Every Member Of The 2024 WWE Hall Of Fame Class We Know So Far
It's WrestleMania season, which means not only are two nights of WrestleMania quickly approaching, but so is the annual WWE Hall of Fame ceremony. Over the past two weeks, WWE has really kicked promotion for the ceremony into gear, announcing several high-profile names for the class of 2024, with several more expected to be announced over the next few weeks. As it stands for now, here are the five names currently scheduled to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 5, from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Paul Heyman
With the Hall of Fame ceremony taking place in Philadelphia this year, it only makes sense that the 2024 class be headlined by Paul Heyman, who made his name in the city owning and promoting ECW during the 90s. In the end, the only question regarding Heyman is what's the most Hall of Fame-worthy aspect about him; his time running ECW, or his exceptional skills as a manager, serving as the advocate for the likes of The Dangerous Alliance in WCW, CM Punk, and most recently The Bloodline during the group's historic run.
Bull Nakano
A trainee of the legendary All Japan Women's Pro Wrestling dojo, Bull Nakano started and ended her wrestling career young, forced to retire from injuries at only 29 years old. Before that, she established herself as one of the best joshi wrestlers in an era of all-time greats like Manami Toyota, Akira Hokuto, and countless others. Perhaps Nakano's greatest accomplishment, however, was finding success outside of her native Japan, becoming a champion in Mexico for CMLL and in the United States for WWE, while also finding some success later in her career for WCW.
The U.S. Express
For most fans, Barry Windham and Mike Rotunda are best known either for their individual runs or for being the uncle and father of the late Bray Wyatt. From 1983 to 1986, however, the two were among the best tag teams in the world, winning the NWA United States Tag Team Championships four times while working in Florida, and even winning the WWE Tag Team Titles twice between 1984 and 1985. It may not have been a long run, but their success shows the brother-in-law team were just as worthy of being Hall of Famers together as they were as individuals.
Muhammad Ali
Arguably the greatest boxer of all time, Muhammed Ali was heavily inspired by pro wrestling, taking his persona from the legendary 1940s wrestler Gorgeous George. His involvement with wrestling didn't end there, as Ali famously fought New Japan founder Antonio Inoki in an exhibition fight, did angles with Gorilla Monsoon in WWE, and famously was one of two referees for the first-ever main event in WrestleMania history. Even years later, Ali remained involved in wrestling, serving as the guest of honor for the infamous Collision in Korea events in 1995.
Thunderbolt Patterson
A thirty-year veteran, Thunderbolt Patterson achieved success during the territory days, including becoming World Champion in Memphis, Florida, and Kentucky, Television Champion in Georgia, and a tag champion in Georgia, California, and Mid-Atlantic. But perhaps Patterson's biggest contributions to wrestling is what he did outside the ring, as he fought against racial discrimination during the 70s and even campaigned to form a wrestler's union, which Patterson later claimed led to him being blackballed for several years.