First Inductee to the 2009 WWE Hall of Fame revealed...
 

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STONE COLD! STONE COLD! STONE COLD!

Gee, I'm throughly surprised.

Hall yeah, motherfuckers!

Pretty nice bribe to get him to appear at Wrestlemania, I guess.

Woo can't wait to be at the Hall of Fame :D

I guess they decided to announce this now after the poor ticket sales since the presale yesterday.

Well from what I've heard not many tickets have been shifted anyway.

Stop talking to yourself.

Looks like they took it down already. Someone put it up too early?

PWInsider thinks someone from the WWE.com team who got fired posted this before leaving. It's not on the main page of WWE.com like it would be. And you would think they would announce it on TV first.

Lol havoc in Stamford right now.

I coulda sworn he was already in the Hall of Fame. Guess not.

Well it was all but confirmed anyway pretty much. It's been heavily rumoured for the past year.

Well let's hope it isn't another scam.

been funnier if it had "Macho Man " Randy Savage's pic

no Braden Walker? :(

who will induct him. I think Bret Hart would be the most suitable candidate/

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YEA. Best news I've heard all day

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lol at Stone Cold at :20. One of the funniest things he used to do

He should get in the hall of fame based SOLELY on how he reacted to the special olympian trying to jump the railing in his match against HBM

The Rock should induct him. That way we get Rock at the HOF too. :D

I want JR to induct him just to hear him say "From one fat redneck to another".

WHAT THE FUCK?

Thank you for ruining Austins return, thank you for ruining what would have been my only mark out moment in a year.

WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU TYPE "SPOILERS" WHEN YOU TYPE WHAT THE SPOILER IS RIGHT BESIDE IT!!!!!!!!!

Now I know Austin is confirmed, he is my favourite wrestler, hearing his damn music hit would have made me mark out so bad, but no, you have to fucking ruin it, couldn't you make the title "Wrestlmania 21 major spoilers" alone? Seriously man, use your goddam brain. Why mark for spoilers when the spoiler is right beside where you mark for spoilers.

Fuck this shit, you're not the only one who does it, so many people do, i am out of the fucking wrestling forum besides for tipsters until Wrestlemania is over, see you all April fourth.

I'd expect Jim Ross to induct him, but I'd also expect WWE to say "fuck Ross, let's get someone else to do it".

Vince himself would be a good choice, doubt he would though.

Ross is the number one obvious choice.

Vince would be an interesting one.

I'd only want Rock to be the presenter if Austin returned the favor next year.

They'll probably go all-out stupid, though, and get someone like Hogan.

yay!

Now that I think about it, Pillman would be an interesting secondary inductee. In fact, I wouldn't doubt if Austin pushes for it.

I bet if it's not JR, it will be Flair.

Don't know why it would be Flair, they haven't been closely associated over the years, nor are they particularly good friends.

JR is the most obvious choice, as Austin's lone on-screen ally for many years, and probably his closest friend in wrestling. Bret Hart, as one of the greatest opponents, would be an obvious choice too. Vince, as the chairman introducing his highest-grossing performer of all-time or as Austin's number one adversary of all time, would be the best choice in my mind, but I don't see it happening.

Paul Heyman would be an outside choice too.

If WWE put the kibosh on JR, do you think... nah... they wouldn't? Not... Stephanie?

Flair loves Austin

He was also last years inductee and hasn't appeared on WWE programming. It will be a draw. He makes just as much sense as anybody.

Bret would make sense too, but Austin already inducted him and they're more than likely not going to get him there.

Vince is the chairman, they're not going to do that.

The Rock was there last year, he probably won't be back, and word is him and Austin don't even like eachother anymore.
Flair and Austin like eachother more as far as everybody knows.

They like each other, doesn't mean they're friends. They have mutual respect and a kind of superficial wrestling friendship, nobody thinks they hate each other (except Scott Steiner) but they're hardly close. Flair makes sense on a promotional level as a draw, but not a lot of sense as Austin's choice to induct him.

Austin is quoted as saying "We're talking about 'Nature Boy' Ric Flair. He's my favorite pro wrestler ever in the history of the business."

They became great friends in 2002 when Flair came back to WWE and they have tons of respect for eachother. Flair considers Austin just as much of the goods
Have you ever watched the Piper HOF induction? Flair goes on about Steve. Pretty sure he says "I love you man."

Austin also was the one who was pushing for a bigger and better final run for Flair, with the title and all.

Don't see what Vince being the chairman has anything to do with anything.

The same could have been said in the 90s before he became a major character. Look where that took them.

Bret owes Austin the favour. Even if he didn't, if he was asked, I honestly think he would do it.

Why does Bret owe Austin a favor?

I don't disagree that Flair and Austin are friendly, just not so close that Austin would pick him above JR to induct him, and usually the inductee gets to choose, dependant on WWE's agreement with the inductor of course.

Austin inducted Bret.

Tit for tat innit.

Well shit, how is Wade Boggs going to be repaid?

First of all, I'd like to hear some examples like I've given on why your point makes sense, since it's the opposite of what can be proven.

Also, since when did "closeness" mean more than the whole respect and professional side of things?
HHH inducted Flair, not Arn.
Austin inducted Bret. They're not close. They respect the shit out of eachother. There are plenty who are closer friends with Bret, but it's about many things.
Flair and Austin are a similar relationship, and both would likely be honored.

Hogan was inducted by Sylvester Stallone for fucks sake.

I stand by Flair being the second or third most probable and logical pick here.

Celebrity wing. See you in Texas, Boggsy.

Well, I just hope Zombie Mr. Perfect doesn't go on a rampage after inducting him.

