Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter (WON) Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling and mixed martial arts (MMA) hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to their professions. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of WON. Like many other wrestling halls of fame, such as the WWE, TNA, ROH and WCW halls of fame, WON's Hall of Fame is not contained in a building. There are no ceremonies for inductions other than a highly detailed biographical documentation of their career in the newsletter. Inductees include wrestlers/fighters, managers, promoters, trainers, and commentators. On select occasions, groups, either tag teams, trios, or quartets, have been inducted rather than the individual members of the group. This first occurred in 1996, when The Fabulous Kangaroos and The Road Warriors entered the hall. The Fabulous Freebirds, The Midnight Express, The Rock 'n' Roll Express, The Assassins, The Holy Demon Army, The Sharpe Brothers, Los Misioneros de la Muerte, and Los Brazos among others all also entered as groups. Occasionally entire wrestling families have been inducted into the hall. This first occurred in 1996 when The Dusek Family entered the hall; in 2022, the five man familial team of Los Villanos was inducted.

Starting in 2022, it became possible for a wrestler to be placed in the Hall of Fame multiple times, much like inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So far, five people have achieved this double honor: Toshiaki Kawada, Villano III, Antonino Rocca, Jack Brisco, and Jackie Sato. Each are inducted as a singles performer and a team member (Kawada as part of Holy Demon Army, Villano III as part of Los Villanos, Rocca as part of Rocca and Perez, Jack Brisco as part of the Brisco Brothers, and Jackie Sato as part of Beauty Pair).

Meltzer began the Hall of Fame by choosing a list of 122 inaugural inductees in 1996. Since then, wrestlers from past and present, others employed in the professional wrestling industry, and wrestling journalists and historians have been selected by Meltzer to cast secret ballots to determine annual groups of inductees. Voting criteria include the length of time spent in wrestling, historical significance, ability to attract viewers, and wrestling ability.[1] Inductees must have at least 15 years of experience or be over 35 years old and have 10 years of experience. To gain membership in the hall, potential inductees must receive 60% support on the ballots from their geographic region.[2] Any person that gets less than 10% of the vote is eliminated from the ballot. If a person fails to get inducted 15 years after being put on the ballot, they must get 50% of the vote or be eliminated.[3] There are over 200 inductees, including the multiple teams, trios, and stables. Since voting began in 1998, nineteen candidates have been inducted in their first year of eligibility; the most recent first-ballot inductees were Beauty Pair in 2023.[4]

In 2008, a recall vote was held asking if 2003 inductee Chris Benoit, who killed his wife and son before committing suicide in June 2007, should remain in the hall. To have Benoit removed, Meltzer required that 60% of voters must agree with the proposal.[5] Although the majority voted for Benoit's removal, they only represented 53.6% of the votes, falling short of the number required. Benoit remains on the list of inductees.[6]

Inductees

Legend
  First-ballot Hall of Famer
# Year Image Ring name
(Birth name) 		Inducted for Notes
1 1996 Abdullah the Butcher
(Larry Shreve)[7] 		Wrestling Won the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship (3 times), NWA United National Championship (1 time), and PWF World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[7]
2 1996 — Perro Aguayo
(Pedro Aguayo Damián)[8] 		Wrestling Won the Mexican National Heavyweight Championship (1 time), Mexican National Middleweight Championship (1 time), and Mexican National Tag Team Championship (2 times)[9][10][11]
3 1996 André the Giant
(André Roussimoff)[12] 		Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the WWF World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) and WWF Tag Team Championship (1 time)[13]
4 1996 — Bert Assirati Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the British Heavyweight Championship (1 time) and European Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[14]
5 1996 Giant Baba
(Shohei Baba) 		Wrestling and promoting Won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (3 times) and PWF World Heavyweight Championship (4 times); founded All Japan Pro Wrestling[15]
6 1996 Jim Barnett Promoting Founded Australia's World Championship Wrestling; owned Georgia Championship Wrestling[16][17]
7 1996 Red Berry
(Ralph Berry)[18] 		Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship (9 times) and NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[18][19]
8 1996 "The Destroyer" Dick Beyer[20] Wrestling Won the WWA World Heavyweight Championship (3 times) and AWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[20][21]
9 1996 Freddie Blassie Wrestling and managing Won the NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (14 times) and NAWA/WWA World Heavyweight Championship (4 times); worked as manager after retiring as a competitor[22]
10 1996 Blue Demon
(Alexander Muñoz Moreno)[23] 		Wrestling Won the Mexican National Welterweight Championship (3 times) and appeared in several luchador films[24][25][26]
11 1996 Nick Bockwinkel Wrestling Won the AWA World Heavyweight Championship (4 times), AWA World Tag Team Championship (3 times), and NWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times)[27]
12 1996 — Paul Boesch Commentating and promoting Posthumous inductee; promoted the Houston, Texas territory of National Wrestling Alliance[28]
13 1996 Bobo Brazil
(Houston Harris)[29] 		Wrestling Won the Detroit version of NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (9 times) and Mid-Atlantic version (1 time)[30][31]
14 1996 Jack Brisco
(Fred Brisco)[32] 		Wrestling Won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times), NWA World Tag Team Championship (3 times), and NWA National Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[33][34]
15 1996 Bruiser Brody
(Frank Goodish)[35] 		Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship (3 times), NWA International Heavyweight Championship (3 times), and PWF World Tag Team Championship (1 time)[36]
16 1996 Mildred Burke
(Mildred Bliss)[37] 		Women's wrestling and promoting Posthumous inductee; won the Women's World Championship (3 times) and NWA World Women's Championship (1 time); founded World Women's Wrestling Association.[37]
17 1996 El Canek
(Felipe Estrada) 		Wrestling Won the UWA World Heavyweight Championship (15 times), CMLL World Tag Team Championship (1 time) and CMLL World Trios Championship (1 time)[38]
18 1996 Negro Casas
(José Casas Ruiz)[39] 		Wrestling Won the CMLL World Tag Team Championship (6 times), CMLL World Middleweight Championship (2 times), UWA World Lightweight Championship (1 time) and UWA World Middleweight Championship (1 time)[40][41]
19 1996 Riki Choshu
(Mitsuo Yoshida)[42] 		Wrestling Won the PWF World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), IWGP Heavyweight Championship (3 times), and IWGP Tag Team Championship (3 times)[42][43]
20 1996 Jim Cornette Managing and promoting Founded Smoky Mountain Wrestling and managed wrestlers in National Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling, and the World Wrestling Federation[44][45]
21 1996 The Crusher
(Reginald Lisowski)[46] 		Wrestling Won the AWA World Heavyweight Championship (3 times), AWA World Tag Team Championship (9 times), and WWA World Tag Team Championship (6 times)[47][48]
