The Texas Pro Wrestling Hall Of Fame Forgotten In Time

The WWE Hall of Fame is often the wrestling Hall of Fame at the forefront of wrestling fans' minds, even though many view it as the most illegitimate. There's, of course, the issue of the WWE Hall of Fame having no physical location, unlike the Baseball or Pro Football Hall of Fames, which reside in Cooperstown, New York, and Canton, Ohio, respectively. But perhaps more distressing is the criteria to get into the WWE Hall of Fame, which seems to be nonexistent beyond the whims of whoever was in charge. That was the case when WWE was run by Vince McMahon, and it has continued even now with Triple H in charge, and the lack of a formal criterion has led many to separate WWE from other wrestling Hall of Fames.

And make no mistake; there are plenty of those. While it also has no physical location, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame has become a go-to for wrestling fans, largely due to Dave Meltzer running it similarly to the Baseball Hall of Fame. As for Hall of Fames with physical locations, the most notable are the George Thagos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, located in Waterloo, Iowa, and the International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame located in Albany, New York. Both Halls are overflowing with names fans will find in the Wrestling Observer and WWE Halls, and provide fans with places to go and learn about pro wrestling history in a way neither the WWE nor Observer Halls of Fame provide.

For a while, there was a third wrestling Hall of Fame that stood alongside the Thagos/Thesz and International Halls, one that actually had a connection with the latter. In 1999, Tony Vellano, who later helped found the International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, created the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. Originally, the museum was based in Amsterdam, New York, before moving to Schenectady, New York, and later settling in Wichita Falls, Texas. Much like its successor and the Thagos/Thesz Hall, the Museum was unaffiliated with any promotion, with Vellano's goal for it to be the preservation of pro wrestling's history. Inductees could come from 12 different categories: the Pioneer Era, TV era, Modern Era, Tag Team, International, Midget, Lady, Colleague/Territory, Referee, and Executive. Two other awards, the New York State and Senator Hugh Farley Award, were also given out while the Museum was based in New York.

Alas, despite the Museum's best efforts, rich history, and notable inductees, several events in the early 2020s led to its demise. The first was the COVID-19 pandemic, which, combined with a remodeling effort, led to the 19th induction ceremony being delayed. While both the 2020 and 2021 inductions would later take place, the Museum was closed again later in 2021, this time due to "water leaks." To date, the Museum has yet to re-open its doors, and with the International Hall of Fame still going strong in New York, it would seem likely the last has been scene of the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. Has such, the Texas cornerstone seems to be one of those things in wrestling that will soon be forgotten in time.