WWE News: Mr. T to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame

WWE issued the following press release to Prowrestling.net to announce that actor Mr. T will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 5.

WWE (NYSE:WWE) announced today that pop-culture icon Mr. T will be this year’s celebrity inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame at a ceremony on Saturday, April 5 in New Orleans that will be broadcast live, for the first time ever, exclusively on WWE Network at 9:00 PM ET.
 
Mr. T is one of the most iconic personas in entertainment history, starring in the hit television show “The A-Team” and the blockbuster film “Rocky III.”  In addition to his Hollywood career, Mr. T also made many memorable WWE appearances in the mid-1980s.  In 1985, he was part of the main event of the inaugural WrestleMania® at Madison Square Garden, successfully teaming with Hulk Hogan to defeat “Rowdy” Roddy Piper™ and “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff™.  In 1986, he defeated “Rowdy” Roddy Piper by disqualification in a special boxing match at WrestleMania® 2 and also appeared on NBC’s Saturday Night’s Main Event® program.
 
“WWE is honored to have Mr. T join the WWE Hall of Fame,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman and CEO.  “His WWE appearances were instrumental in helping to establish WrestleMania as the pop-culture phenomenon it is today.”
 
Mr. T is the latest celebrity inductee to enter the WWE Hall of Fame, joining Donald J. Trump, Drew Carey, Pete Rose, Bob Uecker, Mike Tyson and William “Refrigerator” Perry. Other members of the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame Class include Ultimate Warrior™, Jake “The Snake” Roberts™, Lita™, Paul Bearer™ and Carlos Colon™. 
 
The 2014 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony takes place live on Saturday, April 5 from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA.  Tickets are currently on sale through www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000. 
 
WrestleMania 30 takes place at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Sunday, April 6 live on WWE Network. For more information on how to get WWE Network click here. WrestleMania 30 will also be available on pay-per-view. Fans should check with their cable, satellite or telco provider for availability.
 
WWE Network is the first-ever 24/7 streaming network that provides access to live and scheduled programming as well as the most comprehensive video-on-demand library.  Available for only $9.99 a month – with a six month commitment – fans can subscribe at WWE.com.  WWE Network is available through the WWE App on TV via connected devices including Apple TV, Roku streaming devices, Sony PlayStation® 3, Sony PlayStation® 4 and Xbox 360. WWE Network is also available through the WWE App on iOS devices, including Apple iPad and iPhone, Amazon’s Kindle Fire devices and Android devices, as well as on desktops and laptops via WWE.com.

Powell's POV: Mr. T worked the first two WrestleMania main events. He was a huge part of the success of the original WrestleMania. He was one of the most popular celebrities in the world when he teamed with Hulk Hogan to face Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff. There were rumblings that WWE was considering the idea of inducting the actual WrestleMania 1 main event. I'm not a fan of that approach, so this works for me.