My favorite issue of the Observer every year is the Hall of Fame. As much as we complain a lot about Dave Meltzer’s take on matches and some of his news items, you CANNOT deny that this is the most LEGIT wrestling hall of fame out there. I like the WWE HOF but it’s just one man’s decision, and that Vince McMahon’s. This particular hall of fame is an actual voting process with journalists & historians involved in it.
I want to ask people here who have subscribed to the Observer especially John and Wai this question. Who have we have not seen in the WON HOF yet that should definitely be voted in this coming issue?
I’m shocked that Jim Crockett, The Junkyard Dog, Jun Akiyama, Edge, Johnny Saint, and Gary Hart are not even in it yet.
That Hall of Fame left Sting out forever and cited lack of drawing power as his excluder and put in Benoit…and who was the biggest draw in Mid-South? JYD and he’s not in?
Most legit my ass…Cauliflower Alley and Louis Thesz/George Tragos is more legit imo.
“Diamond” Dave Meltzer is the man, and the guy that set the table for this medium that ALL combat sports journos/podcasters/bloggers are eating off of today. And I’d say that the Observer HOF is definitely more legit than the WWE HOF, but perhaps not quite as reputable (IMHO) as the Pro Wrestling Hall Of Fame in TX (www.PWHF.org).
Personally, i see this hall of fame on the same level as The WWE hall of Fame. The only difference between this one and the WWE one is that instead of just one man making the decision for who gets in, it’s the wrestling media that vote for who gets in so it makes for a more legit selection.
The problem is that, since it’s the media that vote for this, they are some big name that will be omitted throughout the years that deserve to be in. Sting deserve to be in but because there not enough interested from the voters, he’s never going to get in, same goes for JYD and countless others. So that’S why i don’t see it as that big of a deal and on the level of the WWE, that is until WWE decided to build a physical hall of fame then, i would put it higher then the Wrestling observer hall of fame.
Media is one subset of voters, which also include Retired Wrestlers, Active Wrestlers, and Historians.
It is without question the Hall of Fame with the most democratic process for inclusion - a fairly high bar of votes required. To compare to the WWE version is just silly.
This thread is a botch fest. I’m now adding to the misinformation. I totally missed him getting in. I just remember past discussions that he wasn’t a big enough draw.
Selection process criteria being used for one guy and not for others is hypocritical and pointing that out isn’t “not liking someone”. I’d have to personally know someone to not like them.
