WWE Hall of Fame (2005)
PromotionWWE
DateApril 2, 2005
CityLos Angeles, California
VenueUniversal Amphitheatre
WWE Hall of Fame chronology
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WWE Hall of Fame (2005) was the event which featured introduction of the 6th class to the WWE Hall of Fame. The event was produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on April 2, 2005, from the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, California. The event took place the same weekend as WrestleMania 21. The event was hosted by Gene Okerlund. A condensed version of the ceremony aired that evening on Spike TV, making this ceremony the first to be broadcast on television.[1] In March 2015 the ceremony was added to the WWE Network.[2]

Inductees

Individual

Image Ring name
(birth name) 		Inducted by WWE recognized accolades
Hulk Hogan
(Terry Bollea) 		Sylvester Stallone Six-time WWF/E World (Heavyweight) Champion
Six-time and longest reigning WCW World Heavyweight Champion
One-time WWE World Tag Team Champion
Two-time Royal Rumble winner (1990, 1991)[3]
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper[4][5]
(Roderick Toombs) 		Ric Flair One-time WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion
Three-time NWA/WCW United States Heavyweight Champion
Host of Piper's Pit
In 2006, Piper also won the World Tag Team Championship.[6]
"Cowboy" Bob Orton Jr. Randy Orton Held numerous NWA regional titles[7]
Jimmy Hart Jerry Lawler Long-time manager in WWF and WCW[8]
"Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff Bobby Heenan Four-time NWA National Heavyweight Champion
One-time WCW World Television Champion
Three-time WCW World Tag Team Champion[9]
Nikolai Volkoff
(Josip Peruzovic) 		Jim Ross Three-time WWWF International Tag Team Champion
One-time WWF Tag Team Champion[10]
Iron Sheik
(Hossein Vaziri) 		Sgt. Slaughter One-time WWF World Heavyweight Champion
One-time WWF Tag Team Champion[11]

Aftermath

On July 24, 2015, WWE terminated their contract with Hulk Hogan, stating that they are "committed to embracing and celebrating individuals from all backgrounds",[12] although Hogan's lawyer said Hogan chose to resign.[13] A day prior, WWE removed virtually all references to Hogan from their website, including his entry from its WWE Hall of Fame page. The termination coincided with the publication by the National Enquirer and Radar Online of an anti-black rant made by Hogan on his controversial leaked sex tape in which he is heard expressing disgust with the notion of his daughter with any black man, referenced by repeated use of the racial slur "nigger".[14][15] Hogan also admitted to being "a racist, to a point".[15] However, no official statement about his removal had been made and he was still listed in the Hall of Fame entry of the official WWE encyclopedia released in October 2016.

On July 15, 2018, despite no prior official statements by the WWE declaring his removal from the Hall of Fame, Hogan was reinstated into the Hall of Fame, after his numerous public apologies over the past year, as well as volunteering work.[16]

References

  1. ^ "Sylvestor Stallone to Induct Hulk Hogan into WWE Hall of Fame on Eve of Wrestle ..." corporate.wwe.com. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  2. ^ "WWE Network Lowdown: WrestleMania Plans, Free Gifts, 'Every' Hall of Fame?". Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  3. ^ "Hulk Hogan". WWE. Retrieved April 24, 2007.
  4. ^ "WWE Hall of Famer Roddy Piper dies at 61". Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  5. ^ "WWE Hall of Famer Roddy Piper has died at the age of 61". Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  6. ^ ""Rowdy" Roddy Piper". WWE. Retrieved April 24, 2007.
  7. ^ ""Cowboy" Bob Orton". WWE. Retrieved April 24, 2007.
  8. ^ ""The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved April 24, 2007.
  9. ^ ""Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved April 24, 2007.
  10. ^ "Nikolai Volkoff". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved April 24, 2007.
  11. ^ "The Iron Sheik". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved April 24, 2007.
  12. ^ "WWE has terminated its contract with Terry Bollea (aka Hulk Hogan)". WWE. Archived from the original on July 26, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  13. ^ Kimble, Lindsay. "Hulk Hogan Apologizes for 'Unacceptable' Racist Rant as He Is Scrubbed from WWE Hall of Fame". People. Archived from the original on July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  14. ^ Matt Bonesteel (July 24, 2015). "WWE terminates Hulk Hogan's contract, erases him from Web site (updated)". Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  15. ^ a b "Hulk Hogan Racist Scandal — Pro Wrestling Icon Caught On Tape Saying N-Word In Bigoted Rant About Daughter Brooke's Dating – Radar Online". Radar Online. Archived from the original on July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  16. ^ "Hulk Hogan reinstated into WWE Hall of Fame". WWE. July 15, 2018.
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