The annual pre-WrestleMania ceremony honoring the WWE’s all-time greats had a bump in the road on Sunday in New York. Hall-of-Famer Bret Hart was tackled by what appeared to be a disturbed fan as he spoke about his partner, the late Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart. The two men were inducted as the legendary tag-team, The Hart Foundation.
ENRAGED SEEING THIS
SO much love 4 @shanemcmahon @travisbrowneMMA
1st on the scene@NatbyNature @DBSmithjr for sticking by their family @BretHart@DashWilderWWE #ECW style
BOO venue security for slow response after wrestlers did their job#WWEHOF pic.twitter.com/LhRHztK9cH— Tommy Dreamer (@THETOMMYDREAMER) April 7, 2019
Thanks to the WWE Superstars on hand and the tough-as-nails all-time great, the show didn’t just go on, it was one of the best HOF ceremonies in the promotion’s history. Here are the five best moments from the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
Bret Hart Recovers and Wrestling Fraternity Springs into Action
The attack on Bret Hart could have ruined the evening for the talent, fans and the WWE. Hart regained his composure, as did Natalya, and the men who jumped in the ring to subdue the attacker (Dash Wilder, Travis Browne, Heath Slater, Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, and others) deserve credit as well.
There is a lot wrong with the WWE, but that response and protection of an all-time great, who is both a cancer and stroke survivor was admirable.
DX Gives Chyna Her Props
DeGeneration X was inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday, and that included Chyna. The deceased all-time great deserves to be inducted individually, but DX did her proud by speaking at length about her accomplishments and importance to the legendary faction.
At some point, perhaps as soon as 2020, the 9th wonder of the World will have her day in the spotlight.
Triple H Goes At AEW
Every once in a while, Triple H reminds you how good he is on the mic. Saturday was one of those nights. Billy Gunn was obviously on hand, and it’s no secret he works for All-Elite Wrestling. When Gunn attempted to say Vince McMahon can’t fire me, which prompted an AEW chant, Triple H shut it down by saying, “He [Vince] will buy that pissant company just to fire you again.”
Whether you’re a WWE hater and an AEW lover, you have to admit Triple H’s mic work was stellar. He killed it with comedy, emotion, and respect. It was one of the least-boring, yet long acceptance speeches you’ll ever see.
Harlem Heat’s Entire Speech Was All Heart
As someone who is doing what they love, and whose success is largely due to his brother’s influence, I couldn’t help but feel the impact of the Harlem Heat’s acceptance speech. Booker T showed immense respect for his older brother and long-time tag-team partner Stevie Ray.
Their passion for the industry and love for each other was apparent, and this was another moment that won’t be easily forgotten by wrestling fans.
Jimmy Hart Sets the Tone With Short, But Sweet Speech
This might seem like a minute detail, but it was actually pretty important. Previous WWE HOF ceremonies have been marred by elongated acceptance speeches (cough Mr. T…cough Lita). Jimmy Hart was inducting Honkytonk Man, but rather than ramble on for a minute after minute, The Mouth of the South kept it short and sweet, and it somewhat set the tone for the evening.
As a viewer and fan, I appreciated his brevity.
