wwe hall of fame

Why WWE Should Expand Its Hall Of Fame & Who Should Be Added

vince russo
Photo courtesy of YouTube.com/WWEFanNation

My Monday column for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review talks why WWE should expand its Hall of Fame and should be added. Here’s an excerpt:

It’s time WWE commits to expanding its Hall of Fame class to more than just on-air performers.

I’m not the first to think of this. In fact, it was a question I fielded every year from fans when the Hall of Fame ceremony announcements would come around. I rejected the thought of behind-the-scenes people being included simply on the principle that the majority of fans wouldn’t know who they were.

But I’ve changed my mind and feel it could be for the best for the WWE Hall of Fame, which has been growing and evolving.

The company already has a celebrity wing featuring those from Hollywood or sports who had involvement inside the wrestling ring, people such as Pete Rose, Mike Tyson and Donald Trump. WWE also broke new ground when inducting Pittsburgh’s Connor Michalek. The late Michalek was an enthusiastic WWE fan who lost his battle with brain cancer. The Connor’s Cure foundation was started by WWE, and Michalek got the inaugural “Warrior Award” and was inducted last year.

It seems like now is the time for further expansion of the Hall of Fame. Jim Johnston would be a great person to start with in honoring the behind-the-scenes efforts it takes for WWE to be the entertainment juggernaut it is.

Johnston has been WWE’s in-house musical composer for nearly 30 years. It starts with music. It’s the first thing we hear and connect to a wrestler as he comes out the curtain. So much of the music and entrance sculpts the rest of the wrestler’s performance. Johnston’s brilliance has been documented via behind-the-scenes segments in how he created some memorable themes. He also was a guest on an episode of Stone Cold Steve Austin’s podcast.

Without Johnston, things would be different in WWE, and I don’t think for the better over the past three decades. “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone” is a phrase that applies to Johnston’s talents. Luckily in my lifetime, I haven’t experienced a WWE without his musical soundtrack.

After Johnston, someone else who contributed musically to WWE was Lemmy Kilmister. The Motorhead lead singer just passed away and is so closely linked to Triple H that he wrote three iconic entrance theme songs for him in the past 15 years.

CLICK HERE for who else behind the scenes should be added to the Hall of Fame.

TRENDING


X