Stephanie McMahon was genuinely surprised at her Hall of Fame announcement.
The Undertaker made an unannounced appearance at the WrestlePalooza PPV tonight. The Dead Man came out in his American Badass gimmick right before the main event of the show.
Instead of going to the ring, however, he stopped at the ringside where Stephanie McMahon was sitting in the crowd. The WWE legend then announced the female star as the first inductee in the 2026 class of WWE Hall of Fame.
Her reaction at the news showed that Stephanie was genuinely surprised by the reveal. Triple H later posted a backstage video of his interaction with his wife after this segment, where McMahon can be seen getting emotional:
The whole segment was reminiscent of the announcement of Triple H’s induction into the 2025 Hall of Fame. Both Undertaker and Shawn Michaels surprised The Game with it during a town hall meeting before this year’s Royal Rumble.
In the build-up to the induction, the WWE Creative Head had noted how he wished he had more time to savor the moment instead of being busy with the preparations for WrestleMania 41. This is likely the reason they announced the induction of Stephanie so far out in advance.
Stephanie McMahon made her WWE debut in 1999, and she has been involved with the company in various on-screen and backstage roles since then. She is credited as one of the leading voices of the Women’s Revolution among other things.