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WRESTLEMANIA 30: WWE Hall of Fame ceremony delivers laughs and emotional moments

Posted: Apr 6th 2014 By: NOLA.com

The 2014 version of World Wrestling Entertainment's Hall of Fame featured the most colorful class since the company began doing the event the weekend of WrestleMania in 2004. And it was an emotional, laugh-filled three-plus hour induction ceremony in front of about 10,000 wrestling fans Saturday night at the Smoothie King Center.

The most memorable entrant in the seven-member class was Jake "The Snake" Roberts, who was famous for his DDT, ring psychology and mesmerizing promos in which he rarely raised his voice. Roberts had fallen victim to drugs and alcohol, but recently, with the help of Diamond Dallas Page, he has overcome those demons to take his place among the all-time wrestling greats.

Page, who inducted Roberts, credited Roberts, along with Dusty Rhodes, for helping mold Page into a star.

"He never stopped teaching me," said Page of Roberts. "It is a debt that I have been working on paying back since."

Page and Roberts lived together in 1994, and Page told a funny story about Roberts losing his 12-foot cobra in Page's house and then not coming back to get it for three days. The two moved back in together again 18 months ago, and that's when Page helped Roberts turn his life around, with the goal of getting healthy enough to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Mission accomplished.

"The ring is the only woman I never cheated on because I was a son of a b****," Roberts said in his speech before telling of his drug and alcohol abuse. "But you get tired of lying to your children. I was jealous of my dead friends. Why not me? God please (take me)."

Roberts, who starred in Mid-South wrestling before moving on to the WWE, said he didn't contemplate suicide because he couldn't add to the pain he had already caused for his kids.

"But one person sticks a hand out (to help)," Roberts said. "And that person was Diamond Dallas Page. Dallas is the most positive son of a gun on this planet. Dallas saved my life. And I'm so grateful."

Roberts opened with his love for professional wrestling -- "there's nothing on this planet like it" -- and closed with his loved ones.

"I'm so happy tonight," he said. "I"m so happy because I've got some special people here called family. They gave me a second chance. And the WWE gave me one, too."

The headliner of the class was The Ultimate Warrior, who has legally changed his name to Warrior. It was one of the most anticipated acceptance speeches in wrestling history, but Warrior, famous for his face paint and unending energy during his ring entrance, didn't say anything crazy or point fingers directly at his naysayers.

Instead, he said his peace on the negative DVD the WWE made about him in 2005 -- "It broke my heart. ... The DVD was just wrong. It was hurtful." -- and his bad reputation -- "I was a good guy. I am a good guy." He furthered defended that reputation by talking about his passion for the industry.

"There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about the business," said Warrior, who recently signed on as a WWE ambassador. "The work was magic. It's awesome to be bigger than life, to go out and be a character that people believe in."

Warrior said he wishes the company could be called the WWF again and poked fun at WWE chairman Vince McMahon for getting "his *** kicked by those wildlife people." Warrior also suggested to WWE that they add an award each year at the Hall of Fame for the behind-the-scenes workers, who he says really keep the business going.

He also talked about being Warrior as a lifestyle.

"I am the creator of Ultimate Warrior," he said. "I am the Ultimate Warrior, and you fans are legendary. They tried to rewrite history against the exciting Ultimate Warrior, and you fought back."

The funniest speech of the night went to celebrity inductee Mr. T, who participated in the first two WrestleManias. He didn't pity any fools but gave an entertaining speech about his love for his mother.

Usually, wrestling fans at these events are cruel to celebrity speakers. But the crowd in New Orleans on Saturday night broke into a chant of, "This is awesome!"

Mr. T, one of 12 children, said he was an "old-fashioned momma's boy" and that his mother continued to earn "credit" when she fought through adversity. The highlight of the speech was when he said he loves his mother on all days and not just on her birthday, Mother's Day and Christmas. No, Mr. T loves his mother every day.

He then gave a list of some of the other days, and the wrestling fans, of course, eventually chanted "What?" in between the days. The days included Earth Day, Labor Day, Independence Day, Groundhog Day "and even Father's Day."

Similar to Roberts, Scott Hall was in a dark place in life in recent years. Page also helped Hall overcome his demons. Kevin Nash, who inducted Hall, called the night "very emotional."

Hall, who gained notoriety under the ring name Razor Ramon, was known as the "Bad Guy." After his speech, Hall, who started with his trademark, "Hey yo," was joined on stage by the rest of the Kliq for a group embrace. The Kliq also includes Nash, Triple H, Shawn Michaels and X-Pac.

"Hard work pays off," Hall said. "Bad times don't last, but bad guys do."

It was ladies first as Lita, who was known for her high-flying moves and punk-rock chick look, kicked off the night by recalling her journey to Mexico with the goal of becoming a wrestler. She also spoke about stealing a lucha libre mask, getting proposed to with a condom, instead of a ring, and overcoming a broken neck to get to the Hall of Fame.

When she was getting started in the business, Arn Anderson helped her meet Rey Mysterio. Back then, Lita said she owed Anderson a Miller Lite for the favor. On Saturday night, she delivered that beer. Lita, Anderson and Mysterio all partook in some drinking.

Lita was inducted by her best friend, Trish Stratus, who also joined in for the beer. Those two had one of the best rivalries in women's history.

"Go find your punk rock, your lucha libre, your professional wrestling and let it lead you to your life," Lita advised the fans. "The punk rock scene told me I could be who I wanted to be. And so I am."

Paul Bearer, who was the most unique manager in WWE history, was inducted posthumously by his storyline son, Kane, who interrupted the end of Mr. T's speech about his "momma because it was cutting into my time to talk about my daddy."

Bearer's two sons accepted the honor, with one even doing Bearer's trademark, "Oh yesssssss!" Then, Undertaker, whom Bearer is most famous for managing, came out and paid homage to Bearer, getting on one knee and holding up an urn.

"There never would have been a Kane (without Bearer), and I am forever grateful," Kane said.

Carlos Colon, the father of Puerto Rico wrestling, completed the class.