22 1996 Ted DiBiase Wrestling and managing Won the NWA/Mid-South North American Heavyweight Championship (5 times), PWF World Tag Team Championship (1 time), NWA National Heavyweight Championship (2 times), and WWF World Tag Team Championship (3 times); managed the Million Dollar Corporation and New World Order stables[49][50]
23 1996 Dick the Bruiser
(William Afflis)[51] 		Wrestling and promoting Posthumous inductee; won the Indianapolis version (13 times) and the Los Angeles version (1 time) of the WWA World Heavyweight Championship, AWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) and AWA World Tag Team Championship (5 times); owned and promoted the World Wrestling Association in Indianapolis, Indiana[52][53]
24 1996 — Alfonso Dantés
(Jose Luis Amezcua Diaz)[54] 		Wrestling Won the NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship (5 times), Mexican National Heavyweight Championship (2 times), and Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship (3 times)[54][55]
25 1996 The Dusek Family (Ernie, Emil, Joe, and Rudy)
(The Hason Family)[56] 		Wrestling and promoting Emil and Ernie Dusek won the Central States version of NWA World Tag Team Championship (3 times) and San Francisco version of NWA World Tag Team Championship (1 times); Joe Dusek promoted wrestling events in Omaha, Nebraska[56]
26 1996 Dynamite Kid
(Tom Billington)[57] 		Wrestling Won the WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time), NWA International Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time), All Asia Tag Team Championship (1 time), Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time), and WWF Tag Team Championship (1 time)[57][58]
27 1996 — The Fabulous Kangaroos (Al Costello, Roy Heffernan, and Don Kent)
(Giacoma Costa, Laurence Roy Heffernan, and Leo Smith Jr.)[59][60][61] 		Tag team wrestling Won the Northeast version of the NWA United States Tag Team Championship (3 times) and Mid-America version of NWA World Tag Team Championship (3 times)[59][62]
28 1996 Jackie Fargo
(Henry Faggart)[63] 		Wrestling Won the Mid-America version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship (10 times) and Mid-America version of NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (22 times)[62][64]
29 1996 Ric Flair
(Richard Fliehr)[65][n 1] 		Wrestling Won the WWF Championship (2 times), NWA World Heavyweight Championship (8 times), and WCW World Heavyweight Championship (6 times)[66]
30 1996 Tatsumi Fujinami Wrestling Won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship (6 times), NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), and WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[34][67][68]
31 1996 Dory Funk Wrestling and promoting Posthumous inductee; won the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time) and NWA North American Heavyweight Championship multiple times; promoted for the National Wrestling Alliance[69][70]
32 1996 Dory Funk Jr. Wrestling Won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship (2 times), and NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship (3 times)[69][71]
33 1996 Terry Funk Wrestling Won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), ECW World Heavyweight Championship (2 times), and WWF Tag Team Championship (1 time)[72][73][74]
34 1996 Verne Gagne
(LaVerne Gagne) 		Wrestling and promoting Founded the American Wrestling Association; won the AWA World Heavyweight Championship (10 times)[75]
35 1996 Cavernario Galindo
(Rodolfo Galindo Ramírez)[76] 		Wrestling Won the Mexican Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time); appeared in several luchador films[76][77]
36 1996 Ed Don George Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship (1 time) and Boston's AWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[78]
37 1996 Gorgeous George
(George Raymond Wagner)[79] 		Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (1 time), NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship (1 time), and Boston's AWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[79]
38 1996 Frank Gotch Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship (1 time) and American Heavyweight Championship (3 times)[80]
39 1996 — Karl Gotch
(Karl Istaz)[81] 		Wrestling Won the IWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), WWWF World Tag Team Championship (1 time), and Ohio's AWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[81]
40 1996 Superstar Billy Graham
(Wayne Coleman)[82] 		Wrestling Won the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) and San Francisco version of NWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times)[83][84]
41 1996 — Eddie Graham
(Edward Gossett)[85] 		Wrestling and promoting Posthumous inductee; won the NWA World Tag Team Championship (7 times) and NWA United States Tag Team Championship (4 times); owned Championship Wrestling from Florida and served as president of National Wrestling Alliance[85]
42 1996 — René Guajardo
(Manuel Guajardo Mejorado) 		Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the Mexican National Middleweight Championship (2 times), Mexican National Tag Team Championship (1 time), and the UWA World Middleweight Championship (2 times) [86][87]
43 1996 — Gory Guerrero
(Salvador Guerrero Quesada)[88] 		Wrestling and promoting Posthumous inductee; won the NWA World Welterweight Championship (1 time), NWA World Middleweight Championship (1 time), and Mexican National Middleweight Championship (1 time)[88]
44 1996 George Hackenschmidt Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the European Greco-Roman Heavyweight Championship (1 time) and World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship (1 time)[89]
45 1996 Stan Hansen
(John Hansen)[90] 		Wrestling Won the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (4 times) and AWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[90][91]
46 1996 Bret Hart Wrestling Won the WWF Championship (5 times), WWF Tag Team Championship (2 times), and WCW World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[92][93][94]
47 1996 — Stu Hart Wrestling, promoting and training Owned and promoted Stampede Wrestling; trained many well-known wrestlers[95]
48 1996 Bobby Heenan
(Raymond Heenan)[96] 		Managing and commentating Managed wrestlers in the American Wrestling Association, Georgia Championship Wrestling, and World Wrestling Federation; provided color commentary for the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling[96]
49 1996 Danny Hodge Wrestling Won the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship (7 times)[97]
50 1996 Hulk Hogan
(Terry Bollea)[98] 		Wrestling Won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship (6 times) and WCW World Heavyweight Championship (6 times)[92][94]
51 1996 Antonio Inoki
(Kanji Inoki)[99] 		Wrestling and promoting Won the All Asia Tag Team Championship (3 times), NWA International Tag Team Championship (4 times), and IWGP Heavyweight Championship (1 time); founded New Japan Pro-Wrestling[100]
52 1996 — Rayo de Jalisco
(Maximino Linares Moreno)[101] 		Wrestling Won the Mexican National Tag Team Championship (2 times) and appeared in luchador films[102][103][104]
53 1996 Tom Jenkins Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the American Heavyweight Championship (3 times)[105]
54 1996 — Don Leo Jonathan
(Don Heaton)[106] 		Wrestling Won the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (15 times) and Omaha's World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[106]
55 1996 Gene Kiniski Wrestling Won the AWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), and WWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[107]
56 1996 Fred Kohler
(Fred Koch)[61] 		Promoting Posthumous inductee; promoted wrestling events in Chicago, Illinois and helped popularize tag team wrestling in the United States[108]
