7 Overdue inductions into the WWE Hall of Fame
The class for the 2020 WWE Hall of Fame is already starting to take shape with the reveal of the first two acts due to be inducted next year. Former six time World Champion Batista and the New World Order (Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash and Sean Waltman) are set to be immortalized in the hallowed Hall.
For the four members of the NWO, it will be their second inductions. However, there are many notable names in wrestling history that are yet to receive their first Hall of Fame rings.
The current incarnation of the WWE Hall of Fame has been active since 2004, when the Hall was unearthed to coincide with the twentieth edition of WrestleMania. It had originally been set up in 1993 to mark the passing of Andre the Giant, who had died in January of that year. Created three decades after the company's formation, the timing appeared to have been perfect to establish the Hall. Andre was the only inductee in 1993 and this was marked simply by a video package rather than a ceremony.
The problem for WWE came the following year when the company had to fill out a full class. Many of it's former stars now employed by WCW, and that put a restricted on whom they could realistically enshrine. As the Monday Night War stepped up in 1995 and 1996, this became more prevalent, forcing WWE to abandon it's Hall for eight years.
In 2019, WWE is virtually free to induct whomever it chooses, which begs the question, why are there so many legends yet to be inducted? This slideshow looks at the seven most overdue names that are yet to be inducted but should have been enshrined years ago.
#7 Ivan Koloff
The "Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff actually hailed from Canada, but despite his true heritage he was one of the most feared "foreign" menaces in American wrestling history - particularly during the 1960s and 1970s.
The most famous moment of Koloff's long career was his WWE Championship winning effort that ended the legendary, record breaking seven year title reign of no other than Bruno Sammartino. That incredible event took place in front of a 20,000 sold out crowd at Madison Square Garden on January 18, 1971.
You could hear a pin drop in MSG, when Koloff pinned Sammartino clean as a whistle following a knee drop from the top rope. Sammartino would later state that he thought he had gone deaf following the decision due to the complete silence in the arena. In truth, the crowd was in a state of shock that the once invincible champion had been defeated.
However, Koloff had a long and successful career before and after his famous title win, most notably in the NWA where be was a multi-time Champion. To this day though, Koloff is the only WWE Champion from the 1963 to 1991 period yet to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Unfamiliar to modern audiences, it is most likely that Koloff, when he is inducted, will be part of the Legacy Wing. Perhaps this long overdue induction will finally occur in 2020.