WhatCulture.com reported an 'exclusive' piece of news this week, claiming to know several of this years Hall of Fame inductee's, and while this hasn't been confirmed by the WWE, the information was given to them by someone involved with the company.
Of course things can change, and the list could prove to be false, but some of the names on the list have been rumored for several years now, so let's look at the superstars rumored to be joining Sting in the Hall of Fame class of 2016.
The list of superstars reportedly entering the Hall of Fame is as follows:
- JBL
- Regis Philbin (Celebrity Wing)
- The Fabulous Freebirds
- Jacqueline
- Charles Wright (Kama Mustafa/ Papa Shango/ The Godfather)
They are described as a "virtual lock" by the source who revealed them, and since the news broke there have been plenty of opinions on whether or not they are all worthy of being inducted.
Hall of Fame worthy
Fans have been patiently (or not so patiently if your name is Stone Cold) waiting for The Fabulous Freebirds to be announced as inductees into the Hall of Fame for years now, one of the most influential tag teams in wrestling history.
The group managed to capture countless championships from the Georgia Championship Wrestling tag team titles to the WCW tag team titles, amongst many more, including singles titles.
Consisting of Michael 'PS' Hayes, Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts, the trio would dominate the tag team division during the 1980's and early 1990's, in a run that included the famous feud with the Von Erichs.
Whilst they will always be remembered for their excellent in-ring work, and for their dominance as a trio, their legacy lives on through the 'Freebird rule' created by the group, which allows any two members of a group to defend the tag team championships, which is used currently by champions New Day.
John 'Bradshaw' Layfield is another name that has been leaked as an inductee for this years Hall of Fame, and is certainly worthy of an induction, after a WWE career spanning over 20 years, which continues to this day with his role as a commentator.
JBL had an incredibly successful in-ring career, winning multiple tag team championships and even a run as WWE Champion (the longest in Smackdown history). But he also had plenty of entertaining feuds to go along with it, including his rivalries with Shawn Michaels and Rey Mysterio.
Layfield and WWE legend Ron Simmons formed the tag team known as A.P.A, becoming one of the most popular and successful tag teams in WWE history. But it was his change to 'JBL' that made him stand out as a single's competitor.
Proving that he could stand on his own, Layfield worked his way to the top of the mountain, appearing consistently on pay-per-view's and T.V. Following his time as a wrestler, JBL continues to play a large role with the company, hosting YouTube and WWE Network shows, as well as his role as a commentator. JBL's accomplishments make him a welcomed addition to the Hall of Fame, and where better to do it than his home state of Texas.
Up for debate
While the announcement of JBL and the Freebird's would be met with a positive reaction from the WWE Universe, the announcement of both Jacqueline and Charles Wright (who is rumored to be entering under The Godfather gimmick) might not have as strong of a response. Nevertheless, an argument can be made that they both deserve the honor.
Each year the WWE likes to induct at least one female athlete, and this year Jacqueline appears to be the one who got the approval, and as WWE's first ever African-American female champion, she certainly placed herself in the history books throughout her career.
As well as dominating the women's division, she also had a run as the Cruiserweight Champion, after accepting Chavo Guerrero's open challenge for the title, becoming only the third women in history to hold the belt.
Jacqueline was a part of some of the company's more raunchy storyline's, most notably her feud with Sable. That has led to fans questioning whether other former female wrestlers are more deserving, which is true, but Jacqueline's impact and career can't be undervalued and therefore her entering the Hall of Fame shouldn't be too much of a surprise.
Charles Wright's career is another that is certainly questionable as to whether or not it's worthy of an induction, especially when there is so many talented superstars such as Vader and Rick Rude, whose careers warrant the honor but are getting overlooked.
Wright did play several memorable characters, most memorably Papa Shango and The Godfather, both of which never escalated further than mid-card at best. The Godfather character was used more for comic relief as it played up to the product at the time, hence why some fans might be disgruntled by the announcement.
However, Wright has remained on good terms with the company, even returning as a surprise entrant in the 2013 Royal Rumble, and WWE likes to give back to talent who remain company men. Now all that remains to be seen is if he will bring his Ho Train along with him to the ceremony.
Really?
WWE's 'celebrity wing' is something that has always caused issues and arguments amongst wrestling fans. Some believe that it doesn't serve much purpose other than to act as a publicity stunt, while others would say it recognizes people who have helped increase the wrestling fan base from other sources of media.
Some inductee's have been widely accepted by fans, such as Mr.T for the amount of significance they have had, but other names like Drew Carey have been questioned as to whether or not they should be entered into the Hall of Fame.
Regis Philbin is the name rumored for this years celebrity induction, which has brought a response similar to Carey's induction, with people wondering whether he actually did enough to earn the right to be inducted.
Philbin was a guest commentator for the main event of Wrestlemania VII between Hulk Hogan and Sgt.Slaughter, and also hosted interviews with several superstars on his T.V. shows. But other than that he had relatively no impact on the WWE in general, which has seen his name be met with backlash, as it cheapens the honor.
Many people expected Motorhead to be the ones granted the induction this year, given the bands close relationship with Triple H and the circumstances that have surrounded the band due to lead singer Lemmy's unfortunate passing. It's unlikely that there will be two celebrity induction's, meaning if the leak is accurate, then Motorhead will miss out.
But don't be in despair just yet if you don't like the leaked names. Not only could it prove to be false, but there will more than likely be other people still to be inducted that haven't been leaked at this point. If that is not the case, at least the icon Sting is the headliner, and few would argue against him being worthy.
How do you feel about the leaked inductees? Do you think this is the real list and if so are you happy with them? Let us know via Twitter @Vavel_Wrestling and as always, stay tuned to our website to stay up-to-date with the latest WWE news and rumors from VAVEL.