3 WWE Hall of Famers who wanted to join WWE and 2 who didn't

For any WWE Superstar, getting inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame is about reaching the pinnacle of the professional wrestling business.

While some superstars always wanted to join WWE, there have been others who didn't want to join Vince McMahon's promotion but still ended up being there and, through their dedication, have been bestowed with this prestigious honor.

In this article, we look at three WWE Hall of Famers who wanted to join WWE and 2 who didn't:

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#5. WWE Hall of Famer – Bret Hart (wanted to join)

Bret Hart is one of the greatest wrestlers to ever step foot in the squared circle. The former five-time world champion always wanted to be a professional wrestler.

Bret started training to become a wrestler at a very young age under the able guidance of his father, the late Stu Hart. He joined his father's promotion, Stampede Wrestling, in 1976 when he was 19 and, since then, aspired to work with WWE.

Bret realized his dream of joining Vince McMahon's company in 1984. He competed as a tag team performer during the time with Jim Neidhart (The Hart Foundation).

His success as a singles competitor began in 1991 when he beat Mr. Perfect to win his maiden Intercontinental Championship. The Hitman then soared to the very top in WWE with memorable feuds against the likes of The Undertaker, Yokozuna, and Shawn Michaels, to name a few.

Bret continues to be an inspiration for young wrestlers who aspire to make a career in WWE.

#4. WWE Hall of Famer – Booker T (didn't want to join)

WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has been one of the most successful superstars in the business. The former World Heavyweight Champion was one of the selected talents WWE brought in after they purchased WCW in 2001.

During that time, the veteran wasn't very keen to join WWE and, in a recent interview with the Notsam Wrestling Podcast, said:

“No, I never wanted to go to WWE. I would rather have stayed in WCW forever and finished my career out there but, then again, when you get put in a situation, you’ve got to deal with it."

Booker T's fans were certainly glad that he carved his success story in WWE and reached the very top.

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#3. WWE Hall of Famer – Edge (wanted to join)

WWE Hall of Famer Edge has been one of the most dominant wrestlers to step foot in the ring. The Rated R Superstar is still going strong.

The eleven-time world champion wanted to become a wrestler since childhood. Edge always dreamed about becoming a WWE superstar and, in a recent tweet, reacted to an old video that surfaced.

The video showed a 19-year old Edge on a 1992 talk show asking Bret Hart for advice on how to get into WWE. Such was his passion to get into this business, and he surely made it a success by being one of the best WWE Superstars ever.

#2. WWE Hall of Famer – Sting (didn't want to join)

WWE Hall of Famer Sting wasn't keen on coming to WWE until he finally made his debut at Survivor Series 2014.

The Icon had single-handedly carried WCW during the 90s and the early 2000s. When the defunct promotion was taken over by WWE, many of his compatriots, like Booker T, DDP, Goldberg, Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall, signed with WWE, but Sting chose not to.

In an earlier interview with Chris Van Vliet, Booker T said Sting's reason for not joining was his promo with The Rock:

"Sting did an interview. He said the reason he never went to WWE was because of the way they treated Booker T when he first got there. He said I was disrespected by The Rock when I first got there. I should have been treated better. And what he was talking about when me and Rock, we did our angle and Rock goes, who are you? And I go, my name is..he goes, 'It doesn't matter what your name is.'"

The WWE Universe was surely glad Sting finally came. Some of the matches he contested in this promotion, particularly the one against Triple H at WrestleMania 31, were one for the ages.

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#1. WWE Hall of Famer – Mick Foley (wanted to join)

WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley has been one of the most versatile superstars playing three distinct characters: Mankind, Cactus Jack, and Dude Love.

In 1983, Foley hitchhiked to Madison Square Garden to see Jimmy Snuka in a steel cage match against Don Muraco. Foley said that Snuka's flying body splash from the top of the cage inspired him to pursue a career in wrestling. He finally joined WWE in 1996.

The former three-time WWE Champion had some memorable bouts with The Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, and Triple H, to name a few. Foley was one of the biggest superstars during The Attitude Era, and his contributions to the business are remembered by fans to date.