Missing Pieces: The Wrestlers WWE Has to Induct into the Hall of Fame

Nearly every year before WrestleMania, the WWE has held the inductions for that year's Hall of Fame class the night before.

Now, while the Hall of Fame is basically a list of who is on Vince McMahon's good side, that's not to say that the majority of inductees do not deserve the recognition that they are getting.

With each year, there is always talk about who should have been inducted or who is being snubbed.

So with that in mind, here is a list of those who most definitely deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.

Mike Rotunda

An old school wrestler in every sense of the word, Mike Rotunda a.k.a. Irwin R. Schyster., was one of those guys that could be counted on to give a great match.

His time in the NWA and WWE was where he made a niche for himself in the tag divisions as part of teams with Barry Windham and, more famously, with the Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase.

Now as a road agent, he can share his knowledge of the craft with the new generation of wrestlers  like so many other retired wrestlers have done before him.

His induction would be great to see, especially if DiBiase or Barry Windham were to induct him in.

Vader

Today, when people think of a monster heel they think of Kane or Mark Henry, a seemingly unstoppable force bent on destroying the top faces in a promotion.

When older fans think of a monster heel, many would bring up Vader.

The 400-pound behemoth who is best known for his time in New Japan Pro Wrestling and WCW, being a heavyweight champion in both organizations.

Technically a super-heavyweight his entire career, Vader was known for being incredibly agile for a man his size, able to perform a modified moonsault as one of his finishers.

With his incredible career and the WWE now giving more recognition to wrestlers who made a name for themselves outside of the WWE like they are doing this year with Ron Simmons and the Four Horsemen, Vader most definitely deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame.

“Ravishing” Rick Rude

A mainstay in the Intercontinental Title picture, Rick Rude was one of the best upper mid-card heels during the mid-80s to early-90s.

A constant ladykiller, Rude would use that to to his advantage against his opponents, especially if they had a a wife at ringside like in the case of Jake "The Snake" Roberts. Everything about him was meant to incite anger from male viewers while attempting to get the females on his side.

That, including him being involved in numerous memorable feuds, holding titles in many promotions, and being involved in both Degeneration X and the nWo, "The Ravishing One" definitely has earned a potential spot in the Hall of Fame.

Jake “The Snake” Roberts

One of the best wrestlers to never win a WWF title, Jake "The Snake" Roberts is one of the most deserving wrestlers to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Known for his superb ring psychology and menacing promos, Roberts would have memorable feuds with the Undertaker, Randy Savage, Ricky Steamboat and would be instrumental in the "Austin 3:16" promo given at the King of the Ring pay-per-view.

He would also be known as the man who invented the DDT, a move that has become commonplace for wrestlers today.

Add in the fact that he has gotten his demons in check, it makes perfect sense to add "The Snake" to the Hall of Fame.

British Bulldogs

When you look back at the tag teams of the WWF in the late-80s to early-90s, you notice quite a difference in comparison of whatever teams are created today in order to make it seem like the WWE has a tag division.

While not the best on the microphone, teams like the Hart Foundation, Legion of Doom and the Rockers were technically gifted and able to carry on fantastic matches.

Another team who fell into the great tag team category was the British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid), who were always in the forefront of the division.

Both legitimately tough fighters, their stiff style made matches seem more believable to the fans and their matches against the likes of "The Dream Team" and the Islanders makes you pine for the old tag division and not the shell of a division that it is now.

Steiner Brothers

Like the British Bulldogs, the Steiner Brothers weren't the best on the mic during their heyday, but they made up for it in talent and in-ring ability.

A mix of speed, agility and power, the Steiners were always in the tag title picture in any promotion they were in, whether it was WCW, ECW, or the WWF.

While Scott was able to make a singles career happen after the brothers split up, they'll always be remembered as one of the greatest tag teams in professional wrestling history.

Sting

Another obvious choice for the Hall of Fame, though he never once stepped foot inside a WWE ring.

Sting was a well-rounded wrestler who could carry himself in the ring as well as on the mic.

Winning titles in multiple promotions, most notably WCW, Sting has definitely made his mark on the wrestling world.

Whether it was a bleach blonde surfer, dark Crow-like figure,or insane madman, Sting pulled each gimmick off. Not only were his gimmicks great, his feuds were legendary—going against the likes of Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, and the nWo, he more than proved his presence in the ring.

While it would have been great to see Sting fight in the WWE, it would still a fantastic gesture if the WWE were to offer him a spot in the Hall of Fame.

Trish Stratus

Another obvious choice for the Hall of Fame, and rumored to be an inductee when the WWE holds a Wrestlemania in Toronto or anywhere in Canada, is Trish Stratus.

As the most-decorated Diva in WWE history, Stratus played a part in some of the biggest stories during the Attitude and Ruthless Aggression eras for a female.

In a time when Divas wrestling was enjoyable for most fans, she was queen of the mountain.

She had to prove that against her biggest rival Lita on numerous occasions, including main event matches on Raw, something that hasn't happened in a long time.

