In his latest article, PWP Nation’s Bruce Hart assesses the damage as the 2016 WWE Hall of Fame class is almost complete.
Greetings. Just as the introduction of the latest inductees into the pro football Hall of Fame has become an integral part of the NFL’s Super Bowl game festivities, so, too, has the annual induction of the latest class of inductees into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the WrestleMania week’s activities.
I had the pleasure of attending the WWE Hall of Fame inductions a few years back in Phoenix when they inducted my dad into the hall and, giving credit where credit is due, the whole function was first class all the way – from the banquet, the speeches, the gold rings and all of the so-called pomp and circumstance.
This year’s Hall of Fame class includes: The Godfather, Jacqueline, Big Boss Man, Fabulous Freebirds (Buddy Roberts, Terry Gordy, Jim Garvin and Michael Hayes), Sting and most recently, Stan Hansen.
I’ll briefly and candidly assess their respective merits.
The Godfather (Charles Wright) was a mid-card performer in the WWE during the 90’s, who’s probably best remembered for having played a pimp who used to come to the ring accompanied by his whores, or ho’s, as he called them. Prior to that, he had a forgettable stint as the voodoo witch doctor, Papa Shango. While no one has ever accused him of being a great worker, I’m told that Charles wasn’t a bad guy. The common perception as to why he’s being inducted into the Hall of Fame is that he’s an old buddy of the Undertaker. That’s nice, I suppose, but does it really warrant his being inducted into the Hall?
When I heard Jacqueline was being inducted, like most of you, I found myself asking: “Jacqueline, who?” I’ve been around the wrestling business for a long time and have followed the WWE pretty closely since as far back as the onset of Hulkamania, but I can’t honestly recall who she was, much less what she ever did to justify being inducted into the Hall of Fame. If there’s something I’ve missed, please let me know.
By all accounts, Ray Traylor (aka Big Boss Man), who played an abusive, over-bearing Southern corrections officer, was actually a pretty nice guy. His body of work in the WWF and elsewhere was pretty short-lived and inauspicious though and, again, unless there’s something I’ve missed, I’m not really sure what he ever did in the ring to warrant being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
As for the Freebirds, Buddy Roberts (Dale Hay), who originally broke into wrestling in Calgary for my dad back in the late 60’s, and Terry (Bam Bam) Gordy are generally considered to have been the guys who carried the load for the team during their glorious run in the 80’s in Fritz Von Erich’s Dallas territory. Hayes, on the other hand, was never considered to be in Roberts or Gordy’s league as a worker, while Garvin appeared intermittently as the fourth member of the tag team – whatever the hell that entails.
The Freebirds, I’m told, had an exceedingly short and not particularly auspicious stay in the WWF in 1984, culminating in them being fired for having arrived late for a show. Somehow, that seems to have qualified them for the WWE Hall of Fame though, while countless others, who expended their blood, sweat and tears for the cause have been overlooked.
Go figure.
Steve Borden rose to stardom in the WCW during the 90’s. Many attribute his initial success to Ric Flair, who was at his peak as the WCW champion back then and had an uncanny ability to make damn near anybody he worked with look better than they had any right to look. Sting would remain one of the WCW’s main attractions in the 90’s until it went out of business and has been retired, until his return in the past year or so for a few cameo appearances with the WWE. The jury is still out, so to speak, as to whether he was a great worker or not, but even so, he’s probably the only guy in the whole 2016 Hall of Fame class whom anybody might even consider a legitimate superstar. Forgive my cynicism, but that doesn’t really say a whole hell of a lot for the legitimacy of this year’s supposedly distinguished Hall of Fame class.
While the WWE extols the virtues of guys like that, there are a number of other worthy candidates who are conspicuous by their absence; among them:
My brother, Owen Hart, who, even though the WWF never used him to anywhere near his true capability, was still Intercontinental champ, multi time tag team champion and King of the Ring winner. He was also a major star in various other territories around the world, including Canada, England and Japan, long before he went to the WWE and, as most of his peers can attest, was one of the most respected and beloved wrestlers in the business. Sadly, he paid the ultimate price for the WWE in Kansas City in 1999, yet, for all of that, he’s apparently not worthy of Hall of Fame consideration.
Dynamite Kid, whom most, myself included, consider to have been one of the top half dozen wrestlers of all time. Dynamite had an uncanny ability to make virtually everybody he worked with, myself included, look better than they had any right to look, which is the hallmark of the truly great workers. Not only was he an incomparable singles performer, who was acclaimed all over the world, especially in Japan, Canada and Europe; he was also one half of the legendary British Bulldogs, who are widely considered to have been the top face teams in WWF history; Somehow, all of that doesn’t qualify him for the Hall, however.
Davey Boy Smith, he had a stellar career as part of the aforementioned British Bulldogs, but was also one of the most acclaimed and iconic singles stars in WWE history, as well. Davey, like Dynamite, was an international sensation, headlining cards in England, Canada, Japan, Africa, the Middle East and Australia, long before he became a champion and headliner in both the WCW and WWF. Davey Boy’s epic Intercontinental title bout at Wembley Stadium in London, against my brother Bret Hart, is considered by many to have been the greatest singles match in WWF history. Those seemingly monumental accomplishments apparently don’t quite cut it, as far as qualifying him for Hall of Fame consideration, however.
I might also note that since, in recent years, the WWE began to induct non-WWE wrestlers, such as Mad Dog Vachon, Nick Bocwinkel, Fabulous Freebirds and Gorgeous George. That begs the question, why then, have icons like Lou Thesz, Danny Hodge, Billy Robinson, Whipper Watson, Gene Kiniski, Strangler Lewis, Luther Lindsay, Frank Gotch and Toots Mondt, to name just a few, not been inducted yet?
The same applies to the women’s division, as marginal types like Madusa and Jacqueline seem to have been welcomed with open arms, yet legends and pioneers like Mildred Burke, Penny Banner, June Byers, Anne Casey, Ronda Sing or Chigusa Nagayo, all of whom raised the bar and dedicated themselves to our sport, have, similarly, been deemed unworthy.
Not to digress, but I’ve been told that one of the main reasons that the WWE has chosen the likes of Jacqueline, Michael Hayes and Jimmy Garvin is because they were from Texas, which, of course, is where WrestleMania is taking place and they’re endeavoring to cater to the Dallas fans. By that token, maybe they can invite Johnny Football to, perhaps, sing the national anthem or, maybe, assault one of the divas. That, of course, would automatically qualify him for induction into the Hall of Fame.
If the WWE was serious about inducting legitimate Texas legends, to my way of thinking, it would be considering guys like Bruiser Brody, Dick Murdoch, Ken and Johnny Mantell, Jay Youngblood, Gino Hernandez or legendary promoters such as Paul Boesch, Dory Funk Sr. or Morris Siegel, any or all of whom are far more deserving of Hall of Fame recognition than many of the undeserving nondescripts whom I’ve already alluded to, but who am I to cast aspersions upon the people that brought you Sapphire, Hornswoggle and Brodus Clay?
In closing, I’d like to reiterate that I derive no great intrinsic satisfaction in constantly denouncing the WWE. In fact, truth be known, it pisses me off to be even having to bring up egregious mistakes and oversights such as this because, more than anything, it tends to invite derision and ridicule upon our sport and cast it in an unfavorable light. The main reason I choose to address these things is that perhaps one of the enlightened despots in Connecticut might eventually take note and do something about it. I’m not really holding my breath, though.
On that breathless note, I’ll call it a wrap. Until next time.
For more editions of “Hart Murmurs,” please follow us on Twitter @PWPNation.
