Legends That Are Long Overdue For The WWE Hall of Fame

Legends That Are Long Overdue For The WWE Hall of Fame
February 9, 2024
By Ryan Porzl

It's that time again, with the dawn of a new year marks the WWE's first major event of the year which is The Royal Rumble which, for many years, has been billed as where the Road to Wrestlemania begins. During the road trip to the Showcase of the Immortals, the WWE also starts announcing who will be the next entries into the WWE Hall of Fame which usually takes place the night before the extravaganza. Everyone has their opinion of who should go in and I'm no different. Despite the HOF having been around on and off for 31 years, there's plenty of names shockingly still not in. In this article, we'll take a look at the legends that are long overdue for a Hall of Fame induction. For the record, I'm not including Owen Hart for obvious reasons. I know I'll obviously miss some names as I can't put everyone on the list.

Note: I don't own the pictures, I found them on Google. Credit to WWE or whoever the owners are. I apologize for not knowing who exactly owns what.

Rick Martel- Martel is someone long overdue for the Hall of Fame but someone that likely has been forgotten by many. Martel had a successful and on and off near 15 year run with the WWF where he originally enjoyed success as a babyface tag team wrestler as he enjoyed three reigns as WWF World Tag Team Champion including two with longtime WWE employee Tony Garea and one with Tito Santana in Strike Force. Martel also had small success with Tom Zenk in the Can-Am Connection including a Wrestlemania win at Wrestlemania III in 1987. The second half of Martel's run was as the heel Model where he was a good hand in the midcard during the end of the 80s and up the mid 90s. His Model run is probably most famous for his feud with Jake "The Snake" Roberts and their blindfold match at Wrestlemania VII. He also engaged in memorable feuds with Tatanka and Shawn Michaels as well and he also briefly held the longevity record in the Royal Rumble from 1991-1992 where he lasted 53 minutes in the 1991 edition. 

Outside the WWE, Martel was a successful journeyman in various NWA territories with some of his biggest highlights outside WWE being his run in the AWA during the early to mid 80s where he enjoyed a run as AWA World Champion from 1984-1985 and for his cup of coffee run in WCW in 1998 where he briefly held the WCW World Television Championship.. Martel is an interesting case as I feel he hasn't been inducted yet because he's been forgotten about. For one thing, Martel retired in 1999 and is one of the few to honor his retirement. Afterwards, he did French commentary for WCW until they shut down in 2001 and since then has largely left the business. As of 2024, Martel has only made two appearances at WWE shows with one being a house show in 2003 and another at WWE's Vengeance: Night of Champions PPV in 2007. Other than that, Martel has largely been out of the business as he hasn't made any other noteworthy appearances, he did one shoot interview years ago, and he's not a regular at the usual wrestling conventions like Wrestlecon and Wrestlecade.

Bull Nakano- Nakano didn't have the longest run in the WWF as it went about a year from 1994-1995 but she still made her mark that deserves a HOF induction. Nakano was one of several talents brought into the Women's division between it's 1993-1995 run to face Alundra Blayze alongside Bertha Faye and, briefly, Aja Kong. She had some good matches with the champ including at Summerslam 1994 and she would also enjoy a run with the WWF Women's Championship as she won it in her native Japan at the Tokyo Dome in a special match at an All Japan Women's show in November 1994. As mentioned, her run wasn't long and the depth wasn't there but she did have some good matches and won some gold.

Outside the WWF, Nakano is obviously one of the all time legendary female wrestlers and was a big part of Joshi's 80s/90s boom period mostly for AJW where she held multiple titles including the top prize in the WWWA World Single Championship which she held for an impressive 1,057 days. She also competed in CMLL in Mexico and held their Women's Championship as well. Perhaps another factor for her to go in is the fact Nakano is sort of a pioneer when it comes to female Japanese wrestlers in the WWF/WWE. In some ways, she helped pave the way for current stars like Asuka, Kairi Sane, and current Women's Champion Iyo Sky. 

Brian Pillman- Like Nakano, Pillman's WWF run didn't last long though his ended due to sadder reasons. However, despite only being in the WWF for a year and a half and despite his time in the ring being limited and the quality affected by a shattered ankle, Pillman still had some very memorable moments. In many ways, Pillman was The Attitude Era before there was an Attitude Era. His "worked shoot" loose cannon persona had many big moments including Steve Austin breaking his ankle in a move now referred to as "pillmanizing" to the infamous "Pillman's Got A Gun" angle to his association with The Hart Foundation to his feud with Goldust and the "XXX Files". While it is true Pillman's life and WWF career were cut short due to his passing in October 1997, no one can deny his antics were a highlight or at least not boring during 1996-1997. He definitely played a role in the WWF's transition from cartoonish family fun to gritty mature audience affair.

