{"id":154179,"date":"2026-03-02T06:00:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T11:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=154179"},"modified":"2026-03-01T23:20:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T04:20:05","slug":"who-should-join-aj-styles-in-wwes-hall-of-fame","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2026\/03\/02\/who-should-join-aj-styles-in-wwes-hall-of-fame\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Should Join AJ Styles in WWE&#8217;s Hall of Fame?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>WrestleMania weekend is not just about the show. It is about celebrating the history of professional wrestling and applauding those who have etched their names into its annals. It is highlighted by the Hall of Fame ceremony that takes place the night before WWE\u2019s biggest show of the year.<\/p>\n<p>Last Monday on Raw, during AJ Styles farewell ceremony, it was announced that Styles would be one of the inductees into the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2026\/02\/23\/the-undertaker-announces-aj-styles-as-member-of-2026-wwe-hall-of-fame-class-on-raw\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">class of 2026<\/a>. A very well-deserved accolade that bookends a brilliant career from the Phenomenal One.<\/p>\n<p>He joins Stephanie McMahon as the announced members during this year&#8217;s induction festivities. There will naturally be a few more names to add to the list, but who will get the call? There are a bunch of names that could be potential candidates for this year&#8217;s Hall of Fame induction. Let\u2019s look at a few possibilities.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>John Cena<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_154182\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-154182\" style=\"width: 213px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/03\/IMG_0244-213x300.jpeg\" alt=\"Image of WWE\u2019s John Cena\" width=\"213\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-154182\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/03\/IMG_0244-213x300.jpeg 213w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/03\/IMG_0244-726x1024.jpeg 726w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/03\/IMG_0244-768x1083.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/03\/IMG_0244-1089x1536.jpeg 1089w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/03\/IMG_0244-1452x2048.jpeg 1452w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/03\/IMG_0244.jpeg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 213px) 100vw, 213px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-154182\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by <a  href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:John_Cena_July_2018.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gage Skidmore<\/a> from Peoria, AZ, United States of America<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Since his retirement match in December, the wrestling world has been waiting for John Cena to take his rightful place in the Hall of Fame. The Doctor of Thuganomics is one of the most celebrated wrestlers in the history of World Wrestling Entertainment.<\/p>\n<p>His career has spanned decades, and he is the only man to capture 17 World Championships. When he hung up his shoes, it was only a matter of time before he marched into the Hall of Fame. Why not pull the trigger on the first chance that WWE has?<\/p>\n<p>If WWE were to have John Cena enter the class of 2026, it would immediately raise the profile of the Hall of Fame. He is a massive talent and has transitioned into the world of entertainment better than most. Cena has always maintained a great relationship with <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/17\/beyond-cenation-life-in-wwe-after-john-cena\/\" target=\"_self\">WWE<\/a>, and his retirement tour was a highlight of 2025. He would be a great addition to an already stacked Hall of Fame lineup.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Michael Cole<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Michael Cole has the best reactions\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zVah9WswWLw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Not many announcers have had the privilege of getting inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Perhaps there isn\u2019t an announcer more deserving of an induction than the man who has been a part of WWE for over two decades. A man who has been one of the company&#8217;s most versatile performers, doing what is needed of him and excelling at every level. The man who has been sitting behind the announce desk and whose voice has been synonymous with WWE. We are, of course, talking about none other than Michael Cole.<\/p>\n<p>People can say what they will about Michael Cole, but no one can debate his impact on wrestling. Taking over for Jim Ross was a monumental task, but one that he was up to. He carried himself exactly as one would want and was fantastic with his storytelling and match-calling.<\/p>\n<p>To this day, he is the most trusted voice in World Wrestling Entertainment and has been successful with every task he has been given. As a <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2021\/04\/30\/remembering-heel-michael-cole\/\" target=\"_self\">heel<\/a>, he was one of the most hated men in the company. Yet another testament to his incredible talent. There isn\u2019t an announcer more deserving of a Hall of Fame induction than Michael Cole.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Mickie James <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mickie James reacts to her greatest moments | Trish Stratus, Becky Lynch and MORE: WWE Retrospecti..\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mAEZ-QfZB8I?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Mickie James was a pioneer in World Wrestling Entertainment. When she burst through the door, women\u2019s wrestling was still not the commodity that it is today. \u00a0It wasn\u2019t taken as seriously as it is now, but Mickie James was one of these women who changed that perception.