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Voices of Wrestling WON HOF Overview


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http://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2014/09/08/introduction-changes-to-the-ballot-observer-hall-of-fame/

 

It’s the first of many Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame podcasts were planning on doing over the next few weeks, in this inaugural episode we’re joined by David Bixenspan of WhatCulture.com, Figure Four Weekly and Fighting Spirit Magazine to introduce the ballot, discuss changes, new candidates and much more!

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I'm only halfway through, but I want to pop in and say I don't have an issue with the fifteen years and you're gone rule. I don't necessarily think Houston Mitchell was saying that if someone isn't included on a voter's ballot, that means the voter doesn't think they are HOF-worthy.

 

However, even if that is what he was going for, that doesn't change the fact that if Dick Murdoch is on the ballot for fifteen straight years without getting over sixty percent, and then in his fifteenth year falls below fifty percent, he probably has gone as far as he is going to. Even if voters think "He deserves to be in, but he just can't fit on my ballot this year", they've had fifteen years to include him. Can't keep guys around forever on the off chance that voters will be enlightened years down the line and change their minds due to new information.

 

On the other hand, at this point the historical wrestler category will just become the Veterans Committee of the WON Hall so I do think that the fifteen year rule shouldn't apply towards that. For example, if Pedro Morales gets 40 percent this year, he should be gone for a bit, but allowed to be put back on in 2-3 years if the demand is there. No one should be off the ballot forever.

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In case people aren't sure, here's the list of people that were eliminated from the ballot due to receiving less than 10%:

 

1996 (8-19-96)

No voting

 

1997 (9-1-97)

No voting

 

1998 (8-24-98)

Fuerza Guerrera

Scott Hall

Curt Hennig

Mark Lewin

Lex Luger

Don Muraco

Kevin Nash

Paul Orndorff

Blue Panther

Ken Patera

Jake Roberts

Rick Rude

Hans Schmidt* (inducted in 2012)

Davey Boy Smith

Rich & Scott Steiner

Sting

Akira Taue

Barry Windham

 

1999 (8-16-99)

Curtis Iaukea* (inducted in 2011)

Bill Miller* (inducted in 2009)

Masa Saito* (inducted in 2009)

Tiger Jeet Singh

Sgt Slaughter

Kerry Von Erich

Steve Williams* (inducted in 2011)

 

2000 (8-28-00)

Lou Albano* (inducted in 2012)

Masahiro Chono* (inducted in 2004)

Masakatsu Funaki* (inducted in 2006)

Chavo Guerrero Sr.

Konnan* (inducted in 2009)

Bas Rutten

Sabu

Ken Shamrock

 

2001 (8-20-01)

Eric Bischoff

Cien Caras

 

2002 (9-2-02)

Gene & Ole Anderson

Pedro Morales

 

2003 (8-25-03)

Fuerza Guerrera

Yuji Nagata

Yoshihiro Takayama

 

2004 (8-23-04)

Atlantis* (inducted 2013)

Pepper Gomez

Black Gordman & Great Goliath

Gran Hamada

Original La Parka

Great Sasuke

Mike & Ben Sharpe

Dr Wagner Jr

 

2005 (8-24-05)

Lonnie “Moondog” Mayne

Don Muraco

Yoshihiro Takayama

 

2006 (9-4-06)

Arn Anderson

Davey Boy Smith

Booker T

 

2007 (10-15-07)

The Dudley Boys

Ultimo Guerrero & Rey Bucanero

Satoshi Kojima

Paul Orndorff

Rich & Scott Steiner

Universo 2000

Rob Van Dam

Kerry Von Erich

 

2008 (9-8-08)

Fit Finlay

Hector Garza

Jun Akiyama

 

2009 (9-28-09)

Rocky Johnson

Mark Lewin

Jose Lothario

Rick Rude

Ultimo Guerrero & Rey Bucanero

 

2010 (9-27-10)

Cowboy Bob Ellis

Yukon Eric

Bearcat Wright

Cibernetico

Dr Wagner Jr

Giant Haystacks

 

2011 (10-24-11)

Ray Gunkel

Sabu

 

2012 (11-12-12)

Chief Jay Strongbow

Jeff Hardy

Kane

Buddy Rose

Perro Aguayo Jr.

Marty Jones

 

2013 (11-6-13)

Rip Hawk

Dutch Savage

Count Billy Varga

Bob Armstrong

Batista

A.J. Styles

 

Steve Yohe started the list and posted it in August 2010. I took up the cause after that.

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Great show, just finished it. I think you guys forgot to mention George Scott being added to the non-wrestlers section. And Ultimate Warrior and JYD have never been on the ballot. They aren't on this less than 10% list here: Not really surprised neither has been on yet, they were far from darlings of the WO subscribers.

 

I found quotes from a book written about JYD specifically stating that JYD WAS on the ballot before but fell off. They could have just been blowing smoke but there was almost a page and a half about JYD's candidacy. If we were wrong, I apologize.

 

Is there any place that could possibly have these old issues or ballots?

 

Here's the Greg Klein book talking about JYD's candidacy: http://books.google.com/books?id=HHhrb3EvVWUC&pg=PA173&lpg=PA173&dq=junkyard+dog+wrestling+observer+hall+of+fame&source=bl&ots=fi8I3jVsT-&sig=OySqpNaPqvIPSSbQJXnnGnLpIoo&hl=en&sa=X&ei=phcPVLXaD9GTgwTVh4GAAQ&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=junkyard%20dog%20wrestling%20observer%20hall%20of%20fame&f=false

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It seems insane to me that Slaughter fell off and then never got back on. I'd have thought he'd be a slamdunk and looks like a massive oversight to me.

 

2012 (11-12-12)

Chief Jay Strongbow

:)

 

Slaughter is back on the ballot. There's lots of guys who have been brought back already.

 

This year's ballot includes these wrestlers:

Sting (first dropped in 1998)

Gene & Ole Anderson (first dropped in 2002)

Pepper Gomez (first dropped in 2004)

Pedro Morales (first dropped in 2002)

Curt Hennig (first dropped in 1998)

Ken Patera (first dropped in 1998)

Sting (first dropped in 1998)

Jun Akiyama (first dropped in 2008)

Gran Hamada (first dropped in 2004)

Yuji Nagata (first dropped in 2003)

Mike & Ben Sharpe (first dropped in 2004)

Akira Taue (first dropped in 1998)

Cien Caras (first dropped in 2001)

Hector Garza (first dropped in 2008)

Blue Panther (first dropped in 1998)

Giant Haystacks (first dropped in 2010)

Mark Lewin (first dropped in 1998)

Sgt Slaughter (first dropped in 1999)

Dr Wagner Jr (first dropped in 2004)

LA Park (first dropped in 2004 as "Original La Parka")

 

(Any others that I missed?)

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If Sting was on the ballot as early as 1998, shouldn't this be his fifteenth year as well? Or sixteenth?

 

Yes, and I believe there are other examples of inconsistencies like this.

 

Kojima left the ballot in '07. He's back on in a tag team. When does his clock start? If it's retro, how is that fair to Tenzan, who it appears has never been a candidate?

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Sting fell off the ballot in 1998, I'm not sure when he was put back on, but he's been on at least the last 10 years or so. Dave is going with the idea that it's 15 years since you were first on the ballot. In the 15 year/50% cut listing he has, there's 4 who dropped off at some point in the 2000s. Not sure what the solution is, but I think he should have thought this out a little more.

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