5 Ruthless Aggression Era stars WWE should consider for the 2018 Hall of Fame

With WrestleMania season just a couple of months away, much of the talk surrounding WWE’s annual extravaganza has surrounded the anticipated Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns and Kurt Angle vs. Triple H matches.

However, WrestleMania weekend also includes the one and only time of the year when WWE inducts a select few legendary performers into their Hall of Fame.

The 2017 ceremony was headlined by Kurt Angle and also saw Teddy Long, DDP, Beth Phoenix and Rick Rude inducted, but we haven’t heard too many rumours about who could be honoured in New Orleans.

With that in mind, we take a look at five Ruthless Aggression Era stars – some from the past and some who are still competing – who WWE should seriously consider for the 2018 Hall of Fame.

---

#1 Evolution

Evolution held all the gold at one stage

The WWE Hall of Fame has 164 inductees but only one two-time Hall of Famer: Ric Flair. “The Dirtiest Player In The Game” has spoken in media interviews how he hopes to one day become a three-time Hall of Famer when Evolution (himself, Triple H, Randy Orton and Batista) is inducted.

The four-man faction were only together between January 2003 and June 2004, during which time they held the World Heavyweight Championship (HHH x4, Orton x1), the World Tag Team Championships (Flair & Batista x2) and the Intercontinental Championship (Orton x1).

Their 18-month dominance on Monday Night Raw was among all four guys’ best work in WWE and helped to legitimise Orton and Batista as the undisputed future of the company.

And who knows, if “The Animal” gets his wish and returns to WWE to have a full-time programme with Triple H, perhaps they could tie in a Hall of Fame induction with the storyline.

#2 Rey Mysterio

Rey Mysterio is a former WWE champion

One of the greatest high-flyers of all time, Rey Mysterio broke barriers for cruiserweight performers and changed the way that fans and people within wrestling perceived smaller guys.

You only have to look at his accomplishments in WWE to realise just how huge the waves he made in the business were. The 5ft 5in Superstar won the 2006 Royal Rumble, held the Tag Team titles on four occasions (with Edge, RVD, Eddie Guerrero and Batista), and he was a two-time World Heavyweight champion.

He even won the vacant WWE Championship in a match against The Miz in July 2011. Granted, his one and only reign with the title lasted less than one night before he lost it to John Cena, but the record books still state that he held the most prestigious prize in all of WWE.

It’s a matter of when, not if, Mysterio is inducted into the Hall of Fame. When it does happen, don’t be surprised if WWE goes down the Kurt Angle route and allows him to have a few featured matches back on the main roster.

#3 Vickie Guerrero

Vickie Guerrero was hated by WWE audiences

Now, this might not be the most popular induction if and when it happens, but even fans who booed Vickie Guerrero out of buildings have to appreciate her ability to infuriate almost every audience she stepped foot in front of.

Vickie, Eddie Guerrero’s widow and the former on-screen girlfriend of Edge, was with WWE for nine years between 2005 and 2014 and is best remembered for her time as the on-screen General Manager of both Raw and SmackDown.

WWE has inducted one former female performer into the Hall of Fame every year since 2013, with Trish Stratus, Lita, Alundra Blayze, Jacqueline and Beth Phoenix the latest women to be honoured by the company.

If they continue that theme in 2018, don’t be surprised if we hear a few “excuse me!” screeches on the New Orleans stage in April.

#4 Rob Van Dam

RVD is a six-time Intercontinental champion

Rob Van Dam will always be synonymous with the glory days of ECW but his run with WWE between 2001 and 2007 alone is enough to warrant an induction into the Hall of Fame.

The laid-back high-flyer was among the best performers in the world during his time with the company, where he won the WWE Championship, the Tag Team titles (with Kane x1 and Booker T x1) and the Intercontinental Championship on six occasions.

The veteran claimed in a 2016 Q&A that every one of his achievements in WWE were “in spite” of Triple H, the company’s COO, and said he would not be surprised if it was not in HHH's thoughts to have him inducted.

It's fair to say RVD hasn’t been the most positive about WWE since his last run with the company in August 2014 but, given the past inductions into the Hall of Fame, that probably won’t count against him too much.

#5 Goldberg

Goldberg is a certain future Hall of Famer

Maybe you wouldn’t associate peak Goldberg with the Ruthless Aggression Era, but it was at the start of that generation when the former Universal champion made his long-awaited WWE debut.

His one year with the company between March 2003 and March 2004 wasn’t the best, as highlighted in the Superstar’s recent ‘WWE 24’ documentary on the WWE Network, and it ended with the WrestleMania XX crowd jeering both him and Brock Lesnar in what, at the time, was their final appearances for WWE.

However, they made amends for their acrimonious 2004 departures from the company during their 2016-17 rivalry, which began with Goldberg defeating Lesnar in 86 seconds at Survivor Series and ended with "The Beast" winning the Universal title at WrestleMania 33.

Taking into account his time in WCW, Goldberg is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. And if he doesn’t get inducted in 2018, it’ll surely only be because he still has a match or two left in him as a part-time performer.