Greatest Hall of Fame Classes

With the WWE Hall of Fame approaching, we would like to celebrate the best Hall of Fame Classes of all-time:

2005

Class: H. Hogan, Piper, Iron Sheik, Jimmy Hart, Bob Orton, Jr., Paul Orndorff, Nikolai Volkoff
This Class was Special because these were the stars of the first WrestleMania. I always call it the "WrestleMania I Crew". The Class was headlined by none other than H. Hogan himself, the focal point of the "Rock & Wrestling" Golden Era from the 80's. Along with him would be his friend Jimmy Hart, rivals Roddy Piper, Iron Sheik, Paul Orndorff, Nikolai Volkoff, and "Cowboy" Bob Orton, Jr. The induction took place the night before WM 21 in Los Angeles, CA.

2006
Class: Bret Hart, Eddie Guerrero, The Blackjacks, Sensational Sherri, William Perry, Tony Atlas, Verne Gagne

The Headliner for this Class was "The Hitman" Bret Hart with his presenter being Stone Cold Steve Austin. Bret and Austin had their Iconic WM 13 match in Chicago, so it was fitting that Bret chose him given their history. As a long time fan of Bret, this was very special for me. I also believe that the seeds were slowly being planted for Bret to be eased back into WWE one step at a time even though he finally made his return to WWE Television four years later. Bret still had his grudge with HBK, as that explains why Shawn was not present that night. This was also done to promote Bret's DVD "Best There Is, Was and Ever Will Be." The impact of Bret's appearance in years since the "Montreal Screwjob" was enough to boost the credibility of this class. Eddie Guerrero was inducted posthumously following his death in November 2005. His induction was very emotional and pulled the heartstrings of the fans that night.

2014
Class: Ultimate Warrior, Razor Ramon, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Lita, Mr. T, Paul Bearer, Carlos Colon

This was a fantastic HOF Class for the 30th Anniversary of WrestleMania. It was significant because it presented closure as The Ultimate Warrior was the Headliner for this Class. Warrior just made amends with WWE thanks to Triple H in order to break the ice between himself and Vince McMahon. Before his death, The Ultimate Warrior signed a Legends Contract that would allow him to be an Ambassador for the WWE. This also included Warrior's commercial promoting WWE 2K14. Warrior was the marquee attraction during HOF Weekend and gave the best speech in my view. This was also a night to welcome back Jake Roberts and Razor Ramon (Scott Hall) after they were cleaned up thanks to DDP Yoga. The quote that stuck out the most in Hall's speech was "Bad Times don't last, but Bad Guys do." Lita was presented by her arch rival Trish Stratus. Mr. T had one of the best speeches of the night, as he was a huge part of the first WrestleMania. Paul Bearer was inducted by Kane and Undertaker while his sons accepted on his behalf. Carlos Colon (World Wrestling Council) was inducted by his sons.

2015

Class: "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Kevin Nash, Tatsumi Fujinami, Madusa/Alundra Blayze, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Larry Zbysko, The Bushwhackers, Rikishi
This Class was special because there were inductions that were LONG overdue. This was an HOF that represented closure. However, it was also bittersweet because the Headliner for this HOF Class was not alive to accept this honor. "Macho Man" Randy Savage passed away in a Car Accident four years earlier. His brother Lanny Poffo accepted on his behalf. Madusa was finally welcomed back to WWE after 20 years of bad blood for her infamous act of dropping the Women's Title in the trash can at the start of the Monday Night Wars. Natalya was her presenter. Madusa made a light-hearted joke of the situation by bringing a trash can to the stage with the Title. Arnold Schwarzenegger was the Celebrity Choice with Triple H as his presenter. At WM 31, Triple H paid tribute with his Terminator Entrance. Larry Zbysko took his place in the HOF as well. Japanese legend Tatsumi Fujinami was honored. The head scratching choices for this class were The Bushwhackers and Rikishi. Fans did not understand because they were mostly comedy acts in WWE, and that is all that was shown in their video packages. Meanwhile, their body of work was stronger outside of WWE for the most part. Kevin Nash closed out the night with Shawn Michaels as his presenter. The Kliq ended things on a high note as they celebrated together.

