Now that the calendar reads January, it could only mean one thing: we are about to be on the Road to WrestleMania. And with that, WrestleMania season is very much near. One of the things that many fans love about WrestleMania season? The annual WWE Hall of Fame ceremony. For me, one of the things I tend to do is watch those who are getting inducted and compare those names to the long list of deserving legends from years past.

Invariably, each year there are a few really surprising omissions. So, with that in mind, we are going to take a look at the Hall of Fame from two different angles. On one hand, we are going to put out fifteen names that we think should be in the Hall of Fame, for one reason or another. On the other hand, we will examine modern names and declare fifteen current Superstars who will make it to the Hall of Fame, but who you may not expect. Think along the lines of The Bushwhackers – while anyone who grew up watching them no doubt enjoyed them, I’d be willing to bet many fans never expected them to become WWE Hall of Famers. (And I say that with all due respect to Luke and Butch.)

Let’s see who should be or will be in the WWE Hall of Fame.

31 Should be in the Hall of Fame: Owen Hart

I have to start with perhaps the most obvious one of all. Now, as much as I want to see Owen Hart inducted – and many fans do – as long as his widow holds WWE responsible for his death, the grudge will remain alive and well. And with that grudge, no Owen in the Hall of Fame. I’ve floated one idea out before – since Martha Hart has a foundation to honor her husband, and she doesn’t want WWE profiting from his name and likeness via a Hall of Fame induction, then have WWE make a sizable charitable contribution to it – either a percentage of all sales related to Owen Hart materials, or something equally valuable. Let the fans and wrestling community honor Owen, albeit posthumously, and help fund his foundation at the same time. Keeping Owen out really only hurts the fans at this point, I think.

30 Modern: R-Truth

Truth was, honestly, someone I thought of right away. I actually likened him to The Bushwhackers. I have nothing against such an induction, as it’s really the crowning achievement for years of service to the company – at least, that is my opinion of it. R-Truth has been doing some of his best work in a while over the past few months, but he’s still probably underrated when you consider how good he has been and for how long. He rarely gets a title show, but he’s seemingly okay with his role and has embraced it. So why not put him in the Hall of Fame? I suppose people would point to his lack of titles, which I suppose is fair, but plenty of Superstars who are either in the Hall or should be, barely had a title. Here’s a good reason to induct him though: can you imagine the speech? Little Jimmy showing up for a dance break mid-acceptance? Sign me up.

29 Should be in the Hall of Fame: Bam Bam Bigelow

When you think of really good big men, Bigelow should be on the list. I’d have Vader in this slot, but honestly, I expect him to find his way in for 2019 – sad, considering he passed away just last year. But I’d put Bam Bam on a similar pedestal, being one of the best big men of his, or any other, generation. Bam Bam moved in ways a guy his size should not be able to do. He’s another legend who lacks the gold to support an otherwise stellar career, but titles (or a lack of them) really should not keep him from entry. He did a lot of work outside of WWE, and it was all really Hall-worthy. While this one might not be his best match ever, consider this: Bigelow worked a WrestleMania match with NFL Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor. Let that sink in. Taylor had been a great athlete, sure, but football and pro wrestling are vastly different. Bigelow ensured that such a match could happen on the Grandest Stage of Them All, and be a good match too.

28 Modern: Tommaso Ciampa

Fine, you want to ding me because he’s currently NXT Champion, so be it. Here’s the thing: Ciampa for much of his time in NXT was a tag team wrestler. He and Johnny Gargano, together as #DIY, were very popular. They held the tag belts. And then things went wrong, Ciampa injured his knee and he turned heel. He won the NXT title in what was a rare singles match for him at the time. That tells me WWE evaluators see something in the crazed Ciampa. He has the talent, both in the ring and in cutting promos. What he lacks (right now) is longevity and further accomplishments. Give him time and he will likely address both of those areas. I think when all is said and done, Ciampa will be Hall of Fame-worthy.

27 Should be in the Hall of Fame: Demolition

This year could be their year. Then again, any year since they’ve been eligible could have been their year. One of the best tag teams WWE has ever had – not of their era, but of ANY era – their credentials are, quite frankly, impeccable. They worked in one of the best periods ever for tag teams, and they were absolutely one of the best to lace up the boots. In terms of regular competitors, think of teams like The Hart Foundation, Legion of Doom and The Steiners, just to name a few. When you talk tag team wrestling, they are among the best. I really do hope they are enshrined sooner than later. From what I gather, there may be some beef between members of the trio and Vince McMahon, but every beef can and should be settled.

