Although this year’s WWE Hall of Fame ceremony has been postponed, that doesn’t mean we can’t dream about the Superstars we’d love to see inducted. Batista, British Bulldog, and The Bella Twins are set to be included in the 2020 event, but who could we see appear in the future. The SteelChair gang weigh-in once more with their opinions as to who should be next.
Chyna – Steph Franchomme
Last year, when D-Generation X was inducted into the Hall of Fame Class of 2019, it seemed obvious to everyone Chyna deserved to be in the Hall of Fame. She entered as the member of a faction, but everybody agreed on the fact she should be inducted as the wrestler and the trailblazer she was.
When Chyna came to WWF in 1997 as DX’s bodyguard, she was the first woman in the company’s history to play the part of an enforcer. She was the only woman who could go toe-to-toe with the men at that time. She rarely talked but very often interfered to save HHH and Shawn Michaels’ necks. But that was what she was hired to do and she did it well.
Once out from DX, Chyna revealed a more feminine side of herself, even if she was teaming up with or competing against men. The Ninth Wonder of The World was the first woman to qualify for the King of the Ring tournament, the first female number one contender for the WWF Championship, the first woman to enter the Royal Rumble match.
Chyna also remains the first and only woman to hold the Intercontinental Championship, one of the company’s major titles. She briefly was Women’s Champion, but never really fitted the mould of the early 2000s women wrestling scene (the bra and panties, pillow fight one). At that time, the wrestling world was not ready for a revolution yet.
Chyna changed the rules for the next generations of female wrestlers. She was not eye candy, she was a wrestler. She was strong but beautiful. She played her own game, the same one female wrestlers of today are playing now.
Akira Hokuto – John Logans
Despite never having wrestled for the company, Akira Hokuto deserves to be in the WWE Hall of Fame. She was the Ring General’s Ring General. A character that trod the line between a pure sociopath and the keeper of the flame. A woman so hell-bent on ensuring that standards were met she would literally kill herself to get the job done.
Leaving the AJW dojo in 1986 at the age of 19 she would return a year later to train the next batch of wrestlers. She went from rookie to deputy head trainer in 12 months. She was quite simply that good. Alongside Jaguar Yakoto they produced the greatest dojo class of all time in 1987. Manami Toyota, Toshio Yamada, Etuska Mita and Mima Shimoda all came out of that class and were the backbone of Joshi for the next two decades. She took the WWWA Tag Titles in 1988 alongside Yumiko Hotta and dropped them in the first defence after breaking her neck in the first fall. She wrestled the second two falls physically holding her head in place.
When she came back a year later she built a reputation as a stoic badass and racked up injuries to the point her backstage nickname became The Mummy, as she was constantly wrapped in bandages. She just did not care. In 1990 booked to win the AJW Grand Prix one night tournament she tore her ligaments in her knee and wanted to continue, despite the fact she visibly could not stand on both legs. She once requested a WWWA title match be degraded to non-title because she had an injury and didn’t want to ruin the prestige of the belt. She once helped out her opponent who had misstepped a plancha, popping her arm back into its socket so the fans would see what Joshi Puroresu was truly about. She was a great wrestling champion in CMLL and WCW, however, her greatest contribution is that she championed wrestling.
If WWE are queasy about a non-WWE wrestler being installed, I would point out Jushin Liger only had one match in WWE. Becky Lynch should induct her, for her contribution, but also for developing the blueprint upon which an anti-authority female wrestler should be. Lynch plays that role to a T, but Hokuto lived it and breathed it. Akira Hokuto stared death in the face, and death blinked first.
HHH – Dave Adamson
From the blue blood to the new blood, Triple H, formerly Hunter Hearst Helmsley, has had a career that has spanned eras of WWE and has found himself going from the lowest point of his career, post “Curtain Call” moment”, to the highest points as he contested at WrestleMania. A multi-time WWE champion, the centre of many business-defining storylines and one of the prime performers in modern sports entertainment, Triple H now resides in a very different role, championing the future of WWE and shepherding new talent into a system that has successfully turned wrestling stars into WWE superstars.
Triple H saw his career derailed following an incident at Madison Square Garden in 1996. At a house show, with Diesel and Razor Ramon departing to even greater fame in WCW, Shawn Michaels would, along with Helmsley, break character and embrace in the ring as this would be the last time that all four members of The Kliq would be in WWF together.