57 1996 Killer Kowalski
(Edward Spulnik)[109] 		Wrestling and training Won the IWA World Heavyweight Championship (6 times) and WWWF World Tag Team Championship (1 time); trained many well-known wrestlers[110]
58 1996 Ernie Ladd Wrestling Won the Mid-South North American Heavyweight Championship (4 times), WWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), and NWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[111]
59 1996 Dick Lane Commentating Posthumous inductee; worked as commentator for wrestling shows in Southern California[112]
60 1996 Jerry Lawler Wrestling and promoting Won the AWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship (27 times), and Memphis Wrestling Southern Heavyweight Championship (40 times)[113]
61 1996 Ed Lewis
(Robert Friedrich) 		Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship (4 times) and Boston version of the AWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[114]
62 1996 Jim Londos
(Chris Theophelos)[115] 		Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship (1 time) and NWA/NBA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[115]
63 1996 — Salvador Lutteroth
(Salvador Lutteroth Gonzalez)[116] 		Promoting Posthumous inductee; founded Empresa Mexicana de la Lucha Libre[117]
64 1996 Akira Maeda Wrestling and promoting Won the UWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time), European Heavyweight Championship (1 time), and IWGP Tag Team Championship (2 times); founded Fighting Network Rings and the Newborn Universal Wrestling Federation[118][119][120]
65 1996 — Devil Masami
(Masami Yoshida)[121] 		Women's wrestling Won the WWWA World Single Championship (1 time), AAAW Single Championship (1 time), and WCW Women's Championship (1 time); trained several well-known wrestlers[122][123]
66 1996 Mil Máscaras
(Aaron Rodríguez)[124] 		Wrestling Won the WWA/NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship (4 times), Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship (2 times), and Georgia's IWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[124]
67 1996 Dump Matsumoto
(Kaoru Matsumoto)[125] 		Women's wrestling Won the AJW Championship (1 time) and WWWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times)[125][126]
68 1996 Earl McCready Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the NWA British Empire Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[127]
69 1996 — Leroy McGuirk Wrestling and promoting Posthumous inductee; won the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time) and World Light Heavyweight Championship (2 times); promoted shows for National Wrestling Alliance in Oklahoma[70][128][129]
70 1996 Vince McMahon Sr. Promoting Posthumous inductee; founded the World Wide Wrestling Federation[130]
71 1996 Vince McMahon Jr. Promoting and commentating Owned and provided commentary for the World Wrestling Federation[92][131][132]
72 1996 Danny McShain Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the World Light Heavyweight Championship (11 times) and NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship (9 times)[19][133]
73 1996 — Ray Mendoza
(Jose Diaz)[134] 		Wrestling Won the NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship (6 times) and UWA World Light Heavyweight Championship (4 times)[134]
74 1996 Mitsuharu Misawa Wrestling Won the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (5 times), GHC Heavyweight Championship (3 times), and World Tag Team Championship (6 times); founded Pro Wrestling Noah[135][136]
75 1996 — Toots Mondt
(Joseph Mondt) 		Promoting Posthumous inductee; invented "Slam Bang Western Style Wrestling", founded the Gold Dust Trio, and ran the World Wide Wrestling Federation[137]
76 1996 — Sam Muchnick Promoting Founded the National Wrestling Alliance and served as its president from 1950 to 1960 and from 1963 to 1975; owned and promoted the St. Louis Wrestling Club[138][139]
77 1996 Bronko Nagurski
(Bronislau Nagurski)[140] 		Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the NWA/NBA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times), World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship (1 time)[140]
78 1996 Pat O'Connor Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the AWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) and NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[141]
79 1996 Kintarō Ōki
(Kim Tae-sik) 		Wrestling Won the WWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), All Asia Heavyweight Championship (4 times) and NWA International Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[142]
80 1996 Atsushi Onita Wrestling and promoting Won the NWA International Junior Heavyweight Championship (3 times), All Asia Tag Team Championship (1 time), and FMW Brass Knuckles Heavyweight Championship (7 times); founded Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling[143]
81 1996 Pat Patterson
(Pierre Clermont)[84] 		Wrestling Won the San Francisco version of NWA World Tag Team Championship (11 times), AWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time), and WWF Intercontinental Championship (1 time)[84]
82 1996 — Antonio Peña
(Antonio Peña Herrada)[142] 		Promoting Founded Asistencia Asesoría y Administración[142]
83 1996 — John Pesek Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the NWA/NBA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[70]
84 1996 Roddy Piper
(Roderick Toombs)[144] 		Wrestling Won the NWA/WCW United States Heavyweight Championship (3 times) and WWF Intercontinental Championship (1 time)[144]
85 1996 Harley Race Wrestling Won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (8 times); founded World League Wrestling[70]
86 1996 Dusty Rhodes
(Virgil Runnels Jr.)[145] 		Wrestling Won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (3 times) and NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship (10 times)[146]
87 1996 Rikidōzan
(Kim Sin-Nak)[147] 		Wrestling and promoting Posthumous inductee; won the NWA International Heavyweight Championship (1 time), Japanese Heavyweight Championship (1 time), All Asia Heavyweight Championship (1 time), NWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time), and All Asia Tag Team Championship (4 times); founded the Japanese Wrestling Association[147]
88 1996 The Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal)
(Michael Hegstrand and Joseph Laurinaitis)[148] 		Tag team wrestling Won the AWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time), NWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time), and WWF Tag Team Championship (2 times)[93][148]
89 1996 Yvon Robert Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the NWA/NBA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) and Boston's AWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[149]
90 1996 Billy Robinson Wrestling Won the PWF World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), IWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), European Heavyweight Championship (1 time), British Heavyweight Championship (1 time), AWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times), and AWA British Empire Heavyweight Championship (3 times)[7][150][151]
91 1996 Antonino Rocca
(Antonino Biasetton)[152] 		Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the Ohio version of the AWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), NWA North American Tag Team Championship (1 time) and WWWF International Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[153]
92 1996 Buddy Rogers
(Herman Rohde)[154] 		Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) and WWWF World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[34][92]
93 1996 — Lance Russell
