yoshihiro Takayama
- Manami Toyota* & Toshiyo Yamada
- Angel Blanco & Dr. Wagner*
- Sangre Chicana
- Psycho Clown
- El Dandy
- Los Hermanos Dinamita (Cien Caras & Mascara Ano 2000 & Universo 2000)
- Dorrell Dixon
- Gran Hamada
- El Hijo del Santo* & Octagon
- La Parka AAA
- Huracan Ramirez
- Mascarita Sagrada
- Volador Jr.
- Spyros Arion
- Dominic DeNucci
- George Gordienko
- Billy Joyce
- Killer Karl Kox
- The Royal Brothers (Bert Royal & Vic Faulkner)
- Johnny Saint
- Adrian Street
- Jose Tarres
- Otto Wanz
- Dave Brown
- Zane Bresloff
- Bobby Bruns
- Bob Caudle
- Bobby Davis
- Joe Higuchi
- Jim Johnston
- Larry Matysik
- James Melby
- Rossy Ogawa
- Reggie Parks
- Morris Sigel
- Tony Schiavone
- George Scott
- Kevin Sullivan
- Mike Tenay
- Ted Turner
(* indicates that said wrestler was already inducted for his solo career)
There’s a lot of worthy inductees this year (and also Goldberg, fuck that big dumb ape). Here’s the ten I want to see the most (I’m not counting any active wrestlers, which is why Cody won’t be on this list).
- Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson W/ J.J. Dillon-The Brain Busters were one of the best tag teams of the ’80s, their matches with The Rockers were a thing of legend. Also, you can’t have too many of the Horsemen in a Hall of Fame.
- June Byers-The WON Hall of Fame is depressingly lacking in women and she’s one of the OG legends of women’s wrestling.
- Junkyard Dog-Mainly to see if Dave Meltzer’s head will explode.
- Kevin Nash & Scott Hall-Their arrival in WCW heralded one of the greatest sea changes in wrestling history, how are they not Hall of Fame worthy?
- Sputnik Monroe-He helped get wrestling shows desegregated, he’s one of the best human beings in wrestling history.
- Adrian Street-One of the best gimmick performers in wrestling history. Also, he beat the shit out of Jimmy Savile one time.
- Bobby Davis-If it wasn’t for Davis, we wouldn’t have Bobby Heenan or Paul Heyman.
- Jim Johnston-The stars of the WWF wouldn’t have been as over as they were if it wasn’t for Johnston’s themes.
- Kevin Sullivan-I have no idea how he wasn’t already in and his death might get the voters to realize he deserves to be in.
- Ted Turner-He’s a contentious pick since he’s not truly involved with the wrestling industry but let’s be real, if it wasn’t for him wrestling would be in a far worse place. No NWA on TBS means no WCW, no WWF getting their head out of their asses, no TNA or AEW.
Again, I’m fine with any of these people getting in (except for Goldberg, fuck that dumb ape) but these are the ten I want in the most.