Booker T

Another obvious choice based on his accomplishments and credentials, Booker T deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame.

From his start as part of Harlem Heat to his run as King Booker, he found success in almost everything he did (let's just forget G.I. Bro for now). Being one of only three African Americans to hold the WCW World Heavyweight Title, Booker set himself apart from wrestlers with his skill and explosive technique.

Unfortunately, WCW failed to realize sooner how big of a star Booker was to be and only put him in the main-event scene in the twilight of the promotion's life.

Now that he is on the announce table, he's proving he can still entertain fans even if he isn't wrestling, yet his recent feud with Cody Rhodes proves that he can still work as if he hadn't left.

Mick Foley

Loved for his hardcore style and memorable feuds, Mick Foley will have a special place in most wrestling fans' hearts.

His different personalities all have that one thing that make them stand out (except for maybe Dude Love) with their promo styles and ring psychology, showing that Foley could put in the effort to get over in multiple ways. Even more impressive was his willingness to put his body and well-being on the line for the entertainment of the fans.

Whether it was getting hit in the head with a chair numerous times in a row by the Rock or being thrown off and through a Hell in a Cell by the Undertaker, Mick Foley has definitely earned his spot in the Hall of Fame.

Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth

The most shocking snub from this year's induction class has been the recently deceased Randy Savage, who had died of a heart attack last year.

There always seemed to be bad blood between Savage and Vince McMahon, though reasons were never given leading to outlandish online rumors. Savage will always be remembered as a legend for both how he could talk on a mic as well as his work in the ring. He marked himself a niche in the wrestling world with his crazy attire and his valet/real-life wife, Miss Elizabeth, making him a main-eventer who could rival Hulk Hogan at times.

In an ideal world, Savage would be be inducted alongside Miss Elizabeth, as many wrestling fans consider them the "First Couple" of pro wrestling.

Many thought that Savage would be a posthumous induction considering his recent passing along with him signing a Legends contract with the WWE shortly before he died, so it seemed that the fences had been mended between Savage and McMahon.

The Rock

The most surprising omission from this year's induction class has been the Rock, considering the angle that he is involved in and that WrestleMania is taking place in his hometown of Miami.

It's not hard to understand why the Rock will eventually get into the Hall of Fame, being one of the best mic workers in wrestling history. He also had great in-ring skills, and some of the best feuds of the Attitude Era against the likes of Steve Austin and Mankind.

Owen Hart

The most obvious non-inductee is the late brother of Bret Hart, Owen.

Like other students of the famous Stu Hart Dungeon, Owen was an incredibly gifted technical wrestler, but he stood out in that he could carry himself on the mic as well, able to draw heat from the fans with ease and garnering the nickname “The Nugget” after a promo given by Shawn Michaels.

The unfortunate thing about Owen's case for the Hall of Fame is the bad blood between the WWE and Owen's widow, Martha. After Owen's death at a WWF pay-per-view, the Hart family sued the WWF for negligence with the stunt that had killed him. The WWF paid a settlement to the family to the sum of around $18 million, but Martha has still not allowed the WWE to make any money off of Owen's name.

The only way I could ever see Owen getting into the Hall of Fame is if the WWE gave a donation to the Owen Hart Foundation, which was started by Martha, and it would have to be a huge amount to bridge that gap, probably in the nine-figure range.

Paul Heyman

The brainchild behind Extreme Championship Wrestling as it is known and loved by wrestling fans, Paul Heyman is next up on the list.

It takes a lot to get a wrestling promotion on its feet— you need a roster of wrestlers, writers to create storylines, people to set up rings and seating, funding for the whole operation, and, most importantly, fans willing to pay to see your show.

Heyman didn't have the funding of the bigger companies, but he made what he did have work to his benefit, creating a devout following whose cheers can still be heard to this day.

Giving a platform to wrestlers who fell through the cracks or hadn't been able to get into them yet, Heyman made a wrestling environment that no one had seen before.

With realistic storylines, over-the-top action, and a diverse roster including then-unknown wrestlers including Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Rey Mysterio and many others, ECW became a growing movement in the wrestling world.

Known for his no-BS attitude, incredible promos, and for treating fans like intelligent people rather than treating them like braindead marks, Heyman has definitely earned a place in wrestling history and should be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

NWO

Since the Four Horsemen are being inducted this year, I thought the next reasonable group to be inducted would have to be one of the biggest rivals to the Horsemen, the nWo.

Not only was the group responsible for starting the wrestling boom of the mid-90s, it was partially responsible for WCW's demise. Their creation would cause the WWF to up its game by starting the Attitude Era, leading to the making of superstars like Stone Cold Steve Austin, the Rock, DX, and Mankind.

For a proper induction, the WWE would have to have the three original members of Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.

It might seem to be difficult since Hogan is leading the charge of the WWE's biggest competitor, TNA, but if Ric Flair is going to show up for the Horsemen induction, the same can be said for Hogan.

The big problem though may be trying to get Scott Hall there with his laundry list of issues. If that can be taken care of, I'm sure I'm not the only one who would love to see the nWo get inducted.