(Lanier Russell) 		Commentating Worked as commentator and ring announcer for wrestling shows in Memphis, and to a lesser extent, World Championship Wrestling and Smoky Mountain Wrestling[155]
94 1996 Bruno Sammartino Wrestling Won the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship (2 times), WWWF United States Tag Team Championship (1 time), and WWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time)[156]
95 1996 — Billy Sandow
(Wilhelm Baumann) 		Promoting and managing Posthumous inductee; managed Ed "Strangler" Lewis and was part of the Gold Dust Trio[157]
96 1996 El Santo
(Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta)[103] 		Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the Mexican National Welterweight Championship (2 times), Mexican National Middleweight Championship (4 times), and Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time); appeared in several luchador films[10][24][103][158]
97 1996 — Jackie Sato
(Naoko Sato)[159] 		Women's wrestling Won the WWWA World Single Championship (2 times)[159]
98 1996 Randy Savage
(Randy Poffo)[160] 		Wrestling Won the WWF Championship (2 times), WWF Intercontinental Championship (1 time), and WCW World Heavyweight Championship (4 times)[92][94][161]
99 1996 The Sheik
(Ed Farhat)[162] 		Wrestling and promoting Won the Detroit Version of NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (12 times) and NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship (2 times); owned and promoted Big Time Wrestling[162][163]
100 1996 Hisashi Shinma Promoting Chairman of New Japan Pro-Wrestling, founder of Japanese Universal Wrestling Federation and on-screen president of the World Wrestling Federation[100][164]
101 1996 Dara Singh
(Dara Singh Randhawa)[165] 		Wrestling Won the World Wrestling Championship, NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship (1 time) and Commonwealth Championship.[43][166][167]
102 1996 Gordon Solie
(Francis Labiak)[168] 		Commentating Worked as commentator for the National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling[169]
103 1996 El Solitario
(Roberto González Cruz)[170] 		Wrestling Won the NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time) and NWA World Middleweight Championship (1 time)[170][171]
104 1996 Ricky Steamboat[172]
(Richard Blood) 		Wrestling Won the NWA/WCW United States Heavyweight Championship (4 times), NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), and WWF Intercontinental Championship (1 time)[172][173]
105 1996 Joe Stecher Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship (3 times)[174]
106 1996 Tony Stecher
(Anton Stecher)[174] 		Wrestling and promoting Posthumous inductee; won several regional championships; co-founded the National Wrestling Alliance[174]
107 1996 — Ray Steele
(Peter Sauer)[175] 		Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the NWA/NBA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[70]
108 1996 Ray Stevens
(Carl Stevens) 		Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (San Francisco version) (2 times), the AWA World Tag Team Championship (4 times) and the AWA United States Heavyweight Championship (7 times)[70]
109 1996 Nobuhiko Takada Wrestling and promoting Won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship (1 time), Pro-Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), and IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time); founded the Union of Wrestling Forces International[68][176]
110 1996 Genichiro Tenryu
(Genichiro Shimada)[177] 		Wrestling and promoting Won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship (1 time), Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (3 times), World Tag Team Championship (5 times); founded Wrestle Association R[178][179][180]
111 1996 Lou Thesz
(Aloysius Martiz Thesz)[181] 		Wrestling Won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (6 times)[181]
112 1996 "Tiger Mask" Satoru Sayama[182] Wrestling, MMA and promoting Won the WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship (2 times) and NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship (2 times);[182] founded Shooto
113 1996 Jumbo Tsuruta
(Tomomi Tsuruta)[183] 		Wrestling Won the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (3 times) and AWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[183]
114 1996 — Frank Tunney Promoting Posthumous inductee; promoted wrestling events in Toronto, Ontario and served as president of the National Wrestling Alliance[184]
115 1996 Mad Dog Vachon Wrestling Won the AWA World Heavyweight Championship (5 times), AWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times), and Central States version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time)[185]
116 1996 Big Van Vader
(Leon White)[186] 		Wrestling Won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship (3 times), Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (2 times), WCW World Heavyweight Championship (3 times), and UWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[94][187]
117 1996 Johnny Valentine
(Jonathan Wisniski)[188] 		Wrestling Won the NWF Heavyweight Championship (2 times) and NWA/WWWF United States Tag Team Championship (4 times)[189]
118 1996 Fritz Von Erich
(Jack Adkisson)[190] 		Wrestling and promoting Won the AWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) and NWA American Heavyweight Championship (13 times); served as president of the National Wrestling Alliance and founded World Class Championship Wrestling[190][191]
119 1996 Whipper Billy Watson
(William Potts)[192] 		Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the NWA/NBA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) and NWA British Empire Heavyweight Championship (12 times)[192]
120 1996 Bill Watts Wrestling and promoting Won the Mid-South North American Heavyweight Championship (8 times), AWA United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time) and WWWF United States Tag Team Championship (1 time); founded Mid-South Wrestling and served as president of World Championship Wrestling[193][194][195]
121 1996 Jaguar Yokota
(Rimi Yokota)[196] 		Women's wrestling Won the UWA World Women's Championship (1 time), and WWWA World Single Championship (2 times)[197]
122 1996 Stanislaus Zbyszko Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship (3 times)[198]
123 1997 Édouard Carpentier
(Edouard Wiercowicz)[199] 		Wrestling Won the Boston's Atlantic Athletic Commission World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), Omaha's World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), and NAWA/WWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[199]
124 1997 El Hijo del Santo
(Jorge Guzmán)[200] 		Wrestling Won the AAA World Tag Team Championship (1 time), Mexican National Middleweight Championship (1 time), and Mexican National Welterweight Championship (1 time)[10][24][201]
125 1997 Toshiaki Kawada Wrestling Won the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (5 times)[178]
126 1997 — Jimmy Lennon Ring announcing Posthumous inductee; worked as a ring announcer in Los Angeles[202]
127 1997 William Muldoon Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won American Greco-Roman Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[203]
128 1997 Chigusa Nagayo Women's wrestling Founded Gaea Japan; won the AAAW Single Championship (2 times)[204][205]
129 1998 Dos Caras
(José Rodríguez) 		Wrestling Won the UWA World Heavyweight Championship (3 times), WWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time) and Mexican National Trios Championship (1 time)[158][206]
130 1999 Lioness Asuka
(Tomoko Kitamura) 		Women's wrestling Won the AJW Championship (2 times), WWWA World Single Championship (2 times), and AJW Junior Championship (1 time).