On a side note, The Zombie with the Perfect gimmick would be hilarious.

Well then why didn't Flair pick Arn, or Bret pick one of his family members in the business?

I think it transcendes "closeness" and goes to a professional level. Flair inducting Austin makes a fuck load of sense for both of them. I agree that JR is probably the top contender. That was never argued. You implied that Flair made no sense. That's untrue.
Please don't shift the argument to JR making "more sense" when it began as Flair making no sense.

The fact of the matter is he makes more sense than anyone else besides maybe Bret, who probably isn't going to be there. It's also a retread of what they already did with Bret.
Flair, in a way, makes more sense than JR because of who he is. I highly doubt JR would feel slighted by this

I don't disagree he's a possibility at all, what I said was that I would assume that Austin will pick his closest friend in the business, Jim Ross. No matter how much of a 'friend' he is to Ric Flair, he is actually close with Ross. Unlike, say, Stallone, Austin and Ross have not just a close personal relationship but a measurable on-screen one too. Just like Flair and Triple H did (more so in recent times than Flair and Arn had).

ya ok

But Flair left on bad terms with Vince did he not? I would think that that would be the biggest road block on the whole Flair inducting Austin idea.

For the reasons stated. I can think of 3 or 4 much more likely candidates. Therefore, why would it be Flair?

Still, you guys can all bet on Flair, and we'll see how that works out for ya.

That is a good point too. I think thats a side issue though since that doesn't mean it makes less sense.

Things can change, especially when it comes to a thing like HOF ceremonies. I think, to some degree, it rises above politics.
I say to some degree because of the bullshit surrounding certain guys like Savage.

Relations change, especially when getting past them means good things. Flair and Vince have been up and down before, just like Austin and Vince have.

I'd bet on JR. I'd place my second bet on Flair. The Rock or Bret make a lot of sense too if it wasn't for the fact that getting them to appear on WWE tv is like trying to catch a bigfoot.

Who are the other more likely candidates?

Ric Flair has a "Legends" contract with WWE doesn't he? I thought he didn't want to limit bookings with the other contract he had after he retired.

Also, Mike Adamle should be inducted this year.

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We'll probably all get swerved and it will be HHH, even though it makes significantly less sense than any of the names thrown out there.

If I recall, Flair has no real ties to the WWE at this point. I remember them offering him a contract, and him not signing it lead to the bad blood between Flair and Vince.

What is the deal with the controversy about HHH inducting Flair. I think it is well known just how close HHH and Flair became as friends when Flair joined WWE.

I don't think it's controversial. It's a pretty obvious pick if you ask me. The only pick that may have made more sense is Arn, but he isn't as recognizable to tv audiences as HHH.

I think Bret should induct HBM

I don't think Vince McMahon told Ric to have Flair induct him because of marketability, I think Flair wanted Triple H to do it instead of Arn. According to his last DVD, he asked Triple H in a very emotional letter or something of that nature. I still love those NWA World Championship cuff links Triple H bought Flair.

That also goes into the point I was making about the professional level outweighing the personal level. Just because Flair wanted HHH to induct him as a peer doesn't mean he is closer with him than Arn. Just like if Austin wanted Flair to induct him it doesn't mean they're closer than him and JR.

I think I read Flair and Arn don't get on as well as they used to. Something to do with Arn's wife and Flair's ex.

Bret has openly said on record that he is not against the idea of doing anything for the WWE, on television or otherwise, just so long as it in fun and in good spirit and schedule permitting. He won't revisit the screwjob, or any angles with Vince, HBK or HHH, but if it was just something fun he would be open to it. He said they "can always ask".

I think if Steve Austin called Hart and asked him to induct him into the Hall of Fame, Bret would likely say yes, based on the above and the fact that Austin did the same for him.

I still think Austin will choose JR, mind, it's just whether or not WWE agrees to let JR induct him.

Didn't Vince buy HBM and Flair watches that said "To be the man.." and "...You gotta beat the man"

Lets see who would NOT be inducting austin

Eric Bischoff
Hulk Hogan
Shawn Michaels

Pete Rose is in, Boggs has a shot.

Mike Tyson should go in this year

I still love the fact that Pete Rose is in the HOF because be got Tombstoned by Kane multiple time. Boston Brawler has a chance!

Let me guess, JR returns the favor and inducts Steve.

Hmm looks like JR will be inducting Cowboy Bill Watts this year instead... that leaves the Steve Austin inductor spot wide open. (Doubt they'd feature JR twice).

For those contesting me earlier, Flair just became a lot more likely. In fact, so did Bret Hart.

I now reckon they'll get some outside Hollywood type to do it though, a la Hogan/Stallone.

The likes of an Adam Sandler or somebody Austin has worked with who is incredibly-credibly famous.

Still think Vince would be the best person to do it, however.

Not Vinnie Jones. That wasn't the Vince I was talking about.

Well Austin is 100% official now. Check out WWE.com. It will be announced on Raw tonight.

I'm guessing Steve and possibly Shane McMahon will try to get Bret Hart to come and induct Steve.

Wonder if his inductor will be announced too.

Probably not until later.

They used to announce the inductor at the same time as the inductee, until last year (and it seemed that omission was mainly due to bad planning, ie. WWE not knowing who the fuck was going to be inducting anyone until the last second).

Isn't The Rock already in the hall of fame :roll:

My money's on JR to induct Austin.

Failing that, I'd like to see a former Diva induct him. You know, someone like Debra :cool:

That video package for Austin gave me the chills. Awesome.

I just watched it on WWE.com. I was actually coming into this thread to reccomend it

Uh, no...........

Thats his father, muh bad.

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