10 Things We Learned From WWE Hall Of Fame 2017 Induction Ceremony
It's true! It's damn true!
On Friday evening, the WWE Network hosted the company's annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony. While most fans associate WWE programming with violence and vitriol, the Hall of Fame is the exception to the rule. For one evening a year, the stars of yesterday come back to share stories and feelings from their careers, and fans appreciate it as a feel-good evening.
This year's show was no exception, with a Hall of Fame class that included Diamond Dallas Page, The Rock 'N' Roll Express, Rick Rude, Beth Phoenix, Warrior Award recipient Eric LeGrand, Teddy Long, and Kurt Angle. Needless to say, there was a lot of history up on stage, and it translated into a lot of amusing anecdotes. Though the show was long, it was packed full of laughter and emotion.
Many of the facts and stories shared by the wrestlers weren't exactly breaking news - hardcore fans know that Diamond Dallas Page drove Rhythm 'N' Blues to the ring at WrestleMania VI, and that Kurt Angle wore a tiny cowboy hat on TV - but there were also some brand-new bits of info that came straight from the sources on an evening designed for it.
Here are 10 things we learned from the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony:
10. Eric Bischoff And DDP Once Got Into A Bar Fight
While DDP was rising up the card in WCW, one of the most common criticisms levied at him was that he was a good friend of Eric Bischoff's, and as such, any success he achieved was likely influenced by his relationship with the boss. In the end, nobody can really be sure how much help the friendship did for DDP's career, but the fact remains that the two men were close.
It was surprising, then, to hear from Eric Bischoff that originally, they didn't get along - in fact, when they were both in the AWA (Bischoff as a broadcaster, Page as a manager), they once got into a bar fight! No word on whether the larger DDP or the martial arts-trained Bischoff came out on top, but soon afterwards, DDP left for WCW and Bischoff wasn't sorry to see him go.
Once Bischoff made the move to Atlanta to try out for the company, he was surprised to see that DDP was handling his interview audition. The two immediately got along, and from then on, their animosity was water under the bridge.