2012
Class: Edge, Four Horsemen, Mike Tyson, Yokozuna, Ron Simmons, Mil Mascaras

This HOF Class had great quality. What helped to make it special for me was that it took place on the weekend of WM 28, one of the best of recent memory. The headliner for this class was Edge because of how his career was sadly cut short due to injury. The Four Horsemen and Mike Tyson were the next big names for induction. Yokozuna was the posthumous induction presented by Rikishi. Ron Simmons was inducted by JBL and Mil Mascaras was the International pick presented by Alberto Del Rio.

2011
Class: Shawn Michaels, LOD, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, Sunny, Abdullah The Butcher, Bob Armstrong, Drew Carey

In 2011, Shawn Michaels added another moniker to his resume: "Mr. Hall Of Fame". HBK was the Marquee Headliner for the Class of 2011 and it was special for his best friend Triple H to present him into the HOF. Shawn is highly regarded as the Greatest In-Ring Performer of all-time. This came off the heels of his retirement after his finale with Undertaker at WM 26 as well as WWE naming him the Greatest of All-Time on their Top 50 "Superstars" list. HBK is one of the most decorated stars in history. Along with Shawn, The Road Warriors/LOD were inducted. According to many fans, LOD is the Greatest Tag-Team of all-time. So it was rather fitting that they were inducted with HBK. Plus, The Road Warriors enjoyed some of their best success in the NWA along with WWE and other promotions. Abdullah The Butcher and "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan were also inducted along with Bob Armstrong, Sunny and the most head scratching induction, Drew Carey.



2004
Class: Harley Race, "Superstar" Billy Graham, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, Sgt. Slaughter, Junkyard Dog, Pete Rose, Jesse Ventura, Tito Santana, Big John Studd, Greg Valentine, Don Muraco

On the 20th Anniversary of WrestleMania, WWE brought back the Hall of Fame in a huge way. In 2004, WWE inducted their largest class in HOF History with 11 Inductees. The names included were former NWA Champion Harley Race, "Superstar" Billy Graham, Bobby Heenan, Sgt. Slaughter, JYD, Jesse Ventura, Tito Santana, Big John Studd, Greg Valentine, Don Muraco, and the first celebrity induction Pete Rose. Much of this class consists of stars that were part of the late 70's/early 80's and midcard/upper main eventers. Harley was essentially the headliner because of his body of work even though he was a huge star outside of WWE. It was similar to how Ric Flair was the headliner for 2008 although he was a major star outside of WWE as well. Superstar was a huge attraction for MSG in the late 70's as WWWF Champion. Sgt. Slaughter was also a mainstay in the Garden with his feuds with Tito Santana, Bob Backlund, etc. Muraco, Valentine and Santana were all mainstays as IC Champion during their time. JYD and Studd were both supporting cast members during the Rock & Wrestling Boom Period. Jesse and Bobby were star commentators during the 80's.

2009
Class: Stone Cold Steve Austin, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, The Von Erichs, Terry and Dory Funk, Howard Finkel, Koko B. Ware, Bill Watts

During the 25th Anniversary of the Grandest Stage of them All, WrestleMania took place at the Astrodome in Houston, TX. This was certainly a Texas based HOF Class with Stone Cold Steve Austin as the Headliner with his best friend Jim Ross inducting him. Ricky Steamboat was inducted by his arch rival Ric Flair. Texas Legends and WCCW headliners The Von Erichs were inducted by Michael Hayes. Terry and Dory Funk were also inducted along with "Cowboy" Bill Watts. Legendary Ring Announcer Howard Finkel joined the HOF as well as Koko B. Ware.

