WWE Hall of Fame: A detailed report on the inductions of Edge, The Four Horsemen, Mike Tyson, Yokozuna, Ron Simmons, and Mil Mascaras


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WWE News


WWE Hall of Fame: A detailed report on the inductions of Edge, The Four Horsemen, Mike Tyson, Yokozuna, Ron Simmons, and Mil Mascaras
Apr 2, 2012 - 11:50 AM


Dot Net reader Robbie Jordan attended the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony on Saturday in Miami, Fla. and sent the following report.

The arena was close to full except the section behind the wrestlers on the  floor level where seats were about $800. That area was almost empty. There were tons of 'Woooo's!' throughout the night which is common for any WWE show nowadays and for obvious reasons last night. A lot of people were dressed up but the majority wore casual clothing which was disappointing.

The standard WWE open played followed by the Hall of Fame music and Jerry Lawler was introduced as the host. Lawler acknowledged the current WWE superstars and divas and then the camera showed various wrestlers. There was nuclear heat when John Cena was shown on camera.

Ron Simmons inducted by JBL

JBL was introduced to induct Ron Simmons and he was a riot. I was looking forward to JBL's induction speech and he didn't disappoint. He said that WWE tried giving him a person to help write a speech and he said that if he couldn't induct his best friend without help, he didn't deserve to be there. He also poked fun at WWE PG TV and said that it might be a difficult night for censors. JBL talked up Simmons' college football days and then talked about him breaking barriers for other black wrestlers. He said without Ron Simmons, people like The Rock, Booker T, and Mark Henry may not have been given an opportunity to win a World Championship. He then told some hilarious stories from their days with the APA.

JBL took a shot at Vince Russo although he didn't mention him by name. JBL said a guy who used to be the lead writer in WWE went to WCW and put them out of business because he was such a genius, wanted to make a big deal about the fact that Simmons was black and he was white, which is something you didn't see much of in tag teams. He told a funny story about how Taka Minchinuku couldn't speak a word of English but after hearing all the swear words he and Simmons said while on the road, Taka found God.

Great induction speech and it will be a nice bonus to the Wrestlemania DVD since it likely won't make the TV broadcast. Simmons came out and there was a massive 'Damn' chant from the crowd. He thanked the fans and said he didn't know fear until he came home at 5 a.m. and saw the look in his wife's eyes. He thanked JBL and said they were brothers. Simmons said only one word could sum up his career and this HOF experience...DAMN! Massive pop for that after he stalled a good 30 seconds.

They showed a video hyping The Rock vs John Cena. The Miami crowd reacted how you would expect. Jerry Lawler came back out and said he would be playing the part of Alberto Del Rio's personal ring announcer.

Mil Mascaras inducted by Alberto Del Rio

Alberto Del Rio came out to induct his uncle Mil Mascaras. Del Rio said he missed us but he was sure we missed him more. He mistakenly said Mil was the first Mexican in the Hall of Fame even though Eddie Guerrero is already in. I also believe Tito Santana is Mexican but I could be wrong. I'm pretty sure Del Rio meant that Mil was the first Lucha Libra star to be inducted because I can't imagine him forgetting Eddie Guerrero. Anyway, Del Rio said his uncle paved the way for people like him, Rey Mysterio, and Sin Cara to be worldwide stars.

Mascaras came out in a mask and he was difficult to understand but he still got a positive response. He was also clearly nervous as he cut his speech short because he said he was rambling too much. He thanked both of his wives which was kind of funny in a weird way. The crowd remained polite despite not understanding a lot of what he said. There were a few douchebags yelling 'what' but it was good to see the majority give Mascaras a nice ovation.

They showed a video hyping Undertaker vs Triple H. Jerry Lawler returned and talked about stables in pro wrestling. The crowd started buzzing with anticipation knowing the Horsemen were out next. Lawler then introduced a man who had many battles with the Horsemen.

