10 Things That Have Lost All Meaning In WWE
4. The Hall Of Fame
While WWE would have you believe that reaching the company’s Hall Of Fame is the ultimate professional wrestling honour, a quick skim through its inductees shows that this isn’t always the case. Sure, it’s home to some of the most important wrestlers in the sport’s history, but it’s also crammed with filler entries who don’t stand up to scrutiny, particularly when directly compared to the HOF’s most notable omissions.
With all due respect to Rikishi and The Godfather, did either man really leave a bigger mark on the business than Bruiser Brody or Owen Hart? There are obvious political reasons for these exclusions, but each raises a huge question mark on the Hall’s credibility, despite WWE’s continued assertions that it represents the pinnacle of pro wrestling excellence.
Pretending the HOF is anything more than a fun distraction during WrestleMania season is foolish. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the business: if Vince McMahon doesn’t want you in the HOF, you’re not going to be inducted. Positions are earned on personal relationships over merit, which makes it hard to take the selection process seriously, and leaves it feeling like nothing more than an exercise in vanity.