Vince McMahon’s fury would see Helmsley’s reported push to the top completely derailed, removing him as the supposed winner of the King of the Ring event in that year. His punishment would end there, though, and it would be five months before his fortunes would change, becoming WWE Intercontinental Champion and forming DX with Shawn Michaels, a much-needed breath of fresh air for a company that was losing face to their rivals in WCW.
Triple H would remain loyal to WWE over the years – his contribution to the business overshadowing that single moment – and his move into management and demonstrable vision for new talent has made him one of the most respected men in WWE today. Still not retired, Triple H could very well lace up his boots in the future and prove that, once again, he is the master of The Game.
Eric Bischoff – Sêan Reid
Even though the new World order (nWo) were due to go into this year’s Hall of Fame, there was one clear absentee not joining Hogan, Nash, Hall and Syxx. His name is Eric Bischoff.
Love him or hate him, you have to credit Bischoff’s various roles in professional wrestling. From his days as an announcer on the ailing AWA, to becoming the Ken doll-like broadcaster on WCW in the early 90s, to his ascent to becoming the company’s President to his stint as the RAW general manager, Bischoff has worn many hats in and outside the ring.
As the man with all the power in WCW, Bischoff led the company in the Monday Night Wars against WWE, leading Nitro to defeat RAW for 84 consecutive weeks and ultimately providing the ammunition for WWE to change its ways.
Sure, Bischoff has had his fair share of criticism, but after all – controversy creates cash. Through sneaky tactics such as making Madusa (WWF’s Alundra Blaze) dump the opposition’s Women’s title in the trash on live TV, Bischoff continuously made pro wrestling a hot topic. While the concept of the nWo wasn’t entirely original (it was inspired by the NJPW vs. UWFi rivalry), it’s considerably one of his best ideas. It revitalised careers (Hulk Hogan) and left fans invested on who would join the organisation next, and how stars such as Sting would bring them down.
As an on-screen character, Bischoff was ideally charismatic and arrogant, taking credit for the nWo’s formation and often taking shots at the WWF and Vince McMahon. While factors such as declining ratings, growing financial losses, and bad booking would lead to his time at the top of WCW coming to a somewhat ugly end, Bischoff arrived in the re-branded WWE in 2002. As RAW’s inaugural General Manager, he spent three years being the perfect antagonising heel with a smarmy demeanour, playing his part in many memorable RAW moments.
Bischoff’s career has been full of ups and downs, but his influence and ideas have left a lasting impact on professional wrestling. For that reason alone is why he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.
Owen Hart – Chris White
If there’s one individual who is a clear omission from the Hall of Fame, it’s Owen Hart. Not only was he a superb athlete, but he also exuded personality, was fantastic on the microphone, and always gave 100% to everything he did. In my opinion, he eclipsed his brother Bret when it came to in-ring ability, and without a shadow of a doubt, needs to be included amongst the pantheon of legends that already grace the list.
When he lost his life during the Over the Edge PPV, it was overwhelmingly sad. Never in a million years did anyone expect those fateful events to transpire that night in Kansas City, Missouri. It was heartbreaking to watch, as Jim Ross struggled to explain what had happened, repeatedly saying this was not an angle, and that something tragic had happened. I still get teared up even now, and it happened over 20 years ago, but this just goes to show what Owen Hart meant to me, and undoubtedly to millions of people around the world.
The likelihood of Owen getting inducted is slim. The relationship between the Hart Family and WWE is obviously a messy one. It resulted in the company being sued by the Harts for $18 million, and even now those wounds are rightfully still sore. However, for his fans and for the people that loved him within the industry, it would be a historic moment to see ‘Nugget’ get his moment once more on the Grandest Stage of Them All.
Whether it happens or not, Owen Hart deserves to be recognised as one of the best athletes ever to step foot in the squared circle. He loved to have a laugh, constantly brought joy to the WWE Universe, and without his matches against Bret Hart at WrestleMania X or against HHH at WrestleMania XIV, the Showcase of the Immortals wouldn’t be what it is today.
All images courtesy of WWE
Akira Hokuto image courtesy of rondarousey.com