131 1999 Jushin Thunder Liger
(Keiichi Yamada)[207] 		Wrestling Won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship (11 times), GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time), CMLL World Middleweight Championship (1 time), J-Crown (1 time), WCW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time), and NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship (2 times).[208][209]
132 1999 Keiji Mutoh Wrestling Won the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (3 times) and IWGP Heavyweight Championship (4 times) and NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[119][178]
133 1999 Jim Ross Commentating Worked as commentator for Universal Wrestling Federation, WCW, and WWF/E[210]
134 2000 Stone Cold Steve Austin
(Steven James Williams)[211][n 2] 		Wrestling Won the WWF Championship (6 times), WWF Intercontinental Championship (2 times), and WCW United States Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[92][161][173]
135 2000 Mick Foley Wrestling Won the WWF Championship (3 times) and TNA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[92]
136 2000 Shinya Hashimoto Wrestling Won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), IWGP Heavyweight Championship (3 times), and Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[178][213][214]
137 2000 Akira Hokuto
(Hisako Uno Sasaki) 		Women's wrestling Won the WCW Women's Championship (1 time), All Pacific Championship (2 times), and CMLL World Women's Championship (1 time)[215]
138 2000 — Bill Longson Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the NWA/NBA World Heavyweight Championship (3 times) and NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[216]
139 2000 Frank Sexton Wrestling Won the Boston-based AWA World Heavyweight Champion (2 times)[217]
140 2000 Sándor Szabó Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the NWA/NBA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) and Boston-based AWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[218]
141 2001 — Black Shadow
(Alejandro Cruz Ortíz)[61] 		Wrestling Won the Mexican National Tag Team Championship (1 time) and Mexican National Lightweight Championship (1 time)[102][219]
142 2001 — Diablo Velasco
(Cuahutémoc Velasco)[61] 		Training Posthumous inductee; trained many well-known wrestlers[70][220]
143 2001 — Lizmark
(Juan Baños) 		Wrestling Won the Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time), Mexican National Middleweight Championship (2 times), and Mexican National Welterweight Championship (1 time)[10][24][158]
144 2001 Bull Nakano
(Keiko Nakano)[221] 		Women's wrestling Won the WWWA World Single Championship (1 time), All Pacific Championship (1 time), WWF Women's Championship (1 time) and CMLL World Women's Championship (1 time)[125]
145 2001 — El Satánico
(Daniel López)[222] 		Wrestling Won the Mexican National Middleweight Championship (3 times) and Mexican National Trios Championship (3 times)[10][206]
146 2002 Martin Burns Wrestling and training Posthumous inductee; won the American Heavyweight Championship (1 time); trained many well-known wrestlers[223][224]
147 2002 Jack Curley
(Jacques Armand Schuel)[225] 		Promoting Posthumous inductee; promoted wrestling events and helped popularize professional wrestling in the United States[225]
148 2002 Kenta Kobashi Wrestling Won the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (3 times) and GHC Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[178][226]
149 2002 Wahoo McDaniel
(Edward McDaniel)[227] 		Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the NWA United States Championship (5 times), NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship (5 times), and NWA National Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[228]
150 2002 Manami Toyota Women's wrestling Won the WWWA World Single Championship (4 times), AAAW Single Championship (1 time) and All Pacific Championship (2 times)[205]
151 2003 Chris Benoit Wrestling Won the World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), WCW World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), WWE Intercontinental Championship (4 times), and WWF/World Tag Team Championship (3 times)[229]
152 2003 Earl Caddock Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship (1 time)[230]
153 2003 — Francisco Flores Promoting Promoted wrestling events in Mexico; founded the Universal Wrestling Association[231]
154 2003 Shawn Michaels
(Michael Shawn Hickenbottom)[232] 		Wrestling Won the WWF Championship (3 times), World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), and WWF/World Tag Team Championship (4 times)[92][93][233]
155 2004 The Undertaker
(Mark Calaway)[234] 		Wrestling Won the WWF/E Championship (4 times), World Heavyweight Championship (3 times), and WWF Tag Team Championship (6 times)[92][93][233]
156 2004 Bob Backlund Wrestling Won the WWWF Heavyweight Championship/WWF Championship (2 times) and WWF Tag Team Championship (1 time)[92][93]
157 2004 Masahiro Chono Wrestling Won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship (1 time), NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), and IWGP Tag Team Championship (7 times)[213]
158 2004 — Tarzán López
(Carlos Lόpez Tovar)[61] 		Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship (3 times), Mexican National Middleweight Championship (1 time), and Mexican National Welterweight Championship (1 time)[10][24][158]
159 2004 Kazushi Sakuraba Wrestling and MMA Competed in several professional wrestling organizations as well as in mixed martial arts fighting[235]
160 2004 Último Dragón
(Yoshihiro Asai)[236] 		Wrestling Won the J-Crown (1 time), IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship (2 times), AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Championship (2 times), and WCW Cruiserweight Championship (2 times)[208][209]
161 2004 Kurt Angle Wrestling Won the WWF/E Championship (4 times), WCW World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) and TNA World Heavyweight Championship (6 times) [92][233]
162 2005 The Fabulous Freebirds (Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy, and Buddy Roberts)
(Michael Seitz, Terry Gordy, and Dale Hey)[237][238] 		Tag team wrestling Won the WCWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship/Texas version of the NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (6 times) and WCW World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time)[239]
163 2005 Paul Heyman Managing and promoting Owned and promoted Extreme Championship Wrestling; managed wrestlers in American Wrestling Association, National Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling and WWE[240]
164 2005 Triple H
(Paul Levesque)[241] 		Wrestling Won the WWF/E Championship (9 times), World Heavyweight Championship (5 times)[92][233] WWF/E Intercontinental Championship (5 times), and WWF European Championship (2 times)
165 2006 — Paul Bowser Promoting Posthumous inductee; promoted Boston's American Wrestling Association[242]
166 2006 Eddy Guerrero Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the WWE Championship (1 time), WWF/E Intercontinental Championship (2 times), and WCW/WWE United States Championship (2 times)[243]
167 2006 Hiroshi Hase Wrestling Won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship (2 times) and IWGP Tag Team Championship (4 times) and WCW International World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[244][245]
168 2006 Masakatsu Funaki Wrestling, MMA and promoting Won the King of Pancrase Openweight Championship (2 times) and Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (1 time); founded Pancrase Hybrid Wrestling[246][247][248]
169 2006 Aja Kong
(Erika Shishido) 		Women's wrestling Won the AAAW Single Championship (3 times), WWWA World Single Championship (2 times), and WWWA World Tag Team Championship (4 times)[205][249]
170 2007 The Rock
(Dwayne Johnson)[250] 		Wrestling Won the WWF/WWE Championship (8 times), WCW/World Championship (2 times), WWF/E Intercontinental Championship (2 times), and WWF World Tag Team Championship (5 times)[92][251]
171 2007 Evan Lewis Wrestling Posthumous inductee; won the American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[223]
172 2007 — Tom Packs Promoting Posthumous inductee; promoted wrestling events in St. Louis, Missouri and the Midwestern United States[252]
173 2008 — Paco Alonso
(Francisco Alonso) 		Promoting Promoted the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre[253]
174 2008 Martín Karadagian Wrestling and promoting Posthumous inductee; competed in Argentina[254]
175 2009 Konnan
(Charles Ashenoff) 		Wrestling Won the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), AAA Americas Heavyweight Championship (1 time), NWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times), WCW United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time), WCW World Tag Team Championship (2 times)[70]
176 2009 — Everett Marshall Wrestling Won the MWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), NWA/NBA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), Texas Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[70]
177 2009 The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton, Stan Lane, and Dennis Condrey) Tag team wrestling Won the NWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time), Mid-South Tag Team Championship (2 times), NWA American Tag Team Championship (1 time), NWA United States Tag Team Championship (3 times), and NWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time)[70]
178 2009 — Bill Miller Wrestling Won the AWA United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time), AWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), WWWF United States Tag Team Championship (1 time)
179 2009 Masa Saito
(Masanori Saito) 		Wrestling Won the AWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship (1 time), WWF World Tag Team Championship (2 times)[70]
180 2009 — Roy Shire
(Roy Shropshire) 		Wrestling and promoting Won the Amarillo version of NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time) and NWA Southwest Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time); founded and promoted Big Time Wrestling in the Bay Area[70]
181 2010 Chris Jericho
(Christopher Irvine) 		Wrestling Won the Undisputed WWF Championship (1 time), World Heavyweight Championship (3 times), AEW World Championship (1 time), WCW/World Championship (2 times), and WWF/E Intercontinental Championship (9 times),[70]
182 2010 Rey Misterio Jr.