Outside the WWE, Pillman had great runs including in Stampede Wrestling during the late 80s where he held the tag team championships with Bruce Hart. He had a successful seven year run in NWA/WCW from 1989-1996 where he was the face of the short lived WCW Light Heavyweight Division in the early 90s, had legendary matches with Jushin Thunder Liger including the first match in the history of WCW Monday Nitro, and held his share of championships. He was also part of legendary acts such as The Hollywood Blondes with Steve Austin and The Four Horsemen stable. Unfortunately, with the recent passing of Bray Wyatt, the fact it's all but confirmed he'll go into the Hall of Fame, and the fact WWE does one posthumous inductee a year, I feel Pillman will have to wait at least another year before he goes in.

Leilani Kai (left) and Judy Martin (right)

The Glamour Girls- Another legendary female act. The Glamour Girls consisted of Leilani Kai and Judy Martin who served as the WWF's top women's tag team for much of the first incarnation of the women's tag division was around during the mid to late 80s. The Girls would be managed by Jimmy Hart and became known for their series of good to great matches with The Jumping Bomb Angels (more on them in a bit) during late 1987 to mid 1988 including at the inaugural Royal Rumble event. The two held the WWF Women's Tag Team Championship on two occasions with their first reign lasting over two and a half years. Outside the team, Leilani was also a former WWF Women's Champion as she defended the belt against Wendi Richter at the first Wrestlemania in 1985 while she and Judy also challenged for it at different PPVs with Leilani challenging Alundra Blayze at Wrestlemania X in 1994 while Judy challenged Rockin' Robin at Royal Rumble 1989.

Outside of the WWF, The Girls also held the NWA World Women's Tag Team Championships on two occasions as well as title runs in several women's promotions.

Bam Bam Bigelow- Safe to say, The Beast From The East is probably one that most longtime fans would love to finally join the Hall of Fame. Though he never held a championship in the WWF, Bigelow made a big impression during his two tenures with his biggest moment, obviously, main eventing Wrestlemania XI against football legend Lawrence Taylor in 1995. Outside of that moment, Bigelow main evented the first Survivor Series in 1987 and was the last eliminated from his team despite WWF Champion Hulk Hogan being a member. He also was a runner up in the 1993 King of the Ring and was a frequent title contender including participating in the Wrestlemania IV tournament for the vacant WWF Championship.

Outside the WWF, Bigelow was a hugely successful journeyman competing in promotions such as WCW, ECW, New Japan, and World Class where he held titles in each promotion. In ECW, Bigelow was a former ECW World Heavyweight Champion, a former ECW World Television Champion and main evented ECW's biggest event November To Remember back to back in 1997 and 1998 while also being a member of top stable The Triple Threat. He also had famous feuds with Spike Dudley and Taz. In WCW, he held the WCW World Tag Team Championship twice as part of the Jersey Triad with Diamond Dallas Page and Kanyon while also holding the WCW Hardcore Championship once. He held World Class' Television Championship and New Japan's IWGP Tag Team Championship with Vader in a dream team. Along with all of this, Bigelow has also been wildly regarded as one of the greatest big men in wrestling history. Unfortunately, Bigelow passed in 2007 and given everything I mentioned with WWE's standards regarding posthumous inductees and Bray Wyatt going in this year, it looks like The Beast From The East will have to wait longer.

Jacques Rougeau (left) and Raymond Rougeau (right)

The Rougeau Brothers- Perhaps WWF's most underrated team in the 1980s were The Rougeau Brothers. Consisting of brothers Raymond and Jacques, the team were members of the legendary Rougeau wrestling family who achieved huge status in the Quebec providence of Canada. Unfortunately, despite The Rougeaus talents and success, the team largely spent their time lost in the shuffle at a time when the WWF was overloaded with talented tag teams so they never got their run at the top. Despite this, The Rougeaus had their moments including memorable feuds against The Dream Team, The Hart Foundation, and The Rockers. They competed in the first match in Summerslam history in 1988 against The British Bulldogs. While they never got a deserved Tag Team Championship reign, they did come close as they won the belts on August 10, 1987 from The Harts but the decision was later reversed due to Jimmy Hart's megaphone being used so the change isn't recognized.

