On April 5, the WWE will induct the 2024 class of the Hall of Fame. The live ceremony will air on Peacock after Smackdown signs off on Fox.
This year's class is the 1st curated by Paul Levesque, aka Triple H, after Vince McMahon was forced out for the 2nd time a few months back.
Here we go:
Celebrity Wing: Muhammad Ali. The boxing legend may be the last of the participants in the 1st Wrestlemania main event in 1985 to be inducted into the Hall, following Hulk Hogan, Pat Patterson, Mr. T, Roddy Piper, Paul Orndorff, and Bob Orton, Jr.. I think Liberace may be in, too, but I can't be certain.
Ali, born Cassius Clay, was the referee for the match, with Patterson as a backup official. This wasn't the 1st time Ali was involved with the company, as he did an angle with Gorilla Monsoon a few years earlier. The collection of star power in the match alone took the event over the top, creating a Spring tradition.
Lia Maivia: The grandmother of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Maivia was also a promoter, as she operated Polynesian Championship Wrestling, which landed a minor cable deal in the late 80's. There are those who believe Johnson used his newfound status as a member of the TKO Holdings Board of Directors to ensure Lia was inducted this year.
Bull Nakano (Keiko Aoki): The Japanese legend won titles in not only Japan and the US (women's champ in 1994), but Mexico as well.
The US Express (Barry Windham & Mike Rotundo): This makes Windham a 2-time Hall of Famer, as he was inducted as a member of the 4 Horsemen a few years back. Rotundo, who later worked as Irwin R. Schyster (IRS) as 1/2 of Money, Inc. with Ted DiBiase, won 5 tag titles in all in the then-WWF, 2 with Windham, 3 with DiBiase. Surprisingly, he hadn't yet been inducted as IRS. Hmmmm.
Thunderbolt Patterson (Claude Patterson): It is said that Patterson, who retired in 1985 after a feud with Ole Anderson, was a trailblazer for African American wrestlers. He won a number of championships, but is the only one on the list with no actual ties to the WWE/F.
Paul Heyman: The clear headliner, with this year's event in Philadelphia, where Heyman, a Long Island native, cemented his legend status with ECW, Heyman, like old nemesis Jim Cornette, was a photographer before swapping his camera for a prop cordless phone (as Paul E. Dangerously). After nearly 40 years in the business, he is getting his just due, fittingly, in Philadelphia.
The inductors have not been announced as of press time.
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