Thoughts on Bruno in the Hall of Fame

[Marc the Smark]

The business has changed........ so don't you think he should get over it and accept that it's not 1962 anymore??? I mean, seriously.... is he gonna bring this to the grave with him????? And if he doesn't want to be in the Hall of Fame and accept the honor and recognition that the McMahons want to give him, then fine.... then they need to forget about him and think about other people. But every year it's the same ol' thing with him! Should they really be BEGGING him to let them induct him??? Isn't that like BEGGING someone to take free money you want to give them???? Well, not exactly, but you get the point. I just don't see why they're make such a big fuss about him every year. There are plenty of other worthy people that should be inducted.

Your thoughts?

[Xero]

I'd say it's more WWE's fault for pursuing it than Bruno not wanting to do it.

[What Would Kevin Do?]

So wait, he should just ignore the fact that he doesn't like what the business he helped build has become? Wouldn't it be a bit hypocritical for him to say "Yeah, I blame you for this, but sure, I'd love to be in your hall of fame."

At least he's sticking to his guns. He thinks that the majority of wrestling today sucks, and I say more power to him for being vocal about it.

[Marc the Smark]

So wait, he should just ignore the fact that he doesn't like what the business he helped build has become? Wouldn't it be a bit hypocritical for him to say "Yeah, I blame you for this, but sure, I'd love to be in your hall of fame."

At least he's sticking to his guns. He thinks that the majority of wrestling today sucks, and I say more power to him for being vocal about it.

I'm sure it's very hard for a lotta the old-timers to see what the business has become. I can totally understand. But when is enough enough? It seems like Bruno is carrying around this resentment and he needs to let it go. If he doesn't want in the Hall of Fame, fine... then they should forget about trying to get him in and just move on. But I also think Bruno, whether or not he's inducted, needs to deal with the fact that things change and needs to accept that and it's obvious he hasn't.

[NeanderCarl]

Firstly, I think he should be a little more humble about the fact WWE even wants to recognise him in the Hall of Fame. 75% of their current audience has no idea who he is, and another 15% know him but have probably never even seen him in action. (Okay, I made those figures up, but I bet I'm not too far off.)

My point is that WWE, a business that revolves around making money, cannot use Bruno Sammartino in 2007 as a draw. So they aren't really inducting him for the financial gain. They want to induct him out of respect and rememberence for the money he made the company years ago. Most fans could care less whether Bruno ever goes into the HoF. But Vince actually wants him in there, and what's more, it's not a business decision (unless the HoF was in the New York area, where I guess Bruno is still well remembered.) So, Bruno should be a little happier about that.

If he hates the wrestling business so much, why did he keep pushing his son into it, as recently as the late 90s when David was trying out for WCW, and also enter negotiations with WWE a couple of years ago?

I think he should do it and just get it over with. Fair play to him for sticking to his guns, but WWE will probably just induct him posthumously anyway so he'd may as well take the money, take the recognition, and tell the world what he thinks of the modern business in his induction speech.

[What Would Kevin Do?]

Accepting what the business has become and liking what the business has become are two entirely different things.

Why the hell should he accept WWE's offer? Why should he "be humble?" He wouldn't be humble at all, he'd be a hypocrite. He blames the WWE and vince for what the business has become, so it makes no sense for him to take WWE's offer. It doesn't matter if the current fans no who he is, he's doing this because of his own beliefs.

I don't see how anyone can talk down about Bruno for his resentment about what the business has become. He helped build it, and now it's gone to shit. He has every right in the world to voice his distaste, turn down the WWE's offer, etc.

[What Would Kevin Do?]

Honestly, just because WWE wants him, and is trying to make ammends doesn't mean he has any type of obligation to accept it.

[Übermensch]

It sounds like you're arguing for the WWE to leave him alone more than for him to "get over it." It's not like he spends his days actively campaigning against the WWE, he just wants to be left alone. Him accepting a HoF invitation wouldn't be him getting "over it" so much as it would be him changing his opinion of the WWE.

[The One]

I support Bruno. Totally disagree with him, but respect his morals and standrads.

[NeanderCarl]

I have no problem with him not accepting the invitation if he doesn't want to. I could almost guarantee that he will end up in the Hall of Fame one day though, because when he dies there is no reason for WWE not to induct him and Bruno won't be around to speak out about it.

I'm not saying he should be humble and accept the award. I'm saying he should be humble that WWE is making SUCH an effort to snare him, despite the fact that the majority of modern fans have no idea who he is or what he has achieved in the past.

[Marc the Smark]

Like I said, I think it's fine if he doesn't want in... he's obviously never properly dealt with his emotions, and he obviously should, but if he doesn't want in they should forget him and move on.

[Übermensch]

I don't see how you can say his decision of not wanting to enter into the Hall of Fame indicates that he hasn't dealt w/ his emotions well.

It could very well be something that he decided a long time ago, and he's at peace with.