26 Modern: Heath Slater

How’s that for an unexpected name? I actually do expect his usual tag partner, Rhyno, to make it in on the strength of what he did in places like ECW. Slater? Well, he’s made a nice run of things, hasn’t he? Here’s how he sneaks in: Nexus. The NXT faction, made up of several very good wrestlers, took over RAW and put the locker room on notice. They destroyed the face of RAW in John Cena. They were dominant, though short-lived. But, forgetting their way-too-short shelf life, the faction deserves recognition at some point, I do believe. Think about the number of champions that came out of that group – Daniel Bryan, Ryback (Skip Sheffield!), and Wade Barrett, just to name a few. Such a group deserves a spot.

25 Should be in the Hall of Fame: Hart Foundation

See, I am on a tag team run. There are several teams from this particular era that are especially deserving of a nod. Bret Hart already went in as a singles performer, but he was just as good when he formed a tag team with the late Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart. It’s unfortunate that the duo did not get to go in while both were alive (and it’s entirely possible they are announced as a team being inducted for the 2019 class). If they go in this year, outstanding. If they are once again made to wait, it would be unfortunate. Either way, their credentials are impeccable – one of the best of their or any era, tag team champions, several main event worthy feuds, and matches.

24 Modern: Lilian Garcia

Okay, so I swerved here a little bit – Lilian is not exactly current and active, nor is she a Superstar. But it’s my list, and I can change things on the fly. With that said, I do think Lilian Garcia warrants inclusion here at some point. Ring announcers (and singers) can be in the Hall of Fame, and of the current crop (or at least, recent crop) of talent, she is a notable one. I think she would make a fine addition to the WWE Hall of Fame, and I would certainly call this one that many fans would not expect. I also doubt many would object once such an announcement was made. If you are on the fence, just consider she’d steal the show in one way or another, and I am fairly confident that her speech would be amazing

23 Should be in the Hall of Fame: Sid

Call him Sid Vicious, Sid Justice, or just plain old Psycho Sid. He made a mark under each moniker, across three brands under the WWE umbrella. He appeared in ECW, WCW and of course WWE. He's held multiple world titles along the way, too. Perhaps for a man his size, he might have been expected to do more, or to have earned more gold. I can't really argue against that, except the idea that wrestling is, as we know, scripted. So, while he would have made a logical choice as a more decorated champion, the promoters he worked for disagreed. Sid didn't mind, because, well, money talks, right? Regardless of how many titles he did or did not win, Sid Vicious will go down as one of the more intimidating and powerful big men in wrestling history. His tales from outside the ring are every bit as Hall worthy too. Some of those stories might even be safe to share during a Hall of Fame induction speech. Here's hoping we find out!

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21 Modern: Breezango

No, really, I am not losing my mind. The duo makes it in in a fashion (no pun intended), not that different from R-Truth. Look at what they’ve done over the years. I mean, we should almost put Fandango in on his own, just for how ridiculously over his Fandango-ing was at that time. In any case, any era needs some comedy, some fun. It helps offset the darker matches and the scary heels. Well, if it was comedy you wanted, Tyler Breeze and Fandango brought it, and still are bringing it today. It may take them a while, but I do believe that when it’s all said and done, these two make it in. As with R-Truth before them, please just imagine their induction ceremony.

20 Should be in the Hall of Fame: Tommy Dreamer

Here's another guy with strong ties to ECW – that makes three, in case you weren’t keeping score. I felt like Dreamer should have actually gone in before Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley, just because of what Tommy meant to ECW. That said, Bubba, in particular, was of similar value to the company, and those two are clearly one of the more decorated teams ever. But it’s Dreamer’s moment now. I actually like his chances for a 2019 nod, if only because the event is being held in his backyard. It’s one way for WWE to get some seats sold, as I have no doubt the die-hard ECW fans would come out in support of a Dreamer induction. The only thing that might prevent this is, well, Tommy is still active on the indies. However, Bubba is too, and WWE inducted him last year.

19 Modern: Renee Young

There I go, changing the rules again. Here’s the thing – commentators are in the Hall of Fame. There’s nothing saying they shouldn’t be. I expect, when his time comes, Michael Cole would be an obvious selection. Renee Young has not been doing it for long at all, but I fully expect she goes in too. Why? Because she was the first woman to ever do that gig full-time. Not on the Mae Young Classic. Not only for Evolution. That is her seat on RAW, and she earns it every Monday. Being the first to do it warrants induction on its own. However, considering we are relatively early on into her commentating career, I do expect her worthiness to become less and less in question as things progress.

