You’ve seen the glitz. The golden podiums. The emotional speeches that go on twenty minutes too long. But if you look at the list of hall of famers wwe has built since 1993, you’ll realize it isn't just a list of retired wrestlers. It’s basically a messy, beautiful, and sometimes confusing map of pro wrestling history.
Honestly, the Hall of Fame is weird. There is no physical building. You can't go buy a ticket to a museum in Stamford and see Stone Cold’s vest behind glass. It's a "hall of names," yet for the people on that list, it is everything.
The Class of 2025: Heavy Hitters and Emotional Returns
The most recent additions have really shaken things up. We just saw Triple H headline the Class of 2025. It’s his second time going in, which sounds like cheating, but when you’ve been "The Game" and then literally ran the company, it's hard to argue. Shawn Michaels doing the honors just felt right.
Then you have Lex Luger. Man, that one was a long time coming. For years, fans wondered if the "Total Package" would ever get the nod given how things ended with his initial run and his health struggles. Seeing Cody Rhodes surprise him with the news was probably the most "human" moment of the year.
The 2025 group also brought in:
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- Michelle McCool: Inducted by her husband, The Undertaker. She was way ahead of her time during the "Diva" era.
- The Natural Disasters: Earthquake and Typhoon. Finally, some respect for the big men of the early 90s.
- The "Immortal Moment": This is a brand new category. They inducted the WrestleMania 13 match between Bret Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin. CM Punk introduced it, which is a meta-layer of irony if you follow the backstage drama.
Who is Actually on the List?
If you try to count every single name on the list of hall of famers wwe maintains, you’ll hit over 250. But they aren't all the same. The company breaks them down into categories that keep the ceremony from being ten hours long.
The Headliners
These are the icons. The "Mount Rushmore" types. We’re talking Hulk Hogan (Class of 2005), "Stone Cold" Steve Austin (2009), and The Undertaker (2022). These are the names that sell the tickets to the ceremony.
The Tag Teams and Groups
WWE loves a group induction. It’s a great way to get multiple legends on stage at once. You’ve got the Four Horsemen, D-Generation X, and the nWo. Fun fact: because of these group inductions, guys like Ric Flair and Booker T are "two-time" Hall of Famers.
The Legacy Wing
This is where it gets a bit controversial. Since 2016, WWE has used the Legacy Wing to honor pioneers from the early 20th century—people like Lou Thesz or Mildred Burke. For a few years, they just did a quick video package. Fans hated that. Luckily, in 2025, they started bringing families back to the stage for names like Kamala and Dory Funk Sr. It feels a lot more respectful now.
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The Celebrity Wing
Yeah, we have to talk about it. This is where you find Snoop Dogg, Mike Tyson, and, yes, Donald Trump. Some fans think it's a joke, but these celebrities were huge for "Sports Entertainment" crossing over into the mainstream. Without Mr. T at the first WrestleMania, we might not even be talking about this today.
The Snubs Everyone Argues About
Every year, the internet goes into a meltdown over who isn't on the list. Why isn't Demolition in? (Legal issues, mostly). What about Cyndi Lauper? She’s arguably the most important celebrity in the company's history, yet the "Celebrity Wing" hasn't opened its doors for her yet. It's wild.
Then there's the Chris Benoit elephant in the room. He will never be on the list. WWE has scrubbed him from their history for obvious, tragic reasons. It’s a reminder that this isn't a museum of stats; it's a curated gallery of legacies the company wants to celebrate.
How the Selection Actually Happens
People think there's a secret committee of old-timers in robes. In reality, it’s mostly the top executives—now led by Triple H—deciding who fits the "vibe" of that year’s WrestleMania.
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They usually look for:
- Geography: Is the ceremony in a city where a certain legend is a hero?
- Marketability: Can we sell a new DVD or a t-shirt for this person?
- Relationships: Is the person on good terms with the office? (Looking at you, Ultimate Warrior, it took 20 years to fix that bridge).
Why You Should Care
If you're a fan, this list is a checklist of greatness. If you want to understand why wrestling is the way it is today, look at the Class of 1994 or 2004. You’ll see the DNA of modern storytelling in the matches of Harley Race or the promos of Dusty Rhodes.
The list of hall of famers wwe keeps growing, and while it's not perfect, it’s the closest thing the industry has to a "Standard of Excellence." It’s about giving flowers to people who literally broke their bodies for our entertainment.
If you want to dive deeper, your next step is to head over to the WWE Network (or Peacock in the US) and watch the 2025 Induction Ceremony. Skip the fluff and go straight to the Lex Luger and Triple H speeches. You’ll see exactly why this "fake" Hall of Fame feels so real to the people inside that ring.