Imagining a Physical WWE Hall of Fame

The WWE Hall of Fame only exists in an abstract sense right now.

Rick Steamboat has entered it. So has Mick Foley. Fans cannot. That is, until WWE constructs a physical version of the institution.

That ranks high on the no-brainer ideas that WWE should run with.

Last January, the New York Post's Claire Atkinson reported that NBCUniversal was "thinking about creating a Hall of Fame for the entertainment company at its Universal Studios theme park in Orlando" as a means to sweeten the TV rights deal. It has yet to happen despite how much fan interest there would be.

WWE's erecting a Hall of Fame remains something that pops up in rumors, something that it's hard to believe hasn't happened yet.

Building it in Florida near Full Sail University and the WWE Performance Center makes the most sense. While WWE's true headquarters is in Connecticut, Florida is far more of a travel destination.

Besides, fans would be more willing to travel to pay tribute to all the Hall of Famers if they could also catch some NXT action on the same trip.

Outside the Hall of Fame would stand two statues—Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan.

Have them stare each other down for all time. They remain two of the most key figures in WWE history, icons who helped build WrestleMania, wrestlers who transcended the ring.

Credit: WWE.com

After passing by the men who headlined WrestleMania III, fans would then be able to map out their journey along the WWE timeline.

The Wings

The first floor is divided into four wings—pioneers, celebrities, teams and one dedicated to more recent stars. Above those sits an annex reserved for the absolute elite members of the Hall of Fame.

Fans can pick up a table that contains a set of recorded tracks. When one walks by a plaque or a bust for a particular wrestler, scanning the bar code next to it opens up a trove of info.

A profile, a video summarizing their career and a list of their major accomplishments all pop up.

The Pioneer Wing will take fans through the early days of wrestling, recounting what men like Junkyard Dog, Antonio Inoki and Maurice "Mad Dog" Vachon accomplished.

A blown-up photo of Gorgeous George stretches across a wall. A life-sized wax figure of Killer Kowalski stands poised to strike.

In the Celebrity Wing, videos are ever-present. The rooms all feature clips of men like Mike Tyson and Donald Trump making their mark on WWE history.

The Tag Team Wing is where the Hall of Fame honors The Funks, The Von Erichs, The Blackjacks. Spiked shoulder pads sit atop wax figures of The Road Warriors. The Four Horsemen's suits hang up behind a class case.

Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard and Ric Flair berate their opponents on a loop.

When fans reach the last wing on the first floor, Edge, Bret Hart and Eddie Guerrero await. The more contemporary stars are featured here in photo, video and bust form.

At any point, fans can head upstairs to see WWE's elite. This area is only home to the wrestlers one might consider placing on WWE's Mt. Rushmore.

Hogan, Ric Flair, Steve Austin and Andre Sammartino each get their own room. A statue of each man welcomes fans.

Credit: WWE.com

Austin's room is lined with photos of him hitting the Stunner. Flair's robes and blown-up magazine covers fill his room.

The Memorabilia

A special section is dedicated to the objects and gear that are key elements of WWE history.

One of Paul Orndorff's robes hangs on a mannequin. Shawn Michaels' chaps, a turnbuckle that George Steele once tore apart with his teeth and any old championships WWE can get its hands on need to be on display.

Everything from two-by-fours Jim Duggan once swung at his foes to the Million Dollar Championship that Ted DiBiase once wore make its home here.

This would be the easiest part for the company. WWE clearly has all the necessary items. It shows much of them off each year at WrestleMania Axxess.

Putting it all in a museum setting would allow for there to be more space to display each item. There would be more room for informational placards and to dress up the presentation so that it's not just stuff stuck to the wall.

While the mobile Axxess displays are designed more to celebrate today's stars, only gear from Hall of Famers would be allowed here.

The Experience

Just as WWE is no ordinary entertainment medium, the Hall of Fame can't just be an ordinary museum. It needs to be have the same larger-than-life feel as the action in the ring.

The interactive element needs to be huge.

In one massive section of the Hall, fans can opt for photo-ops that superimpose them into famous moments. A camera captures a fans sitting alongside Roddy Piper in Piper's Pit, in a stand-off in the ring with Stone Cold at WrestleMania or take Mankind's spot during his celebration of winning the WWE title on Raw.

Credit: WWE.com

A video area allows fans to call famous matches and record (and then of course purchase) the new version of Ultimate Warrior defeating Hogan or Edge cashing in the first-ever Money in the Bank contract.

A Steel Cage is set up for fans to walk through and touch. The famous SmackDown fist hangs above an archway.

And a full-sized ring sits in the corner of the room, allowing fans to climb the ring steps, step through the ropes and experience standing on the canvas.

The same fans who venture out to wherever WrestleMania is held each year would pay good money for this celebration of the squared circle. Since 1993, WWE has been adding legends to this institution. As of now, there is no place to see all gathered together.

The company needs to offer fans a place to make a pilgrimage, to build a sports entertainment shrine and watch the crowds pile in.