Induction into the WWE Hall of Fame is one of the greatest honors a wrestler can achieve. It’s all the more noteworthy when both halves of a married couple find their way to an induction. Indeed, it has happened, with three couples to date each entering the Hall. Moreover, as time marches on, there is every possibility of other duos joining them in immortality. So, who is already there, and which couples may well be on deck for this unique honor?
In The Hall Of Fame: The Undertaker And Michelle McCool
When The Undertaker went into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2022, he had to have been one of the least controversial picks to ever get inducted. The way in which he combined longevity with longevity in a top spot is genuinely unparalleled, with his WrestleMania undefeated streak (not to mention that he main evented WrestleMania in four separate decades), seven world title reigns, and universal respect from his peers all the stuff of legend.
This spring, the announcement arose that The Dead Man’s wife, Michelle McCool was getting a Hall of Fame nod herself. While she didn’t have the Hall of Fame headliner pedigree of her husband, this was still a very natural inductee selection that hardly anyone could take issue with. McCool was the original WWE Divas Champion and had a strong babyface that would borderline qualify her for induction before her far more memorable heel run as half of LayCool that really cemented her place as a top star of her era in the women’s division.
Will Be In The Hall Of Fame: Triple H And Stephanie McMahon
Triple H garnered his first WWE Hall of Fame induction in 2019 as part of D-Generation X, a rare faction to get the headliner spot among an induction class. Many thought that would be it for Helmsley in the Hall, unless the company opted to induct Evolution one day. It’s not that The Game didn’t deserve the Hall of Fame induction, but rather as the Chief Content Officer, it seemed he would probably follow in Vince McMahon’s tradition of not aggrandizing himself in this capacity. Things took a turn, however, when his long-time friends The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels surprised him with the induction announcement. The Cerebral Assassin went on to deliver a very long, but also beautiful speech to accept his induction over WrestleMania 41 weekend.
Stephanie McMahon herself occupies an anomalous spot when it comes to Hall of Fame consideration. She’s the daughter of Vince McMahon, exiled in disgrace from the WWE landscape, and the spouse of the CCO, leaving her in awkward spot of her last name being a bit of a sore spot and her marriage threatening to look like nepotism if she does get this honor. Just the same, for her on-screen character work across a period of decades, paired with her important backstage role, it would be hard for anyone to earnestly argue against her eventually standing at the Hall of Fame podium.
In The Hall Of Fame: Edge And Beth Phoenix
Edge’s career as a tag team wrestler with Christian, not to mention his later pairing with Randy Orton as half of Rated RKO would be enough to have warranted a Hall of Fame induction. Add in eleven world title wins, being the first Mr. Money in the Bank (not to mention the first two-time briefcase holder), winning King of the Ring, winning a Royal Rumble, and main eventing WrestleMania opposite The Undertaker, and it made all the sense in the world for him to get his induction in 2012. That’s all before he wound up returning to the ring and adding another Royal Rumble win and WrestleMania main event to his resume (besides all he’s gone on to do in AEW).
Remarkably enough, Edge didn’t get together with his eventual-wife Beth Phoenix until 2011, the same year of his first retirement from wrestling due to injury. When word came along that Phoenix would go into the Hall herself in 2017, it was no surprise to fans. Indeed, she was an ahead-of-her-time powerhouse of the women’s division who won top titles in WWE four times. An awesome presence on-screen and well-liked behind the scenes, she was every bit as readily accepted into Hall of Fame commemoration as her husband.
Will Be In The Hall Of Fame: Brie Bella And Daniel Bryan
The Bella Twins were part of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2020. Always polarizing and provocative, Brie and Nikki did ultimately deserve recognition as on-screen performers who came a long way across two extended stints with WWE. Notably, they were core parts of WWE branching out into reality television as stars of Total Divas and the spinoff Total Bellas series that, for better or worse, expanded the company’s horizons and invited in a different kind of fan base.
There’s absolutely no question that Brie’s husband, Bryan Danielson—known to WWE fans as Daniel Bryan—deserves a Hall of Fame induction. He was an irresistible force who worked his way up through the indies to become an undeniable WWE star, main eventing WrestleMania 30 when he beat Triple H, Randy Orton, and Batista in the same night. That’s not to mention that he won a SummerSlam main event over John Cena, that his Team Hell No run with Kane was iconic, or that he’s generally respected as one of, if not the single greatest wrestler of his generation. Danielson’s work with AEW is probably the only stumbling block to his induction. For as long as he remains under contract with the competition, even in a non-wrestling role, he probably won’t be up for Hall of Fame consideration. Just the same, if or when the time comes when he’s available and willing, no one would balk at him going in or him likely as not headlining an induction class.
In The Hall Of Fame: Booker T And Sharmell
There are, to date, only eleven wrestlers with more than one Hall of Fame induction to their names. Booker T entered the Hall as a singles wrestler in 2013 and again as half of the Harlem Heat tag team in 2019. The first was no surprise at all as a top star from WCW who went on to earn his way to comparable success in WWE. The second was a little more surprising, if only because Harlem Heat was a WCW fixture that never crossed over to WWE. Nonetheless, it was a justifiable induction given their long, successful run together, which included feuding with iconic pairings like The Steiner Brothers and The Outsiders.
Sharmell was a bit more spurious pick for her relative lack of tangible accomplishments in the world of wrestling. Nonetheless, she was a WCW Nitro Girl and occasional valet, in addition to her memorable time as Queen Sharmell alongside King Booker in WWE (that’s not to mention her work alongside Booker in TNA). While this induction was less readily celebrated than others among WWE fans, it was nonetheless nice to see this well-liked couple who thrived as a heel duo on-screen get their flowers.
Will Be In The Hall Of Fame: Eddie And Vickie Guerrero
Eddie Guerrero told one of wrestling’s greatest underdog stories as an undersized, undervalued, supremely talented wrestler who beat the odds to become a world champion in WWE. There’s no telling how the longer arc of his career might have played out were it not for his untimely passing in late 2005, but it made all the sense in the world for WWE to celebrate his remarkable, inspiring legacy with a Hall of Fame induction in 2006.
In another surprising term, Guerrero’s widow, Vickie Guerrero was offered a job with WWE and not only accepted but grew into an unexpected heel sensation. As a staple heel authority figure and manager from 2007 to 2014. One would think, given Eddie’s mythic status, fans would have a hard time booing his widow. By contrast, she found her footing as an annoying, power-hungry figure fans were all too eager to go against.
Vickie’s decision to work with AEW paired with a strong allegations around real-life family drama my make WWE hesitate to invite her back for Hall of Fame recognition. Time can heal a lot of wounds in wrestling, though, and if her reputation stays on the up-and-up, without working for the competition for the next few years, Vickie may well be in consideration before long.