Outside the team, The Rougeaus would also earn spots in the Hall of Fame for other reasons. After Raymond retired in 1990, Jacques went on his own and achieved great success first as The Mountie where he briefly held the Intercontinental Championship in 1992 while engaging in memorable feuds with Bret Hart and The Big Boss Man. Later on, he formed the successful team The Quebecers with Pierre (the current PCO) and they held the WWF Tag Team Championships three times between 1993-1994 while also engaging in memorable rivalries and matches against The Steiner Brothers, 123 Kid and Marty Jannetty, Bret Hart and Owen Hart, and The Headshrinkers. As for Raymond, he became a busy and loyal soldier for the WWF/WWE in the decades to come. From 1992-2002, he became part of the WWF broadcast team doing both English and French commentary for WWF events and PPVs while also working as a TV interviewer and part of the WWF Superstar Line. From 2017-2021, he returned to the WWE to do French commentating for their PPVs.

Mike Rotunda- Rotunda is an interesting pick as he not only had a Hall of Fame worthy in ring career but he was another loyal soldier for the promotion. As a wrestler, Rotunda had two successful runs in the WWF with his first from 1984-1987 under the altered name of Mike Rotundo and his second from 1991-1995 as evil taxman Irwin R. Shyster (I.R.S.). During his runs, Rotunda mostly achieved success as a tag team wrestler as he became a five time WWF Tag Team Champion where he won the gold twice with Barry Windham in the US Express and then three times with Ted Dibiase in Money Inc. Along with the title success, Rotunda also had memorable feuds with The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff to The Natural Disasters to The Legion of Doom to The Steiner Brothers. He also made history as his title loss to Sheik and Volkoff was the first title change in Wrestlemania history. Though best known as a tag team wrestler, Rotunda did have moments and feuds as a single including feuds against Razor Ramon, The Big Boss Man, and The Undertaker. He also was the runner up in the 1991 King of the Ring and was a challenger for the Intercontinental Championship. Along with with his wrestling career, Rotunda also worked as a road agent/producer for the WWE for nearly fifteen years from 2006-2020.

Outside the WWE, Rotunda enjoyed big success in Championship Wrestling from Florida and Jim Crockett Promotions/NWA/WCW as well as in Japan for New Japan and All Japan. In CWF, Rotunda was a two time Southern Heavyweight Champion, a three time Florida Heavyweight Champion, and a four time United States Tag Team Champion. In JCP/NWA/WCW, Rotunda became a three time World Television Champion and a former World Tag Team Champion while also becoming a member of stables including The Varsity Club and The nWo. Rotunda also has the distinction of being the only man to have beat The Road Warriors/LOD for more than one World Tag Team Title. Though still alive, it seems unlikely Rotunda will go in this year as he is the father of the recently passed Bray Wyatt and with Wyatt likely going in this year, it probably wouldn't make sense to have both go in the same year.

King Kong Bundy- Bundy was one of the classic wrestling heels of his time from his style in the ring to his appearance. Though he never won a championship in the WWF, Bundy was one of the more famous heels of the mid to late 1980s for the promotion and at the beginning of the WWF's national expansion. Like Bigelow, Bundy's biggest achievement in the WWF was as a Wrestlemania main eventer as he main evented Wrestlemania 2 by challenging Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship in the first steel cage match in WM history in 1986. Bundy also was part of the main event of the inaugural Survivor Series in 1987 and a few Saturday Night's Main Events. The Walking Condominium is also known for having one of the most famous squash matches in Wrestlemania history when he squashed SD Jones in an announced nine second match. While his second run in the WWF from 1994-1995 wasn't as memorable, he did have a feud with The Undertaker and became one of The Phenom's many victims at the Showcase of the Immortals.

Outside the WWE, Bundy was successful in the territories as he held the NWA National Tag Team Championship in Georgia Championship Wrestling, the NWA/AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship and NWA/AWA Southern Tag Team Championship in CWA, and the NWA American Heavyweight Championship and NWA American Tag Team Championship twice each in World Class. Bundy was also a member of the Legion of Doom stable in GCW and had a big rivalry with The Von Erichs in World Class including wrestling patriarch Fritz Von Erich in his first retirement match at Texas Stadium in 1982. Sadly, with Bundy having passed in 2019, I don't see him getting in this year as I've already brought up regarding Pillman and Bigelow.

Itsuki Yamazaki (left) and Noriyo Tateno (right) 

The Jumping Bomb Angels- The Bomb Angels were like their rivals The Glamour Girls and their countrywoman Bull Nakano. Consisting of Itsuki Yamazaki and Noriyo Tateno, The Jumping Bomb Angels were like Nakano in that their run wasn't the longest but they made it count winning gold and like The Glamour Girls, they played a role in the original women's tag team division. In some cases, The Bomb Angels were ahead of the game being some of the first to use powerbombs and hurricanranas before they were common in American wrestling. As a team, The Bomb Angels won the WWF Women's Tag Team Championships once and made history as their title win was the first in the history of the Royal Rumble event.