The Four Horsemen inducted by Dusty Rhodes

Dusty Rhodes entered to a big ovation. Classic Dusty Rhodes storytelling. He addressed each member individually an said that the Four Horsemen wasn't a gimmick. These guys lived it every day. He then introduced them and the 'Wooo's!' were loud as ever. James J. Dillon started and said that the HOF ring on his finger was the greatest honor anyone can receive in this business. He said that he couldn't believe that he was standing here with these four guys a quarter of a century after they formed the greatest stable in pro wrestling history. He thanked Dusty Rhodes for always forcing them to be great. He said the Four Horsemen are pro wrestling.

Ric Flair was up next and let out a big 'Woooooo!' Naitch was really emotional and the crowd either chanted 'welcome back' or 'please come back'. He said it was an honor to be the first man to be inducted twice. Flair told some stories from the road and about his ex-wives that were pretty funny. Flair broke down a few times and thanked the fans for allowing him to have the greatest career that any person has ever had in any sport.

Barry Windham was next. He was pretty reserved and seemed nervous but he thanked the other guys for letting be a part of something so special. Windham said he and his dad were the first father/son combo in the HOF. Short but classy speech.

Tully Blanchard was next and he said that what made the Horsemen great was that they always tried to steal the show. They didn't wrestle a lot of eight-man tags so they often competed with each other to see who could have the best match on the card. Tully said that despite being out of wrestling for 20 years, people still recognize him as a Horseman. Tully had his four kids stand up and said that they were all born after his career was over so this was an honor to stand before them with all these fans in attendance cheering.

Arn Anderson was last and there was a huge Double A chant which seemed like it surprised him. Not that Triple H didn't do a good job inducting Ric Flair a few years back, but after hearing Arn Anderson's speech, I think he would have done much better. Arn said he was born to be pro wrestler and that's all he ever could be. He told some funny and insightful stories as to how he became a fan and how he broke into the business. He said it was an honor to be managed by JJ Dillon, Paul Ellering, and Bobby Heenan throughout his career. He thanked the other Horsemen, his wife, and all the fans worldwide for allowing him to live his dream.

Arn said he never did it for the money, he did it for the rush of walking out to screaming fans either booing or cheering. He said he'd like to be remembered as a guy that fans never felt like they wasted their money to see. Arn also acknowledged Ricky Steamboat, Dean Malenko, and Finlay as fellow producers. He singled out CM Punk and said he wouldn't have imagined three years ago that Punk would become such a great leader for WWE. He mentioned Big Show, Kane, Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Edge, and Triple H.

Anderson said he idolized Bob Orton Jr. growing up and now he idolizes his son Randy. Randy Orton looked on and smiled and said thank you. Arn then mentioned John Cena which drew a lot of boos again. AA said you can think what you want about John Cena, but he makes a sick child's life better even if for a few hours and for that he deserves respect. That got a polite applause from the crowd. Excellent job by Double A and in my opinion, the best of the night.

A video aired hyping Chris Jericho vs CM Punk. Lawler then came out and hyped up the next inductee for the celebrity wing of the Hall of Fame.

Mike Tyson inducted by Triple H and Shawn Michaels

HBK and Triple H then came out to the DX music to a big ovation. They were in full comedy mode. Hunter said he and Shawn used to try to rush from shows to a sports bar to watch a Mike Tyson fight but Tyson knocked out his opponents so fast they usually missed it. Hunter made fun of Shawn getting knocked out at WM 14. He said that Tyson helped turn the tide in the war against WCW. Triple H was going to introduce Tyson but Michaels cut him off saying he thought he got to introduce him. Triple H said go ahead since you're better than me at everything anyway. That drew laughter from the crowd and a loud, "Shawn is better" chant. Triple H said, "I do have feelings you know, guys." Pretty funny stuff from DX.

They introduced Tyson and he was all smiles. I thought Mil Mascaras was difficult to understand. I couldn't make out hardly anything Tyson said. He said something about watching Bruno Sammartino and Superstar Billy Graham. He said he almost became a pro wrestler instead of a boxer. He joked about being arrested. He also joked that John Cena and Dusty Rhodes were black. His speech ended out of nowhere and nobody seemed to know what to think.

Lawler came out again and said the next inductee was one of the biggest WWE Superstar of all time...literally. He then introduced the Uso Brothers to induct their uncle Yokozuna.