2008
Class: Ric Flair, Rocky Johnson, High Chief Peter Maivia, Briscoe Brothers, Mae Young, Eddie Graham, Gordon Solie

In his farewell, Ric Flair was the Center of Attention for WrestleMania Weekend in 2008. Flair was the headliner for the class of 2008 as Triple H was his presenter. Meanwhile, The Rock inducted his father Rocky Johnson and grandfather "High Chief" Peter Maivia. The Briscoe Brothers, legendary Women's wrestler Mae Young, Florida Championship Wrestling Legend Eddie Graham and NWA Announcer Gordon Solie were also inducted.




2013
Class: Bruno Sammartino, Bob Backlund, Mick Foley, Booker T, Trish Stratus, Donald Trump

This HOF weekend took place in the New York/New Jersey area. So naturally, it would be a NY themed HOF with Bruno Sammartino as the headliner along with other NYC mainstays like Bob Backlund and Mick Foley. Sammartino and Backlund were two of the longest-reigning WWWF Champions before the explosion of business during the Golden-Era. This was also a sense of closure for Bruno and Backlund, especially in the case for Sammartino. Booker T was also inducted with his brother Stevie Ray. Booker entertained the crowd with a Spinarooni as well. During Foley's speech, he mentioned that he never defeated Chris Jericho. Y2J and CM Punk joined Mick on stage. Foley gives Jericho the elbow drop as Punk counts to 3. Trish Stratus was the staple of the Women's Division during the 2000's and it was great to witness her induction. Finally, Donald Trump was the celebrity involved considering that it was in NYC. I don't agree, but WWE loves publicity.

Roddy Piper Bagpipe Salute

The Summer of 2015 has been very tough for wrestling fans. In June, Dusty Rhodes passes away. In July, Hulk Hogan was fired for racist comments. Then on the very last day of the month, wrestling loses another soldier as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper passes away at just the age of 61. The cause of death was revealed to be a Cardiac Arrest.

Wrestling has suffered heartbreak in back to back weeks. Piper passed away the week after Hogan was removed from WWE. Two straight weeks end on a sad note.

As a WWF/E fan, this is one of the deaths that cuts the deepest because Piper was one of my favorite villains. Roddy was a natural villain as he drew heat in various territories, from Portland, NWA Los Angeles, NWA San Francisco, NWA Mid-Atlantic, all the way to his legendary stint in the WWF.

Piper won various titles across the region from US Titles, Tag Titles to the Intercontinental Title. What Roddy may have lacked in a World Title, he made up for with his popularity.

Roddy Piper embodied a true villain, as he had no remorse whatsoever. He was as dastardly as you could get. If you look up the word "Controversy" in the Dictionary, Piper's picture should be next to the definition.

Piper was a fixture in the territories during the '70s and early '80s, as he feuded with the likes of Ric Flair, Greg Valentine, The Sheepherders (later Bushwhackers), along with the Guerreros. His dog-collar match with Valentine at Starrcade '83 caught the attention of Vince McMahon. Roddy Piper would join the WWF in early 1984 as the rest was history.

Roddy Piper was a trendsetter on the microphone, as his Interview Segment "Piper's Pit" paved the way for other wrestlers to do interview shows. From Jake Roberts' "Snake Pit" to Brutus Beefcake's "Barber Shop" all the way down to Chris Jericho's "Highlight Reel", they all owe credit to Roddy Piper for opening the door.

Even Shawn Michaels had an Interview show called "Heartbreak Hotel" for a short time. However, none of those shows that I just mentioned ever came close to the impact of "Piper's Pit". Roddy's timing on the mic was second to none, as he would never let anyone outshine him on his stage.

Roddy Piper was a lightning rod for feuds. From Jimmy Snuka, Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant you name it he has feuded with them at some point.

Perhaps Piper's most famous segment on his show was when he smashed Jimmy Snuka over the head with a coconut. Roddy was not afraid to cross any line.

