Hugely Popular Name Set For WWE Hall Of Fame 2024 Class?

With Paul Heyman having now been announced as the inaugural name in the WWE Hall of Fame 2024 class, could the hardest man in wrestling be about to join him?

Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, both Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer noted how they've heard rumours of Haku being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year.

Trained by Giant Baba and making his pro wrestling debut back in 1978, Tonga ʻUliʻuli Fifita first competed in Japan in sumo. When that came to an end in 1976, Fifita turned his attention to wrestling and eventually began working for All Japan. Initially taking on the King Tonga name, he'd travel the world, competing in the likes of Montreal and Puerto Rico, before landing in the then-WWF in 1985.

Dropping the King Tonga name for Haku, Fifita would soon be paired with Tama - the twin brother of Rikishi - to form the Islanders. That tandem would stay together through until 1988, with Haku then being given Harley Race's crown to become King Haku and find himself in singles bouts against the likes of Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage. The second half of 1989 saw Haku paired with Andre the Giant as the Colossal Connection; a team which, under the stewardship of Bobby Heenan, would win the WWF Tag Team Titles.

Following the break-up of the Colossal Connection at WrestleMania VI, Hak floated around the lower-midcard for a couple of years before departing the WWF in 1992. Skip ahead to '94, and he'd turn up in WCW as Meng, initially serving as Col. Robert Parker's bodyguard before joining the nefarious Dungeon of Doom and being part of the Faces of Fear with the Barbarian.

That WCW run would last until just before the promotion was bought out by WWF in early 2001, with Meng leaving the promotion in time to make a surprise appearance at the 2001 Royal Rumble, where he'd once again revert to his Haku moniker; this time in an allegiance with Rikishi. It would only be a cup of coffee in the World Wrestling Federation this time out, with Haku exiting the company barely a year after his return.

Later years saw Haku be a semi-regular presence in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, with his son Tama Tonga being one of the founding members of Bullet Club. In addition to that, two of Haku's other sons - Tonga Loa and Hikuleo - have also been a part of NJPW over those years. Of course, Haku also made one appearance for AEW, accompanying Hikuleo to the ring for the big man's match against Lance Archer at Fight for the Fallen in 2021.

Don't think that Haku is actually retired either, for he's never particularly stopped wrestling, with his most recent match being last September. And throughout this illustrious career, Haku has generated a reputation for being one of the toughest men to ever enter the business, with countless road stories about Haku and the situations he ended up involved in; situations which, at times, involved other people's noses being "bitten off" or their eyes gouged out.

It's also worth noting, the aforementioned Tama Tonga - having become a free agent last month - is believed to be heading to WWE, with some speculation that Tama might even end up being part of the Bloodline.

On a separate note, if you need a smile today, you could do far worse than watch the recent Dark Side of the Ring clip of Haku reacting with the most infectious laugh upon seeing the Shockmaster's infamous WCW debut for the first time:

Haku had never seen “The Shockmaster” debut before…

We showed it to him, and here’s his reaction ?

As seen on next week’s Season 5 premiere episode, Tuesday at 10pm on @VICETV. pic.twitter.com/vI5Dw2WaGl

— Dark Side of the Ring (@DarkSideOfRing) February 29, 2024