WWE News: Latest WWE Hall Of Fame Inductees Revealed

The WWE Hall of Fame class of 2016 continues to grow. It was revealed back in January that Sting will headline this year’s class, and last week, the Godfather was announced as the latest member. Now, according to Rolling Stone, one of the worst-kept secrets will become official, as The Fabulous Freebirds will join them in this year’s WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony the night before WrestleMania 32. One of the greatest factions of all time, the Fabulous Freebirds, were made up by Michael “P.S.” Hayes, Terry Gordy, Buddy Roberts, and Jimmy Garvin. Hayes, Gordy, and Roberts were the original founding members, with Garvin joining the group later.

The induction of The Fabulous Freebirds into the WWE Hall of Fame has been speculated for months, with a leaked list made public back in January. Hall of Fame rumors, however, are commonplace this time of year, but with WWE confirming the news, we’ll hear it for ourselves on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW. Many WWE superstars, past and present, have been clamoring for this induction, including Edge and Christian, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Jim Ross on multiple occasions.

The Fabulous Freebirds were a major act in Texas, so it’s only fitting they be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in the Lonestar State. Hayes, who is celebrating his 20th year as a WWE agent/producer/writer, is the only remaining survivor of the original three and had plenty to say regarding finally getting the call.

“Well, I don’t know what the rush was. Every year around this time, I’d be on pins and needles, hoping we’d get in, because our career speaks for itself. We put asses in seats…and I think you could take a poll of anybody who ever paid their hard-earned money to come see us, and they’d say they got more than their money’s worth. And that was huge to us, because we were wrestling fans too.”

Another clue that most wrestling fans were able to decipher was the fact that Kevin Von Erich revealed he was contacted by the WWE to appear at WrestleMania. Most took that (and many reported) as a sign he would induct The Fabulous Freebirds into the WWE Hall of Fame. The Freebirds and Von Erich family engaged in some of the most memorable angles, breaking barriers, re-defining feuds, and revolutionizing the industry. Much like the Freebirds themselves, Hayes’ induction speech is sure to be must-see.

“I’ve never been a person who is at a loss for words, so I’m pretty sure I’ll have some things to say. They may not let me curse, but I want to pay homage to Terry and Buddy and the group, so I’m going to tell as many stories as they’ll let me get away with. Believe me, I’ve got plenty of them.”

The Fabulous Freebirds will fly to their rightful place among the industry’s greats in the WWE Hall of Fame thanks to their innovative idea of entrance music. Imagine a WWE today without music to introduce each individual superstar? But perhaps the most indelible mark they left on the business was that of the “Freebird Rule,” which allowed any two members of a group to compete in a match for the tag team championships. The New Day employ that strategy today, but Demolition and nWo’s Wolfpac also used the rule to their benefit as well.

The 2016 WWE Hall of Fame class now consists of six members (if Garvin is in fact included in the induction). Sting, The Godfather, and now The Fabulous Freebirds. Whether or not JBL, Jacqueline, Regis Philbin, or even Daniel Bryan join them remains to be seen.

[Image via WWE]