(Oscar Gutierrez) 		Wrestling Won the World Heavyweight Championship (2 times), WWE Championship (1 time), and WCW/WWE Cruiserweight Championship (8 times)[70]
183 2010 Wladek Zbyszko
(Władysław Cyganiewicz) 		Wrestling Posthumous inductee. Won the Boston version of AWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[70]
184 2011 — Kent Walton Commentating Posthumous inductee. World of Sport commentator[255]
185 2011 Steve Williams Wrestling Posthumous inductee. Won the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (1 time), UWF World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[255]
186 2011 — Curtis Iaukea Wrestling Posthumous inductee. Won the IWA World Heavyweight Championship (4 times), NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Championship (4 times), and WWWF World Tag Team Championship (1 time)[255]
187 2012 — Mick McManus
(William Matthews) 		Wrestling Won the European Middleweight Championship (4 times), British Welterweight Championship (2 times) and British Middleweight Championship (1 time)[256]
188 2012 — Alfonso Morales
(Gilberto Alberto Morales Villela) 		Commentating Commentator for both AAA and CMLL on Televisa[256]
189 2012 John Cena Wrestling Won the WWE Championship/WWE World Heavyweight Championship (13 times), World Heavyweight Championship (3 times), and WWE United States Championship (5 times)[256]
190 2012 Hans Schmidt
(Guy Larose) 		Wrestling Posthumous inductee. Won the Montreal version of AWA International Heavyweight Championship (2 times), Chicago version of NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time), and Los Angeles version of NWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time)[256]
191 2012 Lou Albano Wrestling and managing Posthumous inductee. Won the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship. Manager of 15 different WWF World Tag Team Champions[256]
192 2012 Gus Sonnenberg Wrestling Posthumous inductee, Original World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), and Boston version of AWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[256]
193 2013 — Takashi Matsunaga Promoting Posthumous inductee. Founder and promoter of All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling[257]
194 2013 Henri Deglane Wrestling Posthumous inductee. Won Olympic gold medal in men's Greco-Roman wrestling, won the Boston version of the AWA World Heavyweight Championship[257]
195 2013 — Dr. Wagner
(Manuel González) 		Wrestling Posthumous inductee. Won the Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship (3 times) and Mexican National Tag Team Championship (1 time). Patriarch of the Wagner wrestling family[257]
196 2013 Atlantis Wrestling Won the CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship (2 times), CMLL World Tag Team Championship (5 times), Mexican National Middleweight Championship (1 time), Mexican National Tag Team Championship (1 time), NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time) and NWA World Middleweight Championship (3 times)[257]
197 2013 Kensuke Sasaki Wrestling Won the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (3 times), IWGP Heavyweight Championship (5 times), GHC Heavyweight Championship (1 time), IWGP Tag Team Championship (7 times), GHC Tag Team Championship (1 time) and WCW United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[257]
198 2013 Hiroshi Tanahashi Wrestling Won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship (8 times), IWGP Tag Team Championship (2 times), IWGP Intercontinental Championship (2 times) and the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship (3 times)[257]
199 2014 The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson)
(Richard Morton and Ruben Cain) 		Tag team wrestling Won the NWA World Tag Team Championship (5 times), the Mid-Atlantic version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship (4 times), SMW Tag Team Championship (10 times), and USWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times)[258]
200 2014 — Ray Fabiani
(Aurelio Fabiani) 		Promoting Posthumous inductee. Philadelphia promoter[258]
201 2015 Brock Lesnar Wrestling and MMA Won the WWE Championship/WWE World Heavyweight Championship (7 times), WWE Universal Championship (3 times), IWGP Heavyweight Championship (1 time), and UFC Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[3]
202 2015 Shinsuke Nakamura Wrestling Won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship (3 times), IWGP Intercontinental Championship (5 times), IWGP Tag Team Championship (1 time), NXT Championship (2 times), WWE United States Championship (2 times) and WWE Intercontinental Championship (1 time)[3]
203 2015 — Perro Aguayo Jr.
(Pedro Aguayo) 		Wrestling Posthumous inductee. Won the Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship (1), Mexican National Tag Team Championship (3 times), CMLL World Trios Championship (1 time), and WWA Tag Team Championship (3 times)[3]
204 2015 The Assassins (Jody Hamilton and Tom Renesto) Tag team wrestling Won the Florida version of NWA United States Tag Team Championship (2 times), NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (12 times), Vancouver version of NWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time), and Mid-America version of NWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time)[3]
205 2015 Ivan Koloff
(Oreal Perras) 		Wrestling Won the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (5 times), NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (7 times), NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship (4 times), NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship (1 time), Mid-Atlantic version of NWA Television Championship (5 times), NWA United States Tag Team Championship (2 times), Mid-Atlantic version of NWA World Tag Team Championship (5 times), and WWWF World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[3]
206 2015 Carlos Colón Wrestling and promoting Won the WWC World/Universal Heavyweight Championship (26 times), WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship (9 times), WWC North American Heavyweight Championship (8 times), WWC North American Tag Team Championship (11 times), WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time), WWC World Tag Team Championship (3 times) and WWC World Television Championship (4 times)[3]
207 2015 — Eddie Quinn
(Edmund Quinn) 		Promoting Posthumous inductee; Montreal promoter[3]
208 2016 Bryan Danielson Wrestling Won the World Heavyweight Championship (WWE, 2002–2013) (1 time), WWE Championship/WWE World Heavyweight Championship (4 times) and ROH World Championship (1 time).[259]
209 2016 Gene Okerlund
(Eugene Okerlund) 		Commentating Worked as interviewer and announcer for American Wrestling Association, World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling.[259]
210 2016 Sting
(Steve Borden) 		Wrestling Won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times), WCW World Heavyweight Championship (6 times), WCW International World Heavyweight Championship (2 times), WWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) and TNA World Heavyweight Championship (4 times).[259]
211 2016 James McLaughlin Wrestling Posthumous inductee. Generally considered the first American professional wrestling champion.[259]
212 2017 Mark Lewin Wrestling Won the IWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times) and WWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time).[260]
213 2017 AJ Styles
(Allen Jones) 		Wrestling Won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship (2 times), NWA World Heavyweight Championship (3 times), TNA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times), WWE Championship (2 times), WWE United States Championship (3 times) and WWE Intercontinental Championship.[260]
214 2017 — The Sharpe Brothers (Ben and Mike) Tag team wrestling Posthumous inductees. Introduced modern professional wrestling to Japan. Won the San Francisco version (18 times) and the Chicago version (1 time) of the NWA World Tag Team Championship.[260]
215 2017 Minoru Suzuki Wrestling, MMA and promoting Co-founder of Pancrase. Won the King of Pancrase Openweight Championship (1 time), Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (2 times), GHC Heavyweight Championship (1 time), NEVER Openweight Championship (1 time), and the IWGP Intercontinental Championship (1 time).[260]
216 2017 Pedro Morales Wrestling Won the WWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times), WWC North American Heavyweight Championship (2 times) and WWWF World Heavyweight Championship (1 time).[260]
217 2018 LA Park
(Adolfo Tapia) 		Wrestling Won the IWC World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), the CMLL World Tag Team Championship (1 time) and MLW World Tag Team Championship (1 time)[261]
218 2018 — Jerry Jarrett Wrestling and promoting Wrestler and promoter of Continental Wrestling Association, United States Wrestling Association and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling[261]
219 2018 Jimmy Hart Managing Managed wrestlers in Continental Wrestling Association, World Wrestling Federation, and World Championship Wrestling[261]
220 2018 Bill Apter Journalism Staff member for several magazines during the 1970s, 80s and 90s, notably Pro Wrestling Illustrated.[261]
221 2018 Howard Finkel Ring announcing Announcer for the WWE since 1975, when it was known as the World Wide Wrestling Federation. He was the longest tenured employee of the organization.[261]
222 2018 Gary Hart
(Gary Williams) 		Wrestling and managing Posthumous inductee. Booker for World Class Championship Wrestling and longtime manager for several promotions[261]
223 2018 Yuji Nagata Wrestling Won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship (2 times), GHC Heavyweight Championship (1 time), IWGP Tag Team Championship (2 times), and NEVER Openweight Championship (1 time)[261]
224 2019 Último Guerrero
(José Gutiérrez) 		Wrestling Won the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship (2 times), CMLL World Tag Team Championship (6 times), CMLL World Trios Championship (5 times), CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time[262]
225 2019 Villano III
(Arturo Díaz) 		Wrestling Posthumous inductee. Won the UWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time), UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time), UWA World Light Heavyweight Championship (2 times), UWA World Welterweight Championship (1 time), WWF Light Heavyweight Championship (7 times), CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time), and the Mexican National Trios Championship (1 time)[262]
226 2019 Dr. Wagner Jr.
