3 Ups & 5 Downs From WWE Hall Of Fame 2024 (Results & Review)
UPS…
3. Connecting Ali’s Dots
The WWE Hall of Fame induction of boxing legend Muhammad Ali ran the risk of being simplified and shooting right over the heads of fans.
The easy, shorthand reason for inducting Ali is because he was part of the main event of WrestleMania I as the special outside enforcer. (And literally everyone else involved in that match already has been inducted, including the in-ring referee, Pat Patterson.)
However, the video package highlighting Ali’s storied career made sure to include his hybrid boxer-versus-wrestler matches he competed in during the 70s, against the likes of Antonio Inoki and Gorilla Monsoon. It also showed that Muhammad’s relationship with professional wrestlers reached back even further, as his “I am the greatest” persona was derived from Gorgeous George.
That clip alone, showing that wrestling greatly influenced a boxer who was dubbed the greatest showman and one of the most famous people on the planet, helped crystalize Ali’s Hall-of-Fame credentials.