We’re one sleep away from WrestleMania 42, and that means its time for the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony!
Like WWE’s biggest event of the year, 2026 brings the induction festivities once again to Las Vegas. The Ceremony is tonight (April 17) at 9 p.m. Nevada time. If you’re on the East Coast like your’s truly, that’s midnigh — which I guess makes it the 18th already? But I digress…
The show is live in Dolby Live at Park MGM. How to watch on your device depends where you are. In the United States you’ll need a access to ESPN Unlimited, the Disney-owned network’s new streaming app/service. It’s on YouTube if you’re anywhere outside the U.S. (or if you take the advice of tonight’s headliner).
We’ll have notes from the show and clips from social media below during the stream. If you’re watching live, chat about the show in the comments and recap for easy access to speeches and moments you loved. If you’re catching up later, you get the same info and videos, and then you should join the conversation too!
The WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2026:
- AJ Styles
- Stephanie McMahon
- Demolition
- Sid
- Bad News Brown
- Dennis Rodman
- Immortal moment: Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III
An Undertaker-narrated opening video tells us this place is for those who elevate the business, and where those that do live forever.
The Miz and Michael Cole hit the stage to welcome us to the show. Cole puts over WrestleMania 27, which saw a concussed Miz pin John Cena, and him beat Jerry Lawler. Miz then gives the current voice of WWE his flowers. He does a joke about great looking people in the house where the camera found his wife Maryse and others, then said and not great-looking ones as we got a shot of Danhausen in big red sunglass-hausens.
Cole then said we were starting the show with a woman he wouldn’t be in the business without, and hey, we’re starting with the Billion Dollar Princess!
A long video package for the former company CEO. It’s what Hall of Fame video packages are meant to be, painting a glowing portrait of the inductee with pro wrestlers and industry veterans telling us about her influence on the business, and quality as a person.
Inducting her are her three daughters, Aurora, Murphy, and Vaughn, and her mother, fellow former CEO and current Secretary of the United States Department of Education, Linda McMahon.
Aurora, the eldest, spoke first. She spoke about her mother as a trailblazer, going places women almost never had before in the wrestling business. Her family ties aren’t mentioned, but again, not gonna happen here. Murphy was next, and she chose to share the things she loves about her mother (revealing she’s used mom’s slap on her big sister). Vaughn took a similar tack, focusing on dancing in the kitchen with her mother as an example of how Stephanie sees what those around her need.
Linda was last, putting over her granddaughters first. Her speech focused on Steph’s journey learning the family business, how her daughter learned the c-suite life from her, and production and creative from father Vince. The Secretary lists Stephanie’s business accolades after mentioning her talent for performing on-screen. Grandma also includes a few personal anecdotes, and tears up congratulating her daughter before bringing her out.
“Queendom” hits the speakers, and it still slaps. Steph look like a billion dollars in a long, intricately sequined gown with a plunging neckline. She shares a hug and a moment with each of the women who inducted her, shuts down a “Thank You, Steph” chant by thanking the fans.
McMahon talks about why each of her daughter’s are special along with an anecdote, and thanks her parents — with Vince getting a big pop and “thank you” chant.
She talked about her unique experience growing up in the business…
… followed by a nice message about treating each other with kindness and respect that segued into the creation of Connor’s Cure. Steph also introduced us to one of the children from the “Superstars for Hope” video they created years ago. He wasn’t supposed to live more than a year after birth, and he’s about to turn 16.
An impressive job listing very many thankees, then turns her attention to husband Paul “Triple H” Levesque. Her recounting of their meet-cute will be picked apart by those familiar with the history, but sounds good and gets both of them tearing up.
Stephanie says that since a heel is being inducted, she’ll slip into character to close things out, and delivers a promo to officially mark her entry into the Hall.
After some commercials, Cole and Miz were on the stage to kick it to a video package for Legacy inductee Bad News Brown. His family is welcomed the stage and receive a warm welcome.
Cole mentions Miz’s WWE Tag title history, which his co-host corrects him by saying he’s a ten-time champ rather than a nine-time one. That’s our segue to our next honorees…
After Ax & Smash’s video package…
…three of their legendary rivals, Haku, Arn Anderson, and Terry “The Warlord” Szopinski are out to induct them. Warlord takes the podium to list the inductees’ accomplishments. Haku takes over after Szopinski, joking that Bobby Heenan wouldn’t believe he was on TV talking about him. He talks about his tag history with Andre The Giant, and working with Demolition. A-Double’s last, joking about his return to WWE by saying he wasn’t gonna fade to black. Anderson puts over the men under the facepaint, Bill Eadie (Ax), and Barry Darsow (Smash). Then he brings them out.
Eady and Darsow hug their inductors, then Darsow steps to the mic. He tells the story of telling Vince McMahon he’d become Smash, and runs down some history while saying his thanks, including to Crush (Brian Adams). His family is last before stepping to the side for Eadie. Ax thanked Andre, Vince Sr. and Vince Jr, Antonio Inoki, and Mr. Fuji among others, spoke about his faith, then expressed gratitude for his family before closing with Jim Carrey’s “I like it. I like it a lot.”
We’re told before a break that Dennis Rodman is next, and that gets us a bit between Cole and Miz about the A-Lister’s history of working them at ‘Mania. That took us to this video package for the celebrity wing’s newest member.
Rodzilla’s nWo’s teammates Kevin Nash and Sean Waltman induct him. Nash educates everyone on Rodman’s basketball career, and tells a story about how much Rodman cleared for his nWo Rodman… cause Nash lol.
Rodman is out in nWo colors, and gets emotional at first. He puts over the wrestling community, gets emotional again talking about a neighbor…
…and says if he hadn’t played basketball he would have been a wrestler. He thanks Jimmy Hart and Eric Bischoff before focusing on Hulk Hogan, impersonating him and asking why it took him so long to get his statue made. He’s nWo 4 Life, brother.
It wasn’t Mr. T, but it wasn’t good.
Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III
Our Immortal Moment gets a nice intro from the hosts before this video package:
The Mouth of the South Jimmy Hart accepted the award for his late friend, joined by Andre’s daughter Robin Christensen-Roussimoff, and Hulk’s son Nick. He closes by unveiling of small scale statue of the now-inducted Moment.
Miz and Cole are back to talk about big men in wrestling, a way to present the video package for our next Legacy inductee:
His family is shown in the seats.
The ESPN stream goes black for a while, and judging from social media it happened on YouTube too. We come back during the last inductee’s video package.
Good Brothers Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson are back to honor their friend. The duo give a great speech covering AJ’s dedication as a father and mentor in addition to his in-ring prowess. Then the long-time tag partners channeled their days in New Japan’s Bullet Club with the Phenomenal One to bring out their “forever leader”.
Styles warned us he might get emotional. When the crowd chanted “one more match”, he said it made his decision to retire more difficult. AJ loved everything about his job, but says he doesn’t miss it. That’s because he gets to go home to his family every night now.
He thanked all the promoters he’s worked for and every talent he’s worked with, reminding the wrestlers in the room to be grateful for their opportunities. Styles talked about his new job finiding the next Phenomenal One. He also joked about how he “might second a record here tonight”, and speaking of things to be grateful for, it was blissfully short.
Returning to family led the night’s final speaker to his faith, which he believes put him in the right place at the right time in order to be here tonight. He knows guys like him aren’t supposed to make it to WWE and its Hall of Fame, but he did because of everyone. He’s humbled and honored to be a member of this year’s class.
After the “Southern boy with the farmer strength” waved his goodbye, Miz and Cole sent us home.
