The following report is courtesy of Agahzi and ProWrestling.net
Pat Patterson presented Mad Dog Vachon: Pat said he can’t wait for WrestleMania tomorrow. He’s pulling for Shawn Michaels, who he sees as the greatest ever. Pat told a story about Mad Dog before introducing him. Vachon recalled having over 13,000 matches. Paterson stepped in asked where he got his nickname.
Vachon told a story about a promoter in Oregon giving him the name. Patterson had Vachon tell the story about when he was on a flight to Minnesota and tried to open a plane door in flight. Patterson kept stepping in to lead Vachon into telling stories. Maurice seemed to get lost so Patterson immediately stepped in to close.
Lawler introduced Jim Ross, who stood up to a standing ovation.
Roddy Piper presented Wendi Richter: Piper did five minutes of stand-up before introducing Wendi. She looks good. She gave her speech and closed with "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."
Stu Hart induction: A video was shown on Stu Hart’s career with footage of the Dungeon and quotes from Jim Neidhart, Billy Graham, and the Hart children. Lawler introduced Bret to a huge pop. The rest of the Hart family came out behind him. Natalya looked teary eyed in the crowd. Bret talked about how honest Stu was as a promoter. His handshake and his word meant something.
Bret also talked about Stu always being willing to give people a second chance. Bret mentioned Owen Hart, who received a nice 30-second applause. Had Bret not started speaking again, an Owen chant would have erupted and almost did. He told a story about Stu’s sense of humor. Wrestlers always had a place to stay when Stu was around. He talked about missing Stu and Stampede. The crowd loved it, this was good stuff. Great moment. "My father’s heart will live forever especially since he’s in the WWE Hall of Fame."
From all the way up here I can see Michael Hayes in his yellow suit. Batista was shown the screen to boos. Antonio Inoki is up next.
Stan Hansen inducts Antonio Inoki: Jerry Lawler introduced Stan Hansen. By the way, my buddy made a beverage run. Bottles of Aquafina water are $4.50 each. Ron Simmons: DAMN!!! Hansen talked about how hard it was to work your way up the ranks in Japan. He said Inoki wasn’t just an athlete, he was a household name in Japan. Hansen talked about Inoki having his similar pride for pro wrestling. He emphasized the term pro wrestling. He talked about how Inoki had a hand in starting MMA. Inoki used his international fame to do good in such places as Iraq and India. He told a few long long stories before introducing Inoki.
Inoki apologized for his broken English. He said his induction’s timing is perfect as he had his first match in 1960, 50 years ago. He then spoke in Japanese and had a translator translate. The translator was soft spoken but he said it’s an honor to be inducted and he talked about wrestling Muhammad Ali and building a friendship with him. He has every fist pump and count 1, 2, 3!
