The 2024 WWE Hall of Fame was a professional wrestling event produced by WWE that featured the induction of the 25th class into the WWE Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place on April 5, 2024, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the night preceding WrestleMania XL. It was livestreamed at 10 pm Eastern Time on Peacock in the United States and the WWE Network internationally, immediately after the airing of WWE's regular Friday night program, SmackDown. Paul Heyman, Bull Nakano, The U.S. Express (Barry Windham and Mike Rotunda), Lia Maivia, Muhammad Ali, and Thunderbolt Patterson were among the inductees.
During the ceremony, The Rock received a "People's Championship" from Lonnie Ali.
Background
The 2024 WWE Hall of Fame was scheduled to be held on April 5, 2024, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the night before WrestleMania XL Night 1. It was scheduled to be livestreamed at 10 p.m. Eastern Time on Peacock in the United States and the WWE Network in most international markets, airing immediately after WWE's regular Friday night program, SmackDown.
On March 4, 2024, manager and former promoter Paul Heyman was announced as the first inductee. WWE had proposed the induction to Heyman in the past, but he declined, arguing he was an active worker. However, he accepted in 2024 due to WrestleMania taking place in Philadelphia, the home of his previous company, Extreme Championship Wrestling, the assets of which WWE acquired in 2003. The next day, WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H announced former WWF Women's Champion, Bull Nakano, as the second inductee. On March 8, The U.S. Express (Barry Windham and Mike Rotunda) were announced as the next inductees. On March 11, Muhammad Ali was announced as an inductee into the Celebrity Wing. On March 13, Thunderbolt Patterson was announced as the fifth inductee. On April 1, Lia Maivia was announced as the sixth inductee.
Former WWE Champion and WWE Universal Champion Bray Wyatt (Windham Rotunda), who died in August 2023 at the age of 36, was a fan favourite to be inducted in this class. WWE instead decided to induct the U.S. Express, as they felt the Rotunda family were still mourning Windham's passing and such an induction would be premature under those circumstances.
This is the third straight year the WWE Hall of Fame has not inducted any new inductees into the Legacy Wing. This is the first year since its introduction that there was no recipient of the Warrior Award.
Inductees Individual Class headliners appear in boldface
Image Ring nameInducted by WWE recognized accoladesPaul HeymanRoman ReignsFormer manager and commentator for the American Wrestling Association and World Championship WrestlingOwner and operator of the former Extreme Championship Wrestling promotion, which was founded in Philadelphia (host city of WrestleMania XL)Former on-screen general manager of WWE's SmackDown brandFormer color commentator for Monday Night RawManager of Brock Lesnar, Big Show, CM Punk, Kurt Angle, Steve Austin, Rick Rude, Arn Anderson and Roman Reigns, amongst others. Bull NakanoAlundra BlayzeOne-time WWF Women's Champion1994 Slammy Award winner for Most DevastatingRecognized as having won women's championships in Japan, Mexico, and the United States. Thunderbolt PattersonScott Spears and The New DayA fixture in various National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) territories from the 1960s through the 1980sRecognized as having won championships across North America. Lia MaiviaThe RockPosthumous inductee: Represented by her grandson Dwayne "The Rock" JohnsonOne of wrestling's first female promoters. Ran Polynesian Pro Wrestling (PPW), a territory of the NWA in Hawaii in the mid-1980s. Her promotion ran a show called Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling on the Financial News Network.
Group Image Recipient Inducted by WWE recognized accolades as a teamThe U.S. ExpressBo Dallas and Mika RotundaTwo-time WWF Tag Team ChampionsBarry Windham – Mike Rotunda () –
Celebrity Image Recipient Inducted by NotesMuhammad AliThe UndertakerPosthumous inductee: Represented by his widow Yolanda.Three-time World Heavyweight Boxing ChampionOlympic Gold MedalistCompeted in "The War of the Worlds" against Antonio Inoki, a match dubbed by WWE as "MMA's first big fight"Special guest referee in the WrestleMania I main event.Guest of honor in the Collision in Korea event.
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