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Hall of Fame Beckons for Some

Posted: Mar 28th 2007 By: CMBurnham

There is no retirement home, per se, for professional wrestlers. But over the years, the WWE Hall of Fame has honored the best and brightest from the world of sports entertainment, inducting legends of the business who paved the way for the stars of today.

Since its inception in 1993, 49 stars -- including Andre the Giant, Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, Hulk Hogan and Bret "Hitman" Hart -- have entered the Hall, and this year they'll be joined by eight more. The ceremony, which was reinstated in 2004 after taking eight years off, is typically one of the highlights of WrestleMania weekend, with fans getting to see the stars in their own skin, away from their in-ring gimmicks and larger-than-life characters.

"I don't want to make it sound too hokey, but it's like an Academy Award. It means you were one of the top performers in your role," says Detroit native Robert Remus, who wrestled as Sgt. Slaughter in the then-WWF and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004. For some stars, the induction is difficult to come to terms with, because it implies your career is nearing its end. "At first they said, 'How's that make you feel?' And I said, 'Well, it kind of makes me feel old!'" says Jerry "The King" Lawler. "I don't feel my career is over. I still wrestle on a pretty regular basis, and I still want to wrestle on a pretty regular basis."

Dusty Rhodes says he's not ready to call it quits either. "I'm just resting right now. I'm not retired," says Rhodes, who will be inducted Saturday by his two sons, Dustin and Cody Runnels. "I wake up in the morning, and I wanna be the best, make a million dollars and have a good time until they put you in that pine box and send you back to Texas."

The Hall of Fame ceremony is known to tug at the heartstrings of even the toughest in-ring performers, and Rhodes says he may well-up with tears during his acceptance speech.

"It's going to be an emotional night, and hopefully I don't break down and bawl like a baby," says Rhodes, who's also a member of the WCW Hall of Fame.

The WWE Hall of Fame isn't strictly for wrestlers; celebrity inductees include William "The Refrigerator" Perry and Pete Rose. Celebrities have been on hand to induct wrestlers, as well: Sylvester Stallone inducted Hogan in 2005, and William Shatner will be on hand Saturday to induct Lawler.

Despite his reservations, Lawler says he's touched to be entering the ranks of industry legends such as Bobo Brazil and Harley Race.

"It's a great honor when you think about the talent and the performers that are already in the Hall of Fame," he says. "Just to be considered in the same light as those guys, that kind of blows me away."


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About this year's inductees
Eight wrestling legends will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Saturday at the Fox Theatre in Detroit. They are:


Dusty Rhodes: Blue-collar wrestler, called "The American Dream"

Jerry "The King" Lawler: "Raw" color commentator

Jim Ross: "Raw" announcer and an all-time great match caller

Curt "Mr. Perfect" Hennig: Rose to stardom in the late '80s and wrestled until his drug-related death in 2003

Ed "The Original Sheik" Farhat: Detroit legend and owner of Big Time Wrestling

Harry "Mr. Fuji" Fujiwara: Tuxedo-clad manager who coached wrestlers to greatness

The Wild Samoans: Untamed tag team managed

Nick Bockwinkel: Six-time American Wrestling Association champion