<\/p>\n<p>She was a very talented wrestler and engaged in great matches with every woman that she stood across from. No one went to the bathroom during her matches, and she was rewarded with 6 World Championship reigns in WWE.<\/p>\n<p>Another great asset that Mickie James brought to the table was her undeniable charisma. Her character work was amazing, and a huge reason why her programs were successful. She has us believe in everything she did in and out of the ring. Her work brought women\u2019s wrestling to the forefront of the company and paved the way for those who came after. Her husband is also the SmackDown GM, Nick Aldis, so there is a connection there. WWE already has a marquee female for this year&#8217;s Hall of Fame, but why not add one more?<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Batista <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Batista\u2019s Hall of Fame induction was shelved due to the Coronavirus a few years ago. He is a name that has already been earmarked for enshrinement, but WWE has failed to get him in front of an audience. Either by way of the worldwide pandemic or conflicting shooting movie schedules, Batista hasn\u2019t gotten his time for the Hall of Fame. This year would be a perfect chance for WWE to fix that problem and get Batista into the Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n<p>The Ruthless Aggression Era would not be what it was if not for The Animal. He was a cornerstone of the era, providing the main event powerhouse that WWE loves to push. Batista was a big match machine, putting on some of the most memorable matches in the history of WrestleMania.<\/p>\n<p>As part of Evolution, he became a household name, and when he broke from the group, he became one of the men leading the charge for WWE. Batista captured 6 World Championships and won the Royal Rumble twice. Joining a very select group of wrestlers. There are very few who have been able to accomplish what The Animal has in his career. It is time for WWE to get him in front of people and make his induction official.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_151530\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-151530\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/45_Batista-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-151530\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/45_Batista-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/45_Batista-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/45_Batista-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/45_Batista.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-151530\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: By Andrea90 &#8211; Own work, Public Domain, <a  href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=5914308\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=5914308<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2><strong>The Hardy Boyz <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>For years, the tag team division was not taken very seriously in WWE. The remnants of the Golden Era of tag team wrestling had gone away, and in its place were makeshift teams that weren\u2019t taken seriously. That was until the Attitude Era started producing some amazing teams, The Hardy Boyz being the driving force behind that renaissance that started the second Golden Age of tag team wrestling.<\/p>\n<p>Jeff and Matt Hardy make tag team wrestling cool again. They had a great look, great connection with the fans, and put on amazing matches every time they stepped through the curtain. They used a high-flying style that was foreign to a lot of fans. It was a flashy style that combined great wrestling with combination moves that no one had seen before. They brought something new to the table and would routinely steal the show in an era where it was incredibly hard to do so.<\/p>\n<p>There might not be a more recognizable tag team in the history of wrestling than these two brothers. Their popularity rivalled the big names of the Attitude Era, and they amassed an impressive 9 reigns as champions. WWE always likes to add a tag team to its Hall of Fame, and this year, Matt and Jeff Hardy should take their rightful place.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Hardy Boyz relive their greatest moments: WWE Retrospective\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4vYUU0GqiOM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WrestleMania weekend is not just about the show. It is about celebrating the history of professional wrestling and applauding those who have etched their names into its annals. It is highlighted by the Hall of Fame ceremony that takes place the night before WWE\u2019s biggest show of the year. Last Monday on Raw, during AJ [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4518,"featured_media":153782,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2192,4,3],"tags":[145,1432,583,165,2091,333,573],"class_list":["post-154179","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wrestling","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-aj-styles","tag-batista","tag-hardy-boyz","tag-john-cena","tag-michael-cole","tag-mickie-james","tag-wwe-hall-of-fame"],"modified_by":"Laci Schlatz","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154179","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4518"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=154179"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154179\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":154183,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154179\/revisions\/154183"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/153782"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=154179"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=154179"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=154179"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}