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The WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2026 is well on the way, with AJ Styles, Stephanie McMahon, Dennis Rodman and Demolition announced for induction next month. This is one of the strongest classes for the Hall in recent memory, but what if they could add even more star power? What if WWE makes another change?

Today, we’ll take a look at five names deserving of going into the WWE Hall of Fame and being honored by their peers and fans alike on WrestleMania 42 weekend.

Victoria

Victoria doesn’t get enough credit for making women’s wrestling what it is today. She may not have been the most charismatic or had the greatest promo, but when she stepped inside that squared circle, she could go with anyone. More importantly, she can make anyone shine if she wants to.

She helped elevate the women’s division at a time when WWE did not want to do so, and helped create stars like Lita and Trish Stratus. Victoria was also extremely important to the TNA Knockouts division, helping to make it what we know today.

ken shamrock

Ken Shamrock was inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame a few years ago and now it’s time for him to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. He helped change wrestling, as tapping out into submission was not a thing until his arrival. He helped fans see how big the Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart match at WrestleMania 1997 was, as he was an actual element of it with a submission match in which he was the referee.

Shamrock also helped make The Rock a legitimate performer during their feud in 1998. Shamrock brought legitimacy to the game and did so impressively, while not staying around longer than most people would have liked.

mickey james

When we talk about influential wrestlers in pro wrestling and women’s wrestling, Mickie James has to be right up there with those we look up to. She was part of the late Women’s and Divas era. She helped change the way fans viewed women’s wrestling and made it what it is today. James found success in WWE and TNA. Not only did he do it at a high level, but he did so for more than a decade.

bray wyat

Bray Wyatt will go down as one of the greatest examples of What If? His debut in WWE featured many chapters in a book that most people could only dream about, from winning the WWE Title to feuds with Randy Orton, John Cena and The Undertaker to his legendary feud with The Wyatt Family defeating The Shield.

He was special and unique. Wyatt was just getting started when the world lost him before he could show many different versions of himself.

hardy boys

What better way to kick off the class than featuring one of the greatest tag teams of all time in the form of the Hardy Boyz? Matt and Jeff Hardy literally changed tag team wrestling with the likes of Edge, Christian, and the Dudley Boyz. They have been so influential in the business that they have changed the way fans view tag team wrestling.

The Hardy Boyz have also been a part of historic moments that have helped shape how history is written in a variety of matches and promotions. He has had success in almost every major promotion he has been a part of. Now, it’s time to honor them.

A new report claims WWE will be inducting another celebrity into its Hall of Fame next month, but this time it’s a nice honoree.

Celebrities being involved in professional wrestling is nothing new, and over the course of its 40-plus years of existence, WWE has mastered the art of using them to benefit the company. WWE loves to include famous people from other industries in its content, seeing music stars like Cyndi Lauper in the 1980s, Lawrence Taylor in the 1990s, and more recently Bad Bunny and Jelly Roll.

They appreciate him so much that they even have a celebrity wing in their Hall of Fame. However, this has always troubled traditional wrestling fans. Especially since many of the people involved, like Drew Carey, William Shatner, or Arnold Schwarzenegger, didn’t really have any meaningful impact on the company and the industry.

Well, it looks like there will be a new celebrity inducted at the 2026 Hall of Fame ceremony. But this man actually deserves respect.

Dennis Rodman to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame

On Friday morning, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania surprisingly broke the news that Basketball Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman is expected to be immortalized in the WWE HOF ahead of WrestleMania 42 next month.

For quite some time, WWE has attempted to make its Hall of Fame a true hall of fame for professional wrestling in general. They have included many industry veterans who had no major impact on the brand or who never even performed for the company. Rodman, along with Andy Kaufman, will be the second celebrity to be inducted into WWE’s HOF without appearing for the company.

As mentioned above, most celebrity inductions into the WWE HOF are watched by a select group of fans, but Rodman made a huge impact on the industry in a short period of time in the late 1990s. When WCW was hot, the NBA bad boy broke the mold of celebrity appearances by joining the villainous faction, the nWo.

It was a match made in heaven for the company and the group as it garnered massive mainstream media attention and helped elevate WCW as the top wrestling promotion in the world. Since the great forward was a top star on the Chicago Bulls, the best team in the NBA at the time.

Rodman would compete in three matches for WCW, including a highly successful crossover clash that saw him team with wrestling icon Hulk Hogan against Diamond Dallas Page and his NBA rival, Utah Jazz great Karl Malone. Of the various celebrities in the WWE HOF, Rodman arguably had the biggest impact on the industry.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

WWE is reportedly targeting John Cena to serve as the inductee for AJ Styles at the 2026 Hall of Fame ceremony. According to BodySlam.net, WWE officials see Cena as the ideal choice to honor their longtime rival and close friend, provided his Hollywood schedule allows for an appearance.

The induction was announced during the February 23, 2026 edition of Monday Night Raw in Atlanta, Georgia – a special tribute episode dedicated to the career of the “Phenomenal One”. In his home state, Styles gave an emotional retirement speech before symbolically placing his gloves and jacket in the center of the ring. The ceremony took a dramatic turn when the arena went dark and the Undertaker suddenly entered on his motorcycle.

Initially teasing “unfinished business” following their Boneyard match at WrestleMania 36, ​​”The Deadman” broke character to inform Styles that he would be the second inductee into the 2026 Hall of Fame class. Styles, along with Stephanie McMahon, are the only confirmed names so far for the event.

Brian Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Radio reported that the announcement was a real surprise to Styles, who appeared apprehensive when the lights went off for the first time.

The Hall of Fame confirmation appears to have put an end to the ongoing speculation about Styles’ in-ring future. Following his loss to Gunther at the 2026 Royal Rumble, Styles apparently avoided leaving his gear in the ring, leading to rumors that he might make an eventual run to another promotion like NJPW or TNA.

WWE made great efforts to describe the Rumble loss as the end of his “WWE career”, notably leaving the door open for other ventures.

However, the definitive nature of the Atlanta tribute, coupled with the Hall of Fame nod, indicates that Styles is officially ending his time as an active competitor. Several legends from Styles’ past in TNA—including Abyss, The Good Brothers, and Frankie Kazarian—were present at the broadcast to honor his career.