(Juan Manuel González Barron) 		Wrestling Won the CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship (2 times), CMLL World Tag Team Championship (4 times), CMLL World Trios Championship (4 times), AAA Mega Championship (3 times), UWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), UWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship (2 times), and the WWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[262]
227 2019 — Jim Crockett Sr. Promoting Posthumous inductee. Founder of Jim Crockett Promotions[262]
228 2019 Gedo
(Keiji Takayama) 		Wrestling Booker for New Japan Pro-Wrestling since 2010. Won the WAR International Junior Heavyweight Championship (2 times), IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (4 times), and the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (1 time)[262]
229 2019 — Bearcat Wright
(Edward Wright) 		Wrestling Posthumous inductee. First African American world wrestling champion. Won the WWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) and the IWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[262]
230 2019 Paul Pons Wrestling Posthumous inductee. Early Greco-Roman wrestling pioneer. Won over 40 tournaments.[262]
231 2019 — Los Misioneros de la Muerte (El Signo, El Texano, and Negro Navarro)
(Antonio Sánchez, Juan Conrado Aguilar, and Miguel Calderón Navarro) 		Tag team wrestling Won the UWA World Trios Championship (6 times)[262]
232 2020 Kenny Omega
(Tyson Smith) 		Wrestling Won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship (1 time), IWGP Intercontinental Championship (1 time), IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship (2 times) AAA Mega Championship (1 time), AEW World Championship (1 time), AEW Tag Team Championship (1 time) and the Impact World Championship (1 time) [263]
233 2020 — Médico Asesino
(Cesáreo Manríquez González) 		Wrestling Posthumous inductee. Also known as El Medico in Texas. Won the Mexican National Heavyweight Championship (1 time), the NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship (3 times), and the NWA World Tag Team Championship (Texas version) (2 times). One of the first Luchadores to act in television and movies.[263]
234 2020 — Karloff Lagarde
(Carlos Lagarde) 		Wrestling Posthumous inductee. Won the Mexican National Welterweight Championship (1 time), the NWA World Welterweight Championship (3 times), the Mexican National Middleweight Championship (1 time), and the Mexican National Tag Team Championship (1 time).[263]
235 2020 Jun Akiyama Wrestling Won the GHC Heavyweight Championship (3 times) and the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (2 times).[263]
236 2020 — Dan Koloff
(Doncho Danev) 		Wrestling Posthumous inductee. Won the European Heavyweight Championship (2 times).[263]
237 2021 Kazuchika Okada
 Wrestling Won the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (2 times), IWGP Heavyweight Championship (5 times), G1 Climax winner (3 times), New Japan Cup winner (2 times)[citation needed]
238 2021 Jim Crockett Jr. Promoting Posthumous inductee. Part owner of Jim Crockett Promotions 1973 to 1989. President of the National Wrestling Alliance four occasions[citation needed]
239 2021 — Los Brazos (Brazo de Oro, Brazo de Plata, and El Brazo) Tag team wrestling Posthumous inductees. Part of the Alvarado wrestling family[citation needed]
240 2021 — Don Owen Promoting Posthumous inductee. Owned and operated Pacific Northwest Wrestling for six decades.[citation needed]
241 2022 — Holy Demon Army (Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue) Tag team wrestling Won the AJPW World Tag Team Championship (6 times) and the World's Strongest Tag Determination League (2 times)
242 2022 Místico
(Luis Ignacio Urive Alvirde) 		Wrestling Won the CMLL World Tag Team Championship (5 times), CMLL World Welterweight Championship (1 time), IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time), Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time), NWA World Historic Middleweight Championship (1 time), NWA World Middleweight Championship (2 times)
243 2022 Kota Ibushi Wrestling Won the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (1 time), IWGP Heavyweight Championship (1 time), IWGP Intercontinental Championship (2 times), IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship (3 times), IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (1 time), IWGP Tag Team Championship (1 time), NEVER Openweight Championship (1 time), and the G1 Climax (2 times)
244 2022 Tetsuya Naito Wrestling Won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship (3 times), IWGP Intercontinental Championship (6 times), IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (1 time), IWGP Tag Team Championship (2 times), NEVER Openweight Championship (1 time), and the G1 Climax (2 times)
245 2022 — Los Villanos (Villano I, Villano II, Villano III, Villano IV, and Villano V)
(José de Jesús Díaz Mendoza, José Alfredo Díaz Mendoza, Arturo Díaz Mendoza, Tomás Díaz Mendoza, Raymundo Díaz Mendoza Jr.) 		Tag team wrestling Villanos I, II, and III were posthumous inductees.
Held numerous tag team, trios, and atómicos championships.
Part of the Mendoza wrestling family.
246 2022 Mark Rocco
(Mark Hussey) 		Wrestling Posthumous inductee.
Won the WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time).
247 2022 — Lou Daro Promoting Posthumous inductee.
Promoter in Los Angeles.
248 2022 — Johnny Doyle Promoting Posthumous inductee.
Promoter and booking agent.