Outside the WWF, the duo also captured the WWWA World Tag Team Championships in All Japan Women's. Again, like Bull Nakano, another reason you can put them in the Hall of Fame is that they did open the doors for current Japanese female wrestlers like Asuka, Iyo Sky, and Kairi Sane.

Smash (left) and Ax (right)

Demolition- It's safe to say people have been calling for Demolition's induction since the HOF was reestablished in 2004. Though the Demos were only in the WWF as far as national promotions and were one of several Road Warrior type teams that came out in the 1980s, they still enjoyed big success and proved they were more than a rip off. The team held the WWF Tag Team Championship on three occasions and basically dominated the belts from March 1988 to August 1990. They also hold the longevity record for the 1971-2010 version of the Tag Team Belts as they held them for 478 days. The team also had many classic matches and feuds with other famous teams such as The Hart Foundation, The Brain Busters, The Rockers, The Colossal Connection, and Strike Force. Outside the team, Ax worked for the WWF in the 80s as The Masked Superstar who challenged Bob Backlund for the WWF Championship and as Super Machine in The Machines tag team with Andre The Giant and Blackjack Mulligan. Smash would later have an interesting run as The Repo Man.

Though the team never worked in another major promotion together, they did have Hall of Fame worthy careers as Ax worked as Bolo Mongol and The Masked Superstar in promotions such as Georgia Championship Wrestling and Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling (Jim Crockett Promotions) while Smash worked as Krusher Khruschev in Mid-South Wrestling, Jim Crockett Promotions, and Championship Wrestling from Florida. Demolition's induction is interesting as both have stated they didn't want to go in and even made merch of it all the while participating in a class action lawsuit years ago against WWE. Smash's relationship with WWE has been up and down over the years while Ax hasn't had a good relationship since his departure after Survivor Series 1990. Having said that, Triple H has been known for repairing relationships and convincing people of going into the HOF. If he can talk Bruno Sammartino and The Ultimate Warrior, then surely he can with Demolition. Also, neither guy is getting younger as Smash is 64 while Ax is 76 so maybe at this stage in their lives, they'll accept.

Lex Luger- Luger is someone who has had his supporters and critics but he's got to now be one of, if not, the guy many are saying "how is he still not in yet?". While Luger's WWF run will go down as one of the most disappointing in the promotion's history and he never achieved the heights many thought he would, he still had his moments. His bodyslam on Yokozuna on the USS Intrepid is certainly memorable, he co-won the 1994 Royal Rumble with Bret Hart, and challenged for the WWF Championship at both Summerslam 1993 and Wrestlemania X.

Outside the WWF, Luger had a legendary run in NWA/WCW on and off from 1987-2001 including two runs as WCW World Champion. He also had a successful run from 1985-1987 in Championship Wrestling from Florida with multiple title runs. Towards the end of his career, he did have a cup of coffee in World Wrestling All-Stars where he held their world title. He was a member of The Four Horsemen and nWo Wolfpac as well. Luger's HOF status is interesting as he was persona non grata for decades after his famous abrupt departure back to WCW in 1995 and his personal demons including the death of Miss Elizabeth. That said, Luger has been an inspiring story and has conquered his demons since 2006. Despite burning his bridges in 95, Luger has repaired them in recent years as he has participated in WWE projects including the 2014 Randy Savage DVD, a biography career for the A&E  WWE series while recently been interviewed by the WWE show The Bump. His likeness has also been used for video games and action figures. With all of this, Luger could be looking at a HOF induction in the future, hopefully this year. It would certainly be nice for Luger to complete his redemption and have a better recent memory for his fans to remember him by than that infamous promo where he fumbled to get his shirt off.

The Rock- Come on, who else did you expect? What can I say about The Rock that hasn't already been said? Among his achievements, he was an eight time WWE Champion and a soon to be six time Wrestlemania main eventer. At his peak, he was the number two wrestler in the Attitude Era behind "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. He's become a part of American pop culture through his WWE and Hollywood careers. His feuds with Austin, Mick Foley, and Triple H are legendary while his encounter with Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania 18 will go down as one of the most iconic moments and matches in wrestling history. At this point, it's safe to say Rock is long overdue to go in as he's pretty much the last major Attitude Era star not in yet in. Meanwhile, with his recent return, joining TKO's board of directors, and possibly main eventing Wrestlemania 40, it feels like the time is now.