I look forward to this time of year every single year. Leaves fall off the trees in Chicago, the brisk air hits ahead of winter, the Chicago Bears are inevitably eliminated from any kind of playoff scenario in the NFL, and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame ballot hits the inbox.
It’s a fun time to not only seriously cast a ballot for a credible Hall of Fame that will stand up throughout history and document the best of the pro wrestling business, but it’s fun to wade back through that history and watch some of the best to ever step in the ring.
My criteria for an “IN” vote has always been pretty darn simple. Stingy? Yeah, kinda, but simple nonetheless.
To get into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, you need to have the numbers, right? That’s a given. I treat match quality for the WON Hall of Fame like the MLB Hall of Fame treats numbers. You have to have it. It gets you into the conversation.
From there, the first thing I look at is impact on the business. Did the wrestler leave something behind with major historical significance? If more voters considered this analysis point, someone like Charlotte Flair would be in the Hall of Fame. She should be and it’s a shame she isn’t.
Then, I look at drawing power and business. Did the candidate put the butts in seats? Did they move the needle from a ratings perspective? That kind of analysis.
Finally, it’s a gut check. Do they pass the eye test of a Hall of Famer? Admittedly, that’s a subjective approach, but so be it. Pro wrestling is subjective a lot of the time, so it makes perfect sense to use that judgement as a means to drilling down to a decision.
Alright, here it goes — my 2024 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame ballot:
Archie "Mongolian Stomper" Gouldie
This was a 2023 IN vote as well and here’s what I wrote: “I vote for this guy every single year. He’s a 14 time world champion in Stampede Wrestling and big time for draw for that territory. Go watch the matches this guy had. He’s big time over. IN.”
And IN he stays. All of that still applies and he’ll continue getting my vote until I can vote for him no longer.
Jay Youngblood & Ricky Steamboat
Another 2023 YES. You can check out what I wrote last year right here, but the essence is the same in terms of whether or not these two should be in the Hall. You know that quick-paced tag team wrestling you love so much? Did you vote for The Young Bucks this year? These two helped birth that style. They have an indelible mark on the wrestling business and drew money too. IN.
Junkyard Dog
We’re still doing this? Like Mongolian Stomper, Junkyard Dog gets my vote every year. He shouldn’t because he’s first ballot HOF talent, but alas, here we are. When you talk about the most ever wrestlers in history, Junkyard Dog needs to be on the list. He had his demons and his career ended early because of them, but JYD always had the fans in the palm of his hand. People cared. IN.
June Byers
Byers didn’t get a vote from me in 2023 and she should have. Thanks to the research of Jonathan Snowden, which you can read here, it’s clear that Byers had the impact on wrestling AND the skill that delivers seats in the Hall. I took her skill for granted. The impact she made on the business was always there, but the skill part always had me doubting. Byers had the character and characters make stars. Characters draw money and characters earn Hall votes. IN.
Becky Lynch
Another 2023 IN vote from me. Is any of this different now in 2024? “Becky Lynch had the hottest run a woman has had in the history of professional wrestling. From the summer of 2018 through her main event match at WrestleMania in 2019, Lynch was the most over star in WWE. She carried the company and that WrestleMania on her shoulders. The WWE audience being as invested in her as they were forced her match into the main event at WrestleMania 35 and was the first-ever all women’s main event in WrestleMania history. A no brainer here in terms of impact and business.” It isn’t. She needs to be in an it’s a no-brainer.
Kevin Nash & Scott Hall
These guys were IN votes from last year and as I mentioned last year, I debated whether or not they get a nod. They just have too much historical significance to be left out of the Hall of Fame. Simple as that. IN.
Roman Reigns
How did Roman Freaking Reigns not earn a place in the Hall last year? That’s a rough go right there, WON HOF voters. A rough go indeed. The face of the company during it’s most lucrative era ever and with a premiere level storyline with him front and center. This is a layup that was missed. IN.
Randy Orton
Randy, Randy, Randy. He deserves to be in and did last year. Grand slam champion, face of the company — kinda. Good matches. Long career. Orton was once called the prototypical pro wrestler and he’s kind of the prototypical Hall of Famer also. IN.
Paul Orndorff
All that needs to be said this year is what was said last year. “Because the peak of Orndorff’s career was working with Hulk Hogan, it’s easy to forget just how formidable a heel he was. The guy got heat. Loads of it. Hogan probably is just as over and popular if he wasn’t working with Orndorff, but Orndorff and Hogan did so much business together that you simply cannot overlook the impact Orndorff had on the numbers. Hogan made him, but he made Hogan too. Being the guy that travels around the country to make the biggest star in wrestling is a valuable and trusted asset that deserves big time credit. Orndorff was never world champion, but got to make huge money working with the world champion. Admirable and smart. Business. IN.” Yep, still IN.
Cody Rhodes
A new addition to my ballot in 2024. The Rhodes journey coincided with a shifting time period in wrestling. Streaming became available and easily accessible, therefore more independent companies got eyes on them. Same thing with promotions in Japan. Rhodes was the first real star to recognize that, bet on himself, and make himself a bigger star away from the WWE because of that developing system. His momentum and success paved the way for an entirely new national promotion to exist and he was a top star in that promotion. Then, he returned to the mothership as the tip top babyface with two WrestleMania main events under his belt. Inside that run, memorable matches littered the world and he still has a lot left to go in the tank. His story is still very much being written, but if retired tomorrow, his resume speaks for itself. IN.
CM Punk
A revolutionary performer. WWE and AEW don’t look like they do now without Punk’s influence and ability to break through and infiltrate WWE at the highest level. He changed the game in that regard and very much set forth a roadmap for others like him. Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, and many others simply don’t reach the top of the mountain without him going up it first. He’s a trailblazer and his match record speaks for itself. IN.
Larry Matysik
Matysik remains on my list as he’s one of the greatest voices in the history of the business. He also was an influencer of the business at a high level. Announcing alone gets him in — the rest is icing on the cake. IN.
Let us know what you think of this ballot in the comments!
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