2016 WWE Hall of Fame

[Grimmas]

She won the cruiserweight belt in 2004.

Didn't she win the WCW TV Title as well?

[PhilTLL]

 

 

Godfather had a perfectly respectable career with a wide variety of gimmicks - Papa Shango, Kama: The Supreme Fighting Machine, Kama Mustafa, The Godfather, and The Goodfather - two of which were pretty over (Shango and Godfather). He's easily comparable to Rikishi and miles ahead of Ware (at least WWE-wise). Calling it a "new low" is not only ridiculous, it's inaccurate.

 

 

 

I have to stand by it, I think he was a useless slug and those gimmicks are associated with some of the dumbest shit in company history. But, like Matt said, the more I think about it I can't see that one being true for business reasons.

[sek69]

I just don't see the WWE with Empowered Female Executive Stephanie putting a pimp in their HOF with a woman who's most famous moment was having her tits exposed.

[Matt D]

They're asking for a social media backlash and bad press.

[RCS1988]

I was kind of surprised at hearing about Jackie, Godfather, & Regis. The Papa Shango character was actually supposed to return in 1997 with a mask and a red outfit, but that ended up being Kane and Charles became Kama Mustafa, I read an interview that Wright gave and he said that there are photos of his 1997 look. It would be good to see. Believe it or not I was deathly afraid of Papa Shango. Anytime he came out I would run out of the room and hold my ears, because he was scary and so was his music. Watching the footage now, I couldn't believe at 4 years old I used to be afraid of him. I wish he would appear in the Rumble as Papa Shango. I think with the lineup of Sting, JBL. Godfather, Jackie, Fabulous Freebirds, Regis, Stan Hansen, Tenryu, and Rick Acberger, that's 12 people and a fair lineup.

[pantherwagner]

The Rick Rude appearance needs to be a part of the Regis induction.

[Al]

Regis Philbin is a great pick honestly. The guy was putting over wrestling even before he was a national star, and stuck with wrestlers long after the '80s boom subsided.

[flyonthewall2983]

I'm surprised that they didn't get him in any sooner. Wasn't he the host of one of the first ceremonies?

[thebrainfollower]

I sort of get Godfather but Jacqueline has me baffled. Not really that up on her Miss Texas stuff, but neither is anyone from WWE I suspect. She was lousy in the ring in WWF by diva standards too and not over in the slightest.

[Matt D]

First African America WWF Woman's champion? Hell of a lot better notable on paper for corporate reasons than "Pimp." The reality doesn't matter. It's WWE's Hall of Fame.

[fakeplastictrees]

First African America WWF Woman's champion? Hell of a lot better notable on paper for corporate reasons than "Pimp." The reality doesn't matter. It's WWE's Hall of Fame.

 

Yeah, Jackie was a 2 time Divas champion (winning her first title after the championship became active again), WWE CW champion, and she was also one of the trainers on the first ever Tough Enough. I've always felt that Jackie's presence in wrestling has more of a historical context more than anything else. Women, much less women of color, usually don't have a long career in wrestling compared to their male counterparts. If she would write a book one day, I would love to read it. Should she be in the HOF? For historical/social reasons, yes. For WORK...no.

[shakla]

 

She won the cruiserweight belt in 2004.

Didn't she win the WCW TV Title as well?

 

 

She beat Disco Inferno while he was champ in a non-title match on PPV.

 

I hope the Regis thing is true. He's getting up there too, so best to do it ASAP.

[GSR]

I sort of get Godfather but Jacqueline has me baffled. Not really that up on her Miss Texas stuff, but neither is anyone from WWE I suspect. She was lousy in the ring in WWF by diva standards too and not over in the slightest.

Lawler for starters sure would be, as he was there whenever she was and she was also involved in some angles with him. Same goes for Bruno Lauer if he is still involved in the WWE in some backstage capacity.

[Sidebottom]

Remember when Kathie Lee wrote about how sleezy Rick Rude was a couple of years back? Talk about being worked by a master.

[C.S.]

Many people (well, maybe not here) argue that Chyna should be in the HOF. Well, Jacquelyn did everything Chyna did before Chyna did it - just on a smaller scale (Texas/Tennessee and WCW).

 

- Badass manager/bodyguard who attacks men outside the ring. ✔

- Badass who beats men inside the ring. ✔

- Won male championship belts. ✔

- Won female championship belts. ✔

[Loss]

Jacqueline was very over in WCW when Kevin Sullivan would throw guys outside the ring every week so she could beat them up.

[flyonthewall2983]

So...Daniel Bryan? Or will they wait until next year?

[C.S.]

So...Daniel Bryan? Or will they wait until next year?

 

Next year IMO. Sting is the headliner this year. If they bump Sting out of that spot for Bryan, people will complain. If they don't bump Sting and make Bryan secondary, people will complain.

[flyonthewall2983]

Plus it might be too soon anyway, and who knows what'll happen with him in the next year with regards to his relationship to the company. And maybe they'll keep him onscreen somehow. Lots of variables to consider.

[shakla]

There's plenty of older people that can be put in before we get to guys born in the 1980s. With a finite amount of possible headliners, they can wait a year or more on DB.

[MoS]

Edge got inducted a year later, but he announced his reitrement after the HoF ceremony. Flair got inducted the same year, but it was obvious that they had been building the entire storyline to culminate in an induction. So, no precedent to speak of.

[WingedEagle]

Fortunately, there's no reason to rush it due to Bryan's health. Save it for down the road. Lord knows they need living headliners.

[flyonthewall2983]

I kind of feel that it's an unwritten rule that the exceptional talent that retires (or in Eddie Guerrero's case, dies) they get in the HOF the next year.

[C.S.]

Godfather now official:

 

 

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/701853438758547456

[...TG]

I guess he's a good soldier for the company and I suppose there's value in that. But a company that is very publicly rated PG and whose heir apparent is corporate feminist Stephanie McMahon is inducting a wrestling pimp? What a strange decision.