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For most wrestlers, getting inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame is the pinnacle of their career. During the ceremony, larger-than-life superstars and legends are honored for their contributions to the business and they are acknowledged for the hard work that they put in and outside the ring.
The WWE Hall of Fame, however, is often excoriated by many fans and wrestling insiders. A big part of the criticism stems from the inclusion of several controversial figures and exclusion of other deserving names. The inexistence of a physical location for the WWE Hall of Fame has also been a recurring talking point.
A handful of wrestlers even turned down or refused an induction. While some of them changed their minds later on and accepted the offer, there are a few who still stand steadfast in not being a part of it all.
#4 WWE Legend X-Pac/Sean Waltman
Yes, Sean Waltman is already in the WWE Hall of Fame and he's about to enter it for the second time, but for both times he was inducted as part of a faction. He hasn't been inducted as a singles star, and he stated during a recent interview that he doesn't want to.
"I've said this, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart, I have no desire whatsoever to stand up there by myself to give an acceptance speech for another Hall of Fame," Waltman stated. "I don't like that situation, standing there in front of thousands and thousands of people. It's one thing to stand there and have a match, but I'm not the - it was never my thing. I was never the big jabber-jawer. I had some things to say sometimes, and I think they came off [as] authentic, and I think that's why people liked me, but I was not getting 'Promo of the Year' awards, ever."
X-Pac spent most of his career teaming up with the likes of Road Dogg, Billy Gunn and former WWE Champion Kane, and he was also a part of two of the biggest factions in wrestling history: D-Generation X and the New World Order.
#3 Ole Anderson
Ole Anderson was one of the original members of the Four Horsemen, which is one of the most popular factions in pro wrestling history. Other notable names include The Nature Boy Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, and Tully Blanchard.
In 2012, The Four Horsemen were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame along with two other members, Barry Windham and J.J. Dillon. Ole Anderson, however, was excluded from the induction. During the ARN podcast, WWE legend Arn Anderson, Ole’s former partner and kayfabe brother, explained:
“My knowledge of what I’ve heard through the grapevine is that Ole doesn’t want anything to do with WWE in any fashion, period. Whether or not he was asked to be a part of that group or not I don’t know. If he would have, I’m sure he would not have accepted because of all the things that went down years prior when Vince [McMahon] got control of his television, which is pretty common knowledge in the business."
He continued, "It really was a heated issue between the two of them. There were some conversations and insults that went back and forth. That was probably the biggest reason. There was no interest on either one’s part."
Ole Anderson's issues didn't just end with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, however. He revealed in his biography Inside Out that he also had animosity with the faction's stand-out performer, Ric Flair.
#2 Former WWE Star Scott Steiner
Former WWE Superstar Scott Steiner is one of the most controversial figures in wrestling. He was released by the company in 2004 while he was injured, and he had issues with Triple H for allegedly burying former WCW stars. Scott Steiner even called WWE the "worst place to work" at one point in time.
In 2015, he was banned by WWE from attending that year's Hall of Fame ceremony due to an incident involving Hulk Hogan’s wife. During an interview with Wrestling Inc, Scott Steiner trashed the WWE Hall of Fame by calling it "fake" because it doesn't have a physical location.
“Can you go someplace and say that it is legit when it doesn’t exist? How can you say it is legit? It defies all odds. You cannot have a Hall of Fame if you cannot visit. It is the creation of someone’s mind. It boggles my mind that people care about being in the Hall of Fame when it doesn’t even exist. Would you go to a grocery store but there is no food? It is such a freaking joke it drives me crazy."
While WWE has forgiven many wrestlers over the years for committing questionable acts, it's unlikely that the company will do the same for Scott Steiner. Especially after what he said about their Hall of Fame.
#1 Former WWE wrestler Sabu
Sabu made a name for himself in Extreme Championship Wrestling where he competed in some of the most brutal hardcore matches in the promotion's history. He also competed in other renowned wrestling companies such as New Japan Pro-Wrestling, WCW, TNA and WWE.
The ECW Original revealed in a 2015 interview that he has no interest in getting inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. He did, however, say that he prefers to get inducted into the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame.
“No, I care nothing about the WWE Hall of Fame, but I would like to be inducted in to the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame. They have one in Iowa and New York. Either one of those or both of those would mean a whole lot more.”
When asked why he didn't want to be in the WWE Hall of Fame, he stated:
“It’s just a money maker for WWE, it’s not to honor wrestlers. It’s to make a pay day for the company. Baseball Hall of Fame, they put the best in. They don’t put someone who sang the national anthem or someone who did one appearance. It’s the fakest Hall of Fame I ever heard of."
Wrestlers are known to change their minds all the time. They may say something today only to turn around and say something completely different the next day, year, or decade later.
Even though Sabu stated that he doesn't want to be in the WWE Hall of Fame, one day we could see him smiling from ear-to-ear at the ceremony and hear him talking about how grateful he is to be inducted.
