WWE Hall of Fame Welcomes Legends and the Immortal WrestleMania Moment That Changed Everything

Clear Facts

• WWE’s 2026 Hall of Fame class includes Stephanie McMahon, AJ Styles, Demolition, Dennis Rodman, Sid Eudy, and Bad News Brown
• The induction ceremony takes place Friday night at Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas, one day before WrestleMania 42
• The ceremony honors the iconic Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant WrestleMania 3 moment as one of professional wrestling’s most legendary matches

The WWE’s Hall of Fame class of 2026 represents some of the most influential figures in professional wrestling history. Several superstars who made an indelible impact on the business will be inducted Friday night in a ceremony that celebrates both in-ring excellence and contributions to the industry’s growth.

Stephanie McMahon, AJ Styles, the tag team of Demolition, Dennis Rodman, Sid Eudy and Bad News Brown will be this year’s enshrinees. The ceremony will take place at Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas at 9 p.m. PT, a day before the first night of WrestleMania 42.

Stephanie McMahon, daughter of WWE founder Vince McMahon, emerged as one of the most compelling on-screen personalities during the Attitude Era. She began as a valet for several wrestling colleagues, including her father, before evolving into an authoritarian figure who commanded attention whether playing heel or babyface.

McMahon’s influence extended far beyond her on-screen persona. She played a pivotal role in transforming women’s wrestling from a sideshow attraction into a main event division featuring world-class athletes.

Outside the ring, McMahon held multiple executive positions including executive vice president, chief brand officer, chairwoman and co-CEO of WWE before departing the company in 2023. She has made sporadic appearances since then, anchoring WWE premium live events and welcoming fans. McMahon is married to WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque.

The “Phenomenal” A.J. Styles built a legendary career without needing WWE to establish his reputation. Styles became a superstar at Total Nonstop Action wrestling (TNA) and earned devoted fans in Japan before making the leap to WWE.

Styles made his WWE debut at the 2016 Royal Rumble and immediately engaged in a high-profile feud with John Cena. For nearly a decade, Styles remained a main event player on the WWE roster. He captured the WWE championship twice, the United States championship three times, the intercontinental championship once and the tag team championship twice. He became the 32nd Triple Crown champion and 15th Grand Slam champion in WWE history.

He retired from professional wrestling following his loss to Gunther at the Royal Rumble.

Demolition dominated the tag team division in WWE during the 1990s. Ax and Smash captured the tag team championship three times and hold the record for the most combined days as champions. The duo engaged in memorable rivalries with Rick Martel and Tito Santana, the British Bulldogs of Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid, and the Hart Foundation featuring Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart.

Tag teams have been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as groups in three of the last four classes. Rick and Scott Steiner received the honor in 2022, the U.S. Express of Mike Rotunda and Barry Windham entered in 2024, and The Natural Disasters of Earthquake and Typhoon were inducted last year.

Dennis Rodman earned his fame on NBA courts, but his World Championship Wrestling (WCW) appearances became defining moments during the “Monday Night Wars” between WCW and WWE (then the World Wrestling Federation). Rodman briefly joined the New World Order (NWO) alongside Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. He even stepped away from the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls during their championship run to participate in wrestling events.

Rodman made his NWO debut with Hogan on “Monday Nitro” March 10, 1997. He appeared at Uncensored later that month. His first match occurred in July 1997 at Bash at the Beach. During the Bulls’ 1998 playoff run, Rodman skipped practice to appear with Hogan on Nitro.

Sean Waltman, an NWO member with WCW, recalled Rodman’s appearances in 2023.

“He was a good dude. He was just kind of socially awkward, shy. It wasn’t like he was real talkative. He was great. It was so great to have him there. The guy was so into it. He skipped practice during the playoff games to show up on Nitro.”

Sid Eudy, who passed away in 2024, was a dominant force in the ring and will finally take his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame. Eudy wrestled under multiple names, including Sid, Sid Justice, Sid Steele, Sid Vicious, Sycho Sid, Vicious Warriors and Lord Humongous. He performed in WWE when it was still the World Wrestling Federation, World Championship Wrestling (WCW), the United States Wrestling Association, Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and on the independent circuit.

He captured the WWF championship twice, the WCW heavyweight championship twice and the WCW U.S. championship once.

Bad News Brown may not have achieved household name status, but he engaged in memorable feuds during his WWE tenure. Known for his intense demeanor, Brown feuded with Randy Savage and competed against “Rowdy” Roddy Piper at WrestleMania VI. Though he never won a championship in WWE, Brown was inducted into the Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2007 and captured the Stampede North American heavyweight championship four times.

Before entering professional wrestling, Brown competed at the Olympics. He won a bronze medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympics and earned two gold medals at the Pan American Games in 1967 and 1975.

The ceremony also honors one of wrestling’s most iconic moments: Hulk Hogan facing Andre the Giant at WrestleMania 3 for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship. This match elevated Hogan to legendary status.

Hogan attempted to slam Andre the Giant early in the match without success. Andre nearly secured victory when he fell on Hogan. As the match progressed, Hogan rebounded off the ropes and delivered a clothesline that knocked Andre down. Hogan then lifted Andre and slammed him to the canvas. The crowd erupted as Hogan retained the title.

Hogan died in 2025 and Andre the Giant passed away in 1993. Their moment in professional wrestling history remains forever immortalized.

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