The Rowdy One was the key villain that Vince McMahon had in mind for his vision to launch the "Rock & Wrestling" Era, as Piper was the quintessential villain of his generation. He was not flashy like Ric Flair, but he knew how to get under your skin and constantly frustrate you.

Some of the best moments of Piper's feud with Hulk Hogan, Cyndi Lauper, and Mr. T took place on Piper's Pit. It was the perfect environment to start a feud.

Who can forget how Piper smashed Cyndi Lauper's award over Capt? Lou Albano's head? At one point, Piper and Albano were best friends. The next moment, Piper pulls out the knife to stab him in the back. Even though Capt. Lou was a heel manager, it goes to show that you could not outsmart Roddy Piper. He knew how to show how dangerous he was when you least expected it.

With Piper as the antagonist to Hogan and MTV, the War To Settle The Score was launched in February 1985. This main event would kick off the first WrestleMania in March 1985.

When Hulk Hogan and Mr. T were the guest hosts of Saturday Night Live the night before WrestleMania I, Piper stayed true to his heel form as he did not appear on the show. Instead, he and "Cowboy" Bob Orton cut a promo insulting Hogan and the show.

When I think about it now, Piper did have a point when he said, "People didn't buy a WrestleMania ticket just to see Hulk Hogan. They came to buy a ticket to see Hulk Hogan kick the crap out of Roddy Piper."

Hogan was the hero of the company and Ambassador of Wrestling, but Piper was the villain that he needed to feed off of.

Every great hero needs a strong villain. What would Superman be without a Lex Luthor or Brainiac? What would Batman be without the Joker? At that point, Piper was the perfect rival for the Hulkster.

Years later, Piper would emerge in WCW to face off with an old rival, "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan. Roddy shot from the hip as he exposed his past with The Hulkster on Halloween Havoc in October 1996.

In the promo, Piper says, "You think they would cheer you so much if they didn't hate me so much?". It goes back to the point that he made about his importance to the first WrestleMania.

Roddy would continue feuding with Hulk's friend Mr. T going into WrestleMania II. He would return to feud with Adrian Adonis leading into his "farewell" match at WrestleMania III.

Towards the end of Piper's initial WWF run, he would win his first title in the company by winning the Intercontinental Championship. Roddy would hold the title in a transitional period as he would march into WrestleMania VIII where he would lose the title to Bret Hart. It was a great way to put Bret over as the top star in the Intercontinental Title picture, as The Hitman would climb even further later in the year.

Piper was never pinned on live TV during his WWF run until his match with Bret. They told a fantastic story, as I would rank that match as one of the best of both of their careers. At Summerslam 1992, Roddy Piper played the bagpipes with a Scottish band before Bret's match with The British Bulldog in the main event.

For a short time, Piper served as the Interim WWF President when Gorilla Monsoon was out of action.

In his later years, Piper would return to WWE as he would make sporadic appearances here and there. In 2005, Piper and Hogan were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame together. As time would go on, Piper's screws were not all the way together. He would come across as a man that had even more of an edge following years of frustration and tragedy.

In 2003, Piper even predicted that he would not make the age of 65 during a Shoot Interview. Recently, Roddy was the host of his own Podcast "In The Pit with Piper" and was also one of the stars of "Legends House". The last mainstream headline that Piper made was that he had a beef with Stone Cold Steve Austin over a Podcast episode. I can't imagine how Austin feels right now.


It has also been revealed that during his last Piper's Pit show here in Maryland, Piper said that he did not know how much longer he was going to do this. He said that he would continue working to the best of his abilities. It was similar to Warrior, but the effect was not as sudden. Three weeks later, Piper passes away.

In the greatest irony of them all, Roddy Piper has become a hero while Hulk Hogan has become a villain in the eyes of the media.

Ronda Rousey dedicated her fight at UFC 190 to Piper.

Recently on Monday Night RAW, WWE played a great tribute to The Hot Rod that included a 10 bell salute.

Sadly, the bagpipes play no more. Rest in Peace and Power "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.

April 17, 1954-July 31, 2015