| WWE Hall of Fame | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Promotion | WWE | ||
| Date | April 1, 2022 | ||
| City | Dallas, Texas | ||
| Venue | American Airlines Center | ||
| WWE Hall of Fame chronology | |||
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The 2022WWE Hall of Fame was aprofessional wrestling event produced byWWE that featured the induction of the 23rd class into theWWE Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place on April 1, 2022, at theAmerican Airlines Center inDallas, Texas, the night precedingWrestleMania 38. It airedlive at 10pmEastern Time onPeacock in the United States and theWWE Network internationally, immediately after the airing of WWE's regular Friday night program,SmackDown. The event was headlined by the induction ofThe Undertaker into the WWE Hall of Fame.
The 2022WWE Hall of Fame was scheduled to be held on April 1, 2022, at theAmerican Airlines Center inDallas Texas, the night beforeWrestleMania 38. The ceremony was announced to take place live at 10pmEastern Time, immediately after the airing ofWWE's Friday night program,SmackDown. It aired onPeacock in the United States and theWWE Network in international markets. On February 18, 2022,The Undertaker was announced as the first individual inductee for the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2022.[1] The news was responded to with extensive praise from WWE fans, the professional wrestling community, and media outlets alike.[2]
In the week following the heavily publicized Undertaker inductee news, media outlets observed that many WWE fans had advocated for the idea of The Undertaker to be the sole inductee for the Class of 2022, reasoning that his legend status in the company would warrant such an honor.[3] The solo dedication was also publicly endorsed by fellow Hall of FamerBubba Ray Dudley,Class of 2018, sharing as well of his opinion that such an event would be an entertainment draw and sell out the arena.[4]
The character of "The Undertaker" was created by WWE Chairman and Chief Executive OfficerVince McMahon, who made a rare media appearance onThe Pat McAfee Show on March 3, where he announced that he would be inducting The Undertaker into the WWE Hall of Fame. In praising The Undertaker both inside and outside of character in a heartfelt message, McMahon elaborated that this induction would be one of the most difficult endeavors of his life because of his longtime history with The Undertaker, what they had been through together, and how close they had been behind the scenes.[5] Reacting to the heavily publicized announcement from McMahon, The Undertaker issued aTwitter response later that same day, which read:
After over 30 years of long roads traveled, countless hours of TV, and one hell of a ride together... couldn't think of anyone better to put me in the #WWEHOF than @VinceMcMahon. One final ride together, old-timer!!![6]
— The Undertaker
On March 7,Bleacher Report and WWE announced thatVader would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2022posthumously.[7] On March 14,Complex.com and WWE announced thatQueen Sharmell would be inducted into the Class of 2022.[8] The announcement of Sharmell's induction was met with widespread mixed reactions as fans either reacted positively to the news while others criticized the choice citing her lack of credentials within WWE andWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW).
On March 25,FoxSports.com and WWE announced that former WWE wrestlerShad Gaspard would be receiving the Warrior Award posthumously, with his wife Siliana and son Aryeh accepting the award.[9] On March 28, David Shoemaker ofThe Ringer and WWE announced thatThe Steiner Brothers (Scott Steiner andRick Steiner) would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2022.[10] For the first time in 6 years, no Legacy Wing inductions took place.
With an unprecedented induction that displayed his various Deadman genres on mannequins, Calaway made a 137-minute speech that opened with a 10-minute, emotional standing ovation from the live audience that brought Calaway to tears. Calaway's speech, hailed by media outlets as matchless and beyond compare, shared his collection oflife philosophies for success.[11]
| Image | Ring name (Birth name) | Inducted by | WWE recognized accolades |
|---|---|---|---|
 | The Undertaker (Mark Calaway)[1] | Vince McMahon | Four-timeWWF/WWE (Heavyweight) Champion Three-timeWorld Heavyweight Champion One-timeWWF Hardcore Champion Six-timeWWF Tag Team Champion One-timeWCW Tag Team Champion 2007 Royal Rumble winner 15-timeSlammy Award winner Tuwaiq Mountain Trophy winner Widely known forThe Streak, a series of 21 victories atWrestleMania, with an overall record of 25–2, and being the longest tenured WWE wrestler, totaling 30 years. |
 | Vader (Leon White)[12] | Jesse White | Posthumous inductee: represented by his widow Debra and his son Jesse. Three-timeWCW World Heavyweight Champion One-timeWCW United States Heavyweight Champion 1993 Battlebowl winner. |
 | Queen Sharmell (Sharmell Sullivan-Huffman)[13] | Booker T | 1991Miss Black America FormerNitro Girl, and manager in WCW and WWE, most famously of her husband,Booker T. |
| Image | Ring names (Birth name) | Inducted by | WWE recognized accolades as a team |
|---|---|---|---|
 Scott (left) and Rick (right) posing with a fan. | The Steiner Brothers[10] | Bron Breakker | Two-timeWWF Tag Team Champions Two-timeIWGP Tag Team Champions Seven-timeWCW World Tag Team Champions One-timeWCW United States Tag Team Champions. |
| Scott Steiner (Scott Rechsteiner) –One-timeWCW World Heavyweight Champion, two-timeWCW World Television Champion, and two-timeWCW United States Heavyweight Champion. Rick Steiner (Robert Rechsteiner) –Three-timeWCW World Television Champion, one-timeWCW United States Heavyweight Champion, one-timeWCW World Tag Team Champion (without Scott), and one-timeWCW United States Tag Team Champion (without Scott). | |||
| Image | Recipient (Birth name) | Presented by | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Shad Gaspard[14][15] | Dana Warrior | Posthumous recipient: represented by his widow Siliana and his son Aryeh. Former WWE wrestler in theCryme Tyme tag team withJTG; Gaspard sacrificed himself to save his son from drowning in 2020. |
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