249 2023 Tomohiro Ishii Wrestling Won the IWGP Tag Team Championship (1 time), NEVER Openweight Championship (6 times), NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship (3 times), British Heavyweight Championship (2 times), and the ROH World Television Championship (1 time)
250 2023 Sgt. Slaughter
(Robert Remus) 		Wrestling Won the WWF Championship (1 time), and the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
251 2023 Blue Panther
(Genaro Nevarez) 		Wrestling Won the CMLL World Middleweight Championship (1 time), CMLL World Tag Team Championship (1 time), CMLL World Trios Championship (2 times), Mexican National Trios Championship (2 times), and the Mexican National Middleweight Championship (2 times)
252 2023 — George Kidd Wrestling Posthumous inductee.
First entrant into the Hall of Fame for Scotland.
253 2023 Jack Brisco and Jerry Brisco Tag team wrestling Jack Brisco is a posthumous inductee.
Won the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (8 times), NWA North American Tag Team Championship (Florida version) (2 times), NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Florida version) (5 times), NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version) (3 times), and the NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (2 times)
254 2023 — Beauty Pair (Jackie Sato and Maki Ueda) Tag team wrestling Jackie Sato is a posthumous inductee.
Won the WWWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times)
255 2023 — Antonino Rocca and Miguel Pérez Tag team wrestling Posthumous inductees.
Won the NWA World Tag Team Championship (Northeast version) (1 time), and the WWC North American Tag Team Championship (1 time)
256 2024 Roman Reigns
(Joe Anoa'i) 		Wrestling Won the WWE Championship/WWE Universal Championship (6 times), the WWE Intercontinental Championship (1 time) and the WWE United States Championship (1 time)
257 2024 Shingo Takagi Wrestling Won the Open the Dream Gate Championship (4 times), the Open the Twin Gate Championship (5 times), the Open the Triangle Gate Championship (6 times), the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) and the NEVER Openweight Championship (5 times)
258 2024 Paul Orndorff Wrestling Posthumous inductee.
Won the Mid-South North American Heavyweight Championship (5 times), the NWA National Heavyweight Championship (3 times) and the AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
259 2024 Johnny Rougeau Wrestling Posthumous inductee.
Wrestling promoter in Montreal.
Won the IWA International Heavyweight Championship (6 times), the MAC World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) and the All-Star Wrestling Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
260 2024 Young Bucks
(Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) 		Tag team wrestling Won the AEW World Tag Team Championship (3 times), the AEW World Trios Championship (2 times), the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (7 times), the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship (3 times), the ROH World Tag Team Championship (3 times) and the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (3 times).
Co-founders and Executive Vice Presidents of All Elite Wrestling.
261 2024 Los Hermanos Dinamita
(Cien Caras, Máscara Año 2000 and Universo 2000) 		Tag team wrestling Won the Mexican National Trios Championship (1 time)
262 2024 Cima Wrestling Won the Open the Dream Gate Championship (3 times), the Open the Brave Gate Championship (1 time), the Open the Twin Gate Championship (5 times) and the Open the Triangle Gate Championship (12 times)
263 2024 Johnny Saint Wrestling Won the British Lightweight Championship (1 time), the European Lightweight Championship (2 times), and the World Lightweight Championship (10 times)
264 2024 — Bobby Davis Managing Posthumous inductee.
Influential wrestling manager

Footnotes

  1. ^ According to his autobiography, Flair does not know his actual birth name. His listed birth name was given to him upon his adoption as an infant.
  2. ^ Austin's actual birth name is Steven James Anderson. His name was changed to Williams in early childhood when he was adopted by his stepfather.[212] He has since legally changed his name to Steve Austin.

References

General
  • "Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame". Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Archived from the original on September 2, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2009.
Specific
  1. ^ Hubbard, Nathan. "The Not the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame Hall of Fame". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved May 9, 2009.
  2. ^ Dove, Jeuron. "Jeuron Dove talks the Hall of Fame". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved July 3, 2009.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Meltzer, Dave (November 9, 2015). "November 9, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: 2015 Hall of Fame Issue". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California: 1. ISSN 1083-9593.
  4. ^ Meltzer, Dave (November 15, 2024). "November 18, 2024 Observer Newsletter: The 2024 Hall of Fame class". Figure Four Weekly/Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  5. ^ Wahlers, Dan. "Dan Wahlers on Chris Benoit and the Hall of Fame". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved May 9, 2009.
  6. ^ Meltzer, Dave, Wrestling Observer Newsletter, September 8, 2008, p. 6.
  7. ^ a b c Nevada, Vance. "Abdullah the Butcher". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2009.
  8. ^ Reynaga, Ricardo Rocha (1993). Conversaciones para gente grande. Aguilar. p. 285.
  9. ^ "Official Ratings". Pro Wrestling Illustrated. 19 (2). London Publishing Co.: 65 February 1999. ISSN 1043-7576.
  10. ^ a b c d e f Duncan, Royal; Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: National Middleweight Championship". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 392. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  11. ^ Duncan, Royal; Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: National Tag Team Titles". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. pp. 396–397. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  12. ^ Hornbaker, Tim (2006). National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly That Strangled Pro Wrestling. ECW Press. p. 192. ISBN 1-55022-741-6.
  13. ^ "Andre the Giant". World Wrestling Entertainment. Archived from the original on January 10, 2008. Retrieved July 3, 2009.
  14. ^ Willoughby, David P. (1970). The Super-athletes. A. S. Barnes. p. 274. ISBN 0-498-06651-7.
  15. ^ Pantozzi, John. "Giant Baba". Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on February 1, 2009. Retrieved January 31, 2009.
  16. ^ Oliver, Greg (September 19, 2004). "Jim Barnett's Australian legacy". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved January 30, 2009.
  17. ^ Rhodes, Dusty; George Steinbrenner; Howard Brody (2006). Dusty: Reflections of an American Dream. Sports Publishing LLC. p. 103. ISBN 1-58261-907-7.
  18. ^ a b Patrick, Nikki (July 23, 2008). "Military Teacher". Pittsburg Morning Sun. Archived from the original on September 24, 2009. Retrieved January 30, 2009.
  19. ^ a b "History of NWA Southwest/NWA Texas Titles". NWA Southwest. Archived from the original on March 8, 2009. Retrieved January 30, 2009.
  20. ^ a b Tenay, Mike. "Dick Beyer". Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on August 20, 2008. Retrieved January 30, 2009.
  21. ^ "Dick "Destroyer" Beyer". Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on October 25, 2008. Retrieved January 30, 2009.
  22. ^ "Fred Blassie". Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Archived from the original on November 21, 2008. Retrieved January 30, 2009.
  23. ^ "Hispanic Link Weekly Report". 1 (12). Hispanic Link News Service. November 21, 1983: 16. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  24. ^ a b c d e Duncan, Royal; Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: National Welterweight Championship". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 392. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  25. ^ Schramm, Chris (October 4, 2007). "Karloff Lagarde dead at 79". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012. Retrieved January 30, 2009.
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