| WWE Hall of Fame (2016) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) The 2016 WWE Hall of Fame set | |||
| Promotion | WWE | ||
| Date | April 2, 2016 | ||
| City | Dallas, Texas | ||
| Venue | American Airlines Center | ||
| WWE Hall of Fame chronology | |||
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WWE Hall of Fame (2016) was the event which featured the introduction of the 17th class to theWWE Hall of Fame. The event was produced byWWE on April 2, 2016, from theAmerican Airlines Center inDallas, Texas. The event took place the same weekend asWrestleMania 32.[1] The event aired live on theWWE Network, and was hosted byJerry Lawler. A condensed one-hour version of the ceremony aired the following Thursday onUSA Network, afterSmackDown.[2]
Due to the launch of theWWE Network shortly beforeWrestleMania XXX, this event featured the third ever "Red Carpet" event as a one-hour pre-show prior to the start of the event. The pre-show was hosted byMichael Cole andMaria Menounos.
The Godfather was inducted by his long-term friend whom he often traveled the road with, the members ofThe Acolytes Protection Agency,John "Bradshaw" Layfield andRon Simmons.
Stan Hansen was inducted by his overseas partner and rivalVader.
Jacqueline was inducted byThe Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley andD-Von Dudley).
In 2016, WWE introduced a new category for the Hall of Fame called the "Legacy" wing. Inductees under this new category feature wrestlers from the early years of professional wrestling, primarily during the early part of the 20th century.[3] All inductees in 2016 are inducted posthumously and were recognized with a video package at the ceremony.[4] Those inducted in the 2016 legacy category wereMildred Burke,Frank Gotch,George Hackenschmidt,Ed "Strangler" Lewis,Pat O'Connor,Lou Thesz and"Sailor" Art Thomas.
The Fabulous Freebirds were the group inductee into the Hall of Fame. Representing them wereMichael Hayes,Terry Gordy (represented by his son,Ray Gordy),Buddy Roberts (represented by his son Buddy Roberts Jr.),Jimmy Garvin. The Freebirds were inducted byThe New Day membersBig E,Kofi Kingston, andXavier Woods. Following their induction Hayes sang their songBadstreet U.S.A.
Big Boss Man was inducted bySlick. Due to his death in 2004, his induction was accepted by his wife Angela and his daughters Lacy and Megan.
Snoop Dogg was inducted byJohn Cena. Snoop Dogg spoke about what it was like growing up a fan of professional wrestling, and gave what an honor it is to see his cousinSasha Banks now wrestling for WWE.
FollowingThe Ultimate Warrior's death in April 2014,[5] WWE introduced the Warrior Award, in 2015, for those who have "exhibited unwavering strength and perseverance, and who lives life with the courage and compassion that embodies the indomitable spirit of the Ultimate Warrior."[6]Joan Lunden became the second recipient of The Warrior Award.The Ultimate Warrior's wife Dana inducted Lunden and spoke of her recent return to the public eye and openly discussing herbreast cancer diagnosis in addition to becoming a spokeswoman forSusan G. Komen.
Sting was the final inductee and was inducted byRic Flair. Flair went on to ramble much throughout his speech, focusing on himself rather than talk about Sting. Sting spoke about what a long journey it was to come to WWE, and how proud he was to finally be in WWE. Sting then announced that he wanted to retire in WWE and used the opportunity to officially announce his retirement.[7] Despite this, Sting later debuted in rival promotionAll Elite Wrestling (AEW) in late 2020, coming out of retirement, and competed in his first match in over five years at AEW'sRevolutionpay-per-view on March 7, 2021.[8][9]
| Image | Group | Inducted by | WWE recognized accolades |
|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | The Fabulous Freebirds[21][22] | The New Day (Big E,Kofi Kingston, andXavier Woods) | Six-timeWCCW World Six-Man Tag Team Champions Two-timeWCW World Tag Team Champions Two-timeWCW United States Tag Team Champions One-timeWCW World Six-Man Tag Team Champions Credited for creating the "Freebird Rule" |
| Michael Hayes (Michael Seitz) – One-timeNWA United States Heavyweight Champion. Terry Gordy – Posthumous inductee: represented by his sonRay Gordy. One timeNWA Americas Heavyweight Champion, one-timeWCW World Tag Team Champion, one-timeNWA World Tag Team Champion. Two-timeTriple Crown Heavyweight Champion and seven-timeWorld Tag Team Champion inAll Japan Pro Wrestling. Buddy Roberts (Dale Hey) – Posthumous inductee: represented by his son Buddy Roberts Jr. One-timeNWA Texas Heavyweight Champion, one-timeWCCW Television Champion. Jimmy Garvin (James Williams) – Four-timeNWA American Heavyweight Champion, one-timeAWA World Tag Team Champion | |||
| Image | Recipient (Birth name) | Occupation | Inducted by | Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | Snoop Dogg[23] (Calvin Broadus Jr.) | Rapper | John Cena | Master of Ceremonies for thePlayboyBunnyMania Lumberjill match atWrestleMania XXIV and accompaniedSasha Banks to the ring for her match atWrestleMania 32. Raw guest host in 2009 and guest star in 2015[24] |
| Image | Recipient (Birth name) | Presented By | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | Joan Lunden[25][26] (Joan Blunden) | Dana Warrior | Long-time former co-host ofGood Morning America. Returned to the public eye in recent years for openly discussing herbreast cancer diagnosis. Spokeswoman forSusan G. Komen for the Cure[27] |
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