Wrestling veteran Ray Apollo stands firm in his belief that celebrities don’t belong in the WWE Hall of Fame.
In addition to wrestling legends and figures, the WWE Hall of Fame includes a special celebrity wing where famous names with WWE ties are honored. According to former WWE star Ray Apollo (Doink the Clown), though, the celebrities shouldn’t be in the hallowed halls at all.
“To tell you the truth, a Hall of Fame should be for, only to me, only people that were active participants,” Apollo said on Monte & The Pharaoh. “When you put people in that never stepped inside the box or people that never were a referee…Everyone said to me, ‘Oh well, referees don’t belong to in.’ My answer was try to have a match without a referee; let me know how it goes. ‘Well, the managers shouldn’t go in.’ Well try to do interviews without the manager. ‘Oh, okay.’ So from my part, who belongs in, who doesn’t belong in, I feel as though you had to be an active participant in it.
“If you were a movie actor or a basketball player or something else, you certainly don’t belong,” he added. “I mean, is there any pro wrestlers in the Professional Football Hall of Fame or baseball? No, it’s their gig and that’s how it should be for ours.”
In 2026, the WWE Hall of Fame welcomed five-time NBA Champion Dennis Rodman. While Rodman is primarily known for his work on the basketball court, wrestling fans remember him for his entry into the New World Order in WCW. He marked his in-ring debut in a tag team match alongside Hulk Hogan at WCW Bash At The Beach 1997.
Other celebrity inductees include legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, comedian Andy Kaufman, singers Ozzy Osbourne and Kid Rock, and former MLB player Pete Rose.
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