The WWE Hall of Fame is typically meant to celebrate the performers to thrive for their company. However, quite a few wrestlers to get inducted spent time in other promotions. TNA is the most unique example since the company started to grow after the WWE HOF already existed. Various wrestlers to spend time in TNA would get inducted either before or after.
WWE currently views Impact Wrestling the same as any other smaller promotion, but past years would have them trying to avoid working with talents that spent time there. Wrestlers to get inducted into the HOF made bold moves working for TNA after the induction. The ones that spent time there before would certainly prove to have WWE’s respect. Find out which Hall of Famers worked for TNA in forgettable stints.
10 X-Pac
WWE cut bait with X-Pac back in 2002 for his last major run with the company as a performer. X-Pac continued to wrestle all over the world with most of his success coming in Mexico, but he tried to make TNA work a few times.
The early years of TNA saw them adding him and any other names with name value to the roster. X-Pac failed to make a mark and left the company until a bigger return in the Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff era. The run saw him reuniting with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, but they were all too old to recapture the magic of 13 years prior.
9 Jimmy Hart
Jimmy Hart was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame for his legendary career as a manager, but he didn’t want to retire from the industry there. TNA booked Hart shortly after the induction to manage the tag team known as The Naturals for a few months in 2005.
Hart returned to the company with Hulk Hogan when Hogan gained power to bring in whoever he wanted. The Nasty Boys were another Hogan hire and Hart managed them for their feud with Team 3D. TNA used Hart in a backstage role as well during the Hogan era.
8 Jim Neidhart
One of the forgotten legends to appear for TNA was former Hart Foundation tag team star Jim Neidhart. Jay Lethal’s challenge to legends of the industry saw Neidhart coming to TNA in 2009 to answer it.
Neidhart surprisingly won the match over the TNA full-time star and never wrestled there again. TNA looked foolish for having the 54 year old win over a young star. It was Neidhart’s final televised match of his career.
7 Rikishi
TNA tried to add more familiar faces when getting their television deal on Spike TV moved to primetime on Thursday nights. Rikishi was one of the former WWE stars to get a chance under the name of Junior Fatu.
WWE saw Rikishi become a top face in 2000, but too much time had passed. Rikishi felt out of place with noticeable botches in the ring and on the microphone leading to disappointment. TNA stopped bringing him in when realizing he couldn’t bring the same success from WWE.
6 Larry Zbyszko
WWE inducted Larry Zbyszko for his wrestling career spanning from the early 70s to late 90s. Old school fans remember him for a legendary feud with Bruno Sammartino and 90s fans remember him as a WCW commentator feuding with the New World Order.
TNA booked Zbyszko for a few years in a non-wrestling role working as an authority figure and on-screen personality. Zbyszko primarily played a heel trying to hold down faces like Raven and Eric Young.
5 Randy Savage
The biggest name in the WWE Hall of Fame to have a forgotten run in TNA was Randy Savage. WWE showed no desire to work with Savage when WCW went out of business. TNA was the only place for Savage to have a final match.
Savage appeared at TNA’s first three-hour PPV and had his only match at the following PPV. The trio of Savage, AJ Styles and Jeff Hardy defeated Jeff Jarrett, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall in Randy’s last-ever match.
4 Paul Bearer
WWE inducting Paul Bearer into the Hall of Fame confirmed his status as one of the all-time great managers in company history. Bearer found chemistry with The Undertaker to help him get to the next level before also thriving with Mankind and Kane.
Many fans have no idea that he spent some time with TNA in the early years. Bearer worked under the name of Percy Pringle as a manager and personality. The spooky character was gone, but he still made his mark in the short run.
3 Diamond Dallas Page
The horrible WWE run of Diamond Dallas Page saw the company using him poorly after WCW ended. DDP was a top WCW legend, but he failed to get any realistic chance at success in WWE.
TNA brought Page in for a run in 2004 to feud with Jeff Jarrett and Raven. Both stories tied to their past work in WCW, but DDP eventually left before he could get his footing in TNA. The desire to move forward with his yoga program DDPY led to a genius business move as he thrived outside of wrestling and was eventually inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
2 Bob Backlund
WWE inducted Bob Backlund into the Hall of Fame for his legendary run winning the WWE Championship on multiple occasions over a decade apart. Backlund had a unique personality that made him unpredictable in his older years.
TNA tried to find success with that when booking Backlund to appear in a few comedic segments with the X-Division and Kevin Nash. Backlund worked a few matches against Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin despite being too old to keep up.
1 Mr. Perfect
The legendary run of Mr. Perfect saw his great WWE run in the early ‘90s inspire many future stars. Curt Hennig took the industry seriously and had a tremendous impact in the industry during his career.
WWE released him in 2002 following a physical confrontation between Perfect and Brock Lesnar on the infamous plane ride from hell. TNA hired Hennig and he spent the final months of his career there with a final match against David Flair of all people before passing away.