Yokozuna inducted by the Uso Brothers

One of the Uso's was crying. They said that Yokozuna was a larger than life performer who captivated audiences worldwide but he was just uncle Rodney to them. They joked that the first time they saw him on TV as kids. They saw a big Japanese dude and not their Samoan uncle. They talked about the history of Samoan wrestlers in the business and how it was an honor to carry on the family name.

They then introduced their father Rikishi to accept the induction on Yoko's behalf. Rikishi got a nice response from the crowd. He said he missed us and it was an honor to accept this award for Rodney. Rikishi said something in Samoan and talked up the family dynasty that continues to this day.

Jerry Lawler came out again and introduced the final inductee into the HOF class of 2012. A long video package with a Foo Fighter's song played highlighting Edge's career. Christian then came out to a big ovation to induct Edge.

Edge inducted by Christian

Christian said there was some big news floating around that could shake the foundation of WWE that some of us may have already heard...somebody got a hair cut. Christian joked that it wasn't him, his hair has been brutal for a few years now. He said Edge was obviously ripping him off like he has his whole career. "What are you gonna do next, Edge?" Christian asked. "Shrink three inches and have nine less world title reigns?" Good stuff from Christian.  He said he always knew he would induct Edge into the HOF but he never imagined it being so soon.

Christian showed a video from a text message Edge sent of him pretending to wrestle in his old high school. He talked about them growing up together as fans of the  business and finally breaking in together. Christian said that he was most proud of Edge not for winning 11 World Titles or headlining WrestleMania, but he was most proud of Edge because Edge told him that he had to make it in this business so he could buy a house for his mom who worked several jobs as a single parent to make ends meet. Christian got emotional and said that Edge did it. He said Edge got to go out as World Champion in a headline match at WrestleMania and how many people can say that? He then introduced Edge to the loudest pop of the night. Christian and Edge hugged for a good 30 seconds.

Edge said tonight was a celebration so he was going to try not to cry but Christian was making it pretty hard. He thanked the Dudley's, Hardy's, Kurt Angle, Ric Flair, John Cena, Big Show, Randy Orton, and thanked Hulk Hogan for making a big dream of his come true and it had nothing to do with a sex tape, which drew oooh's from the crowd. He thanked Lita, who they showed on camera, and Vickie Guerrero for helping him be more vile than he ever imagined on camera. He thanked Glen and Mark (Kane and Undertaker). He talked about his friendship with Lance Storm ad Rhino who were both shown on camera.

Edge told a funny story about Tommy Dreamer. Edge said he liked to room alone to have his own time and Tommy Dreamer convinced him that he didn't snore and since they only had three hours before they needed to be awake, they should just room together. Edge said Dreamer passed out and started snoring immediately so he decided to give him a naked Superfly splash. He told a bunch of funny stories that you would have to hear to fully appreciate, including Rhino coming up with the Gore accidentally when Christian was struggling to get out of a frozen lake on the road.

Edge got emotional when talking about Christian and joked he was the best husband a guy could ask for. He said despite everything he and Christian accomplished, his best tag team partner was his mom. They showed her on camera and Edge said she was his biggest inspiration and the reason he made it. Edge thanked all of us and said he never would have imagined as a kid he would be inducted along with some of his childhood heroes. He told a great story about meeting Bret Hart and getting advice from Bret when Edge was just breaking into the business.

Edge also said he wasn't sure he deserved this honor until Shawn Michaels texted him that he did and that was the first text he received after it was announced on TV. As he was winding down his speech, the crowd started chanting '5 second pose' and he obliged after he was done. They started playing the HOF music again and Edge went back to the podium. He made fun of the sappy music and said he's sick of hearing it after all these years and demanded they play some rock and roll. The Foo Fighters song started playing again and Edge played to the crowd.

Jerry Lawler then returned for the final time and brought back all the inductees to the stage to end the evening.

Overall it was an amazing experience. Edge, Arn Anderson, and JBL were the biggest highlights in my opinion. It's definitely worth checking out on TV or if you get the Mania DVD.

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