Every year WWE universe gathers on the night before WrestleMania to honor the legends of the past and induct them into the Hall of Fame. To be inducted into the Hall of Fame is the highest honor WWE could endorse upon its past legends who paved the way for current generation of WWE wrestlers..
The star studded event is always filled with many heart touching moments as the legends of the past make their presence known in their own unique style. This year’s Hall of Fame ceremony was not an exception to it either. The legends of the past strutted down to the podium and delivered some heart touching speeches which left the WWE universe wanting more from them.
This year’s Hall of Fame ceremony had its own share of nostalgia. From Sting’s retirement to Fabulous Freebirds’ candid address, everything left its unique mark on the ceremony. We have squeezed out 5 of the most heart touching moments that occurred in this year’s Hall of Fame ceremony.
Special Mention : Joan Lunden receiving The Warrior Award
Ever since its introduction, The Warrior Award is one of the special awards WWE has dedicated to non-wrestlers who embolden the spirit of Ultimate Warrior best. This year, Joan Lunden received the honor for her diligent work to raise awareness among the masses about breast cancer.
Lunden came out classy as she talked about her work and the honor that was bestowed upon her. She revealed her motivations to fight against one of the deadliest diseases in the world and expressed her gratitude towards WWE for bestowing the honor upon her.
Unlike a few recipients, who receive the award with negligence, Lunden’s acceptance of the award with graciousness was welcome sight to watch. Her attitude also earned the goodwill of WWE fans as they embraced her induction into Hall of Fame wholeheartedly.
5.The Big Boss Man’s family receiving the award on his behalf.
The Big Boss Man was one of biggest stars of the Attitude Era. His memorable feud with The Undertaker and the spectacular way it was brought to an end at WrestleMania 15 is a thing of legend no one could forget. The famous 1980s manager Slick inducted the legend into the Hall of Fame on Saturday night.
For a performer who instilled us with so many memorable moments, The Big Boss Man was not lucky enough to receive the honor bestowed upon him. It was kind of hard to watch his family receive the award on his behalf. His daughter discussed some of the bright spots of his career and his wife thanked the fans for keeping his legacy alive.
All in all, it was one of the somber segments of the ceremony as we were left with a yearning heart to see the legend receive the honor due to him in person.
4.Stan Hansen’s respect towards his peers
Stan Hansen is a wild bronco in the ring. His tenacity and viciousness was evident in his face whenever he stepped foot in the squared circle. But as a person, The Bad Man from Borger, is a very kind man who respected his peers and was willing to guide the younger generation.
In his induction speech, Hansen thanked the fellow wrestlers who has worked with him. He talked candidly about his long time rival Bruno Sammartino and thanked him for being a great human being. He bragged about their accomplishments in a good-mannered southern accent that captivated the fans alot.
Though he rambled a bit, his respect for his peers was evident upon his face. The crowd seemed to be eager to listen to him more when he concluded his speech.
3.Induction of The Godfather and Jacqueline
A wave of nostalgia hit the WWE universe as The Godfather entered the podium with his ho train. JBL and Ron Simmons inducted their best friend into the Hall of Fame. Being true to his character, The Godfather spoke short and filled his speech with his trademark humor. He also noted that his success was due to the fact that he was allowed to be himself.
Jacqueline was inducted by her long time friends, The Dudley Boyz. The duo honored her by calling her one of the boys, which they noted as the highest praise they could bestow upon a female in the wrestling business. Later, Jacqueline took the stage and talked candidly about her career. She also thanked her male peers and employers for helping her to make it in the industry.
As these two legends left the stage, WWE universe was reminded of the glory of its old days when relatable characters filled the screen and entertained the fans. The WWE universe accepted the two legends with a warm heart as they were bestowed with the honor and respect that was due to them.
2.The Fabulous Freebirds’ entertaining speech
The moment Michael Hayes entered the stage it was very clear to the WWE universe why the Freebirds were liked so much by them. The Freebirds held the crowd in thrall with their amazing entertaining skills and captivated the audience for a full 47 minutes!
Though some might consider it to be too long, the fact was that the speech was entertaining all the way. It showed how great a performers the freebirds were when compared to current WWE superstars who struggle to even captivate the audience for more than few minutes.
Michael Hayes led from the front as he held the crowd in his fingertips and manipulated them to dance to his tunes with his natural charisma. The speech took us on a journey through the history of one of most entertaining acts to ever grace a WWE ring.
1.Sting’s retirement speech
Sting has always been one of the classiest and dignified performers. But the Sting that delivered the Hall of Fame address was different. He was brutally honest with his speech and he candidly reminisced his legendary career, from the glory days to the most embarrassing moments of his career.
He thanked all the performers who helped him along his path and expressed his heartfelt gratitude to them. As the crowd started to chant “Thank You Sting”, The Icon dropped the biggest bomb of the evening, but not before he acknowledged the fans for their immense support and worth.
"On this very night, at this very moment, I'm gonna finish my wrestling career under the WWE umbrella and I am so proud of it. I am officially going to retire tonight." Sting said causing the fans to provide a standing ovation to him.
"I just want you to know this isn't goodbye. It's just see you later,” he added after sporting his sunglasses and lifting his trademark baseball bat.
Fans were left speechless as The Icon concluded his speech. In that moment, one of the greatest performers of 90s laid down his boots and stepped away from the squared circle. He stepped into immortality leaving teary eyes in the crowd that was before him.