18 Should be in the Hall of Fame: Vader

I could have said this before, but I will say it now: it’s a shame when people get this kind of honor, but posthumously. It was a bummer when WWE dragged their feet on Randy Savage because that could have been the greatest Hall of Fame speech ever. They managed to get Warrior inducted before his sudden passing. Vader we knew was in poor health, so a lot of fans hoped or thought he’d be inducted in one of the more recent classes, but he was not. Just as with Bam Bam, Vader was a unique individual – a big man who performed moves typically seen from smaller wrestlers. He was well respected by his peers and perhaps was never given credit for his ability to elevate a match.

17 Modern: William Regal

This one is actually sort of a ‘tweener, if you will. Regal was an accomplished Superstar in his time, holding several titles along the way. He made his mark in WCW in that sense. I have him here as a current personality because, quite honestly, I think very highly of his work as NXT General Manager. Look, I get it, a GM is a figurehead role, and in NXT, we don’t even see him on camera every week. That is true, I will grant you that. However, I think that just shows how good he is even more. It’s not always easy to be off camera a lot, and then be right in sync as if you are always on television. I know he’s worked for decades and he’s very good at what he does and what he did, but he still deserves credit.

16 Should be in the Hall of Fame: Chyna

Here’s one that gets talked about pretty much every year now. Chyna was a very special talent, an impressive physical specimen. She held numerous titles during her time in WWE, not to mention being a part of D-Generation X. Where she likely hits a snag or two? Well, her outside-the-ring issues may hurt, especially those involving her film career. Also, there is no telling what, if any, sore feelings remain on the part of  Triple H or Stephanie McMahon, given Hunter’s previous relationship with Chyna. Regardless, there should be enough time passed to allow Chyna to receive an induction after the fact. She’s just too significant to not be included. One of these next few classes should include The Eighth Wonder of the World if WWE is smart.

15 Modern: Pete Dunne

Maybe unlikely isn’t fair. The man is the UK Champion, after all. And, as of this writing, he’s the longest tenured champion of any WWE brand. He’s also relatively young, so his accomplishments ought to continue to grow to the point where his eventual induction is a no-brainer. For now, I’d say it’s not a lock. He could burn out, leave the company and never be heard from again, after all. The promise is there, the talent is there, and my expectations are there too. I see him as a much bigger star in a year or two. He’s big for NXT UK, but I expect a proper NXT Championship reign should be his soon enough…and then the main roster and who knows how good he will be.

14 Should be in the Hall of Fame: Dynamite Kid

Ah, there’s a trend here – Superstars who are deserving of the honor, but who are now deceased. Dynamite is another we lost in the last year, but he’s very deserving of the honor. I suspect, if anything, WWE could induct him as part of the tag team he formed with Davey Boy Smith – The British Bulldogs. Dynamite was a gifted in-ring performer, notorious for working a little stiff. Perhaps he was strong-style before there was a strong style to be. With WWE adding in more veterans and such each year, I wouldn’t put it past Vince McMahon and company to induct him, but to do so in a rather low key fashion. No matter how it happens, it’s a deserved honor for the late British Superstar.

13 Modern: Andrade

Already a former NXT Champion, this cocky Superstar has the makeup to be a pretty big heel. Word was that senior executives in WWE are very high on Andrade, and he’s already been put in some higher profile matches-against top talent and in television main events. While he’s a veteran, these all happened early on in his first year up on the main roster. To me, that’s as good a sign as any that WWE thinks highly of him. I would not be surprised if 2019 sees him in the hunt for a title. I also wouldn’t be surprised if he gets his hands on one either. If he continues to impress, especially if he ends up winning more gold, then a Hall of Fame induction isn’t all that hard to imagine.

12 Should be in the Hall of Fame: Davey Boy Smith

After Dynamite Kid, we now move on to the other half of The British Bulldogs. WWE could make it easy and induct the team – sadly, posthumously for both men – but I would not blame them if they did not. The reason why? Of the two Superstars, Davey Boy Smith had the more noteworthy career. When the tag team disbanded, Smith was THE British Bulldog. He became a successful singles competitor, carrying several singles titles along the way. I have to think one of his biggest achievements was main eventing SummerSlam from Wembley Stadium – a match against his brother-in-law, Hall of Famer Bret Hart. In this match, Davey Boy was victorious and became the new Intercontinental Champion in front of his home crowd. That Smith is not in the Hall of Fame to this day is no doubt due to issues between his family and the McMahons, but here’s hoping this eventually gets resolved.