Stephanie McMahon and AJ Styles lead the honorees at the WWE Hall of Fame 2026 ceremony

April 18, 2026 Neal Flanagan NEWS
Image Courtesy: WWE

WWE inducted its Class of 2026 into the Hall of Fame on Friday evening in Nevada. The ceremony took place at Dolby Live at Park MGM ahead of tonight’s first night of WrestleMania 42.

Stephanie McMahon

Stephanie’s mother, Linda McMahon, and daughters, Aurora, Murphy, inducted her to open the ceremony.

The former WWE executive detailed the challenges she and Paul “Triple H” Levesque faced before having children. She acknowledged her father, Vince McMahon, who was not in attendance. The drew a positive reaction from the crowd, who chanted “Thank you, Vince”.

She reflected on growing up alongside talents like Roddy Piper and her childhood friendship with Andre the Giant. McMahon highlighted her work with Connor’s Cure and talked about a teenager named Jimmy in who had not been expected to outlive pediatric cancer but was about to turn 16. The audience gave him a standing ovation.

After thanking Levesque, McMahon concluded by slipping into her heel persona, demanding that attendees stand and bask in her glory.

Bad News Brown

WWE inducted Bad News Brown into the legacy wing. The broadcast featured a video package featuring his WrestleMania IV battle royal victory. His family received a standing ovation from the live crowd.

Demolition

Arn Anderson, Haku, and The Warlord inducted Bill Eadie and Barry Darsow into the Hall of Fame. Anderson stated that Demolition set the standard for tag teams and actively protected their gimmick.

Darsow credited Vince McMahon for pitching the Demolition concept 39 years ago. He thanked former partner Brian Adams and the late Mr. Fuji.

Eadie expressed gratitude to Antonio Inoki and the McMahon family. He noted that the team is finally allowed in the fraternity house and thanked his wife, Sue. Eadie concluded his speech with a quote from the film Dumb and Dumber: “I like it, I like it a lot.”

Dennis Rodman

Kevin Nash and Sean Waltman inducted Dennis Rodman into the celebrity wing. Nash recalled Rodman skipping an NBA Finals practice to appear on WCW Monday Nitro, accepting a fine to do so.

Rodman appeared wearing New World Order attire and a Hollywood Hogan shirt. The former NBA player stated he would have pursued professional wrestling full-time if he did not play basketball. He grew emotional when discussing an elderly neighbor back home.

He thanked Eric Bischoff and Jimmy Hart before delivering a Hulk Hogan-inspired promo to close his time at the podium.

Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant

WWE honored the WrestleMania III main event between Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant. Jimmy Hart, Nick Hogan, and Andre’s daughter, Robin Roussimoff, presented the immortal moment induction.

Hart delivered a brief speech referencing the notorious 93,000 attendance figure. He then unveiled a bronze depicting Hogan bodyslamming his opponent.

Sid

Sid entered the legacy wing with a video package recapping his career. The broadcast showed members of his family seated in the audience. One relative performed a Hulk Hogan pose for the cameras.

AJ Styles

Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows formally inducted AJ Styles to close the broadcast. Anderson highlighted Styles’ journey from TNA to the Bullet Club and eventually WWE.

Styles addressed his retirement, stating he does not miss taking bumps inside the ring. He explained that he prefers being home for soccer games and family milestones.

The former WWE Champion thanked his past opponents and promoters across the industry. He credited divine intervention for his success and confirmed his new role within WWE involves scouting the next generation of talent.

About Neal Flanagan 1857 Articles
Based in Northern Ireland, Neal Flanagan is a former newspaper journalist and copy editor. In addition to reporting for POST Wrestling, he co-hosts The Wellness Policy and Book Club podcasts.
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