Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum Facts for Kids

The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (PWHF) and Museum was a special place in the United States that celebrated the history of professional wrestling. It was like a museum and a hall of fame all in one. It used to be in Wichita Falls, Texas.

The museum was started by Tony Vellano in 1999. Before Texas, it was in Amsterdam, New York and Schenectady, New York. Its main goal was to "keep and share the important history of professional wrestling" and to honor wrestlers who made the sport exciting and athletic. This Hall of Fame was not connected to any specific wrestling company. Sadly, after some issues like water leaks, it closed down in 2021.

How Wrestlers Were Chosen

The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame had different groups, or "categories," for inducting wrestlers and other people involved in wrestling. This helped make sure that all kinds of wrestling legends were honored.

Category Name	Years Active	What it Means
Pioneer Era	2002–2021	For wrestlers who were active a long time ago, from the mid-1800s up to 1946.
Television Era	2002–2021	For wrestlers who were active when wrestling started being shown on TV, from 1947 to 1984.
Modern Era	2002–2021	For wrestlers who became famous from 1985 until the Hall of Fame closed.
Tag Team	2003–2021	For famous tag team wrestlers who worked together as a team.
International	2006–2021	For wrestlers from other countries, or who mostly wrestled outside the US.
Lady Wrestler	2002–2021	For amazing female professional wrestlers.
Colleague/Territory Division	2003–2021	For people like managers, announcers, photographers, and other important behind-the-scenes figures.
Referee Division	2018–2021	Specifically for professional wrestling referees.
Executive Division	2018–2021	For people who ran wrestling companies, like promoters and business leaders.

Famous Inductees

Many legendary wrestlers and wrestling personalities were inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. Here are some of the well-known names and their achievements:

Year	Wrestler's Name	Category	Key Achievements
2002	Frank Gotch	Pioneer Era	A very early world champion in wrestling.
2002	George Hackenschmidt	Pioneer Era	Another early world champion, known for his strength.
2002	Lou Thesz	Pioneer Era	A multiple-time world champion, known for his long career.
2002	Gorgeous George	Television Era	A very flashy and popular wrestler who helped bring wrestling to TV.
2002	Buddy Rogers	Television Era	A famous world champion and the first WWWF (now WWE) World Heavyweight Champion.
2002	Bruno Sammartino	Television Era	A beloved champion who held the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship for a very long time.
2002	André the Giant	Modern Era	A huge and famous wrestler, known for his size and WWF Championship win.
2002	Ricky Steamboat	Modern Era	A highly respected wrestler known for his exciting matches and many championships.
2002	Mildred Burke	Lady Wrestler	A pioneering female wrestler and world champion who also started a women's wrestling association.
2003	Hulk Hogan	Modern Era	One of the most famous wrestlers ever, a multiple-time WWE and WCW World Champion.
2003	The Fabulous Moolah	Lady Wrestler	A long-reigning WWE Women's Champion, holding the title for over 10,000 days.
2004	Verne Gagne	Television Era	A legendary wrestler who founded the American Wrestling Association (AWA) and won its world title many times.
2004	Terry Funk	Modern Era	A tough and versatile wrestler who won many championships, including the NWA and ECW World Titles.
2004	Harley Race	Modern Era	An eight-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, known for his toughness.
2004	Mae Young	Lady Wrestler	A wrestling veteran who wrestled in nine different decades and trained many others.
2004	Vincent J. McMahon	Executive	The person who established the World Wide Wrestling Federation (now WWE).
2006	Ric Flair	Modern Era	Known as "The Nature Boy," a record-setting world champion with many NWA, WCW, and WWE titles.
2006	Rikidōzan	International	A legendary Japanese wrestler who helped popularize professional wrestling in Japan.
2006	Bobby Heenan	Colleague	Considered one of the greatest wrestling managers and an entertaining announcer.
2007	Ted DiBiase	Modern Era	Known as "The Million Dollar Man," a famous champion and tag team wrestler.
2007	Roddy Piper	Modern Era	A charismatic and popular wrestler, known for his interviews and many championships.
2008	Bobo Brazil	Television Era	The first African-American world champion in professional wrestling.
2008	Bret Hart	Modern Era	A multiple-time WWF and WCW World Champion, known for his technical skills.
2008	Giant Baba	International	A Japanese wrestling legend who won many world titles and founded All Japan Pro Wrestling.
2009	Superstar Billy Graham	Television Era	A very influential wrestler known for his unique style and WWWF World Heavyweight Championship reign.
2009	Randy Savage	Modern Era	Known as "Macho Man," a two-time WWF Champion and four-time WCW World Champion.
2009	Antonio Inoki	International	A Japanese wrestling icon who founded New Japan Pro-Wrestling and won many titles.
2009	Lou Albano	Colleague	A famous manager who led many wrestlers to championships.
2010	Dusty Rhodes	Modern Era	Known as "The American Dream," a three-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion.
2010	Mil Máscaras	International	A legendary masked wrestler from Mexico, known for his high-flying style.
2011	Jerry Lawler	Modern Era	A wrestling legend who won over 160 titles in his career, more than any other wrestler.
2011	Road Warrior Animal	Tag Team	Inducted as part of The Road Warriors, one of the most dominant tag teams ever.
2011	Road Warrior Hawk	Tag Team	Inducted as part of The Road Warriors, known for their powerful style.
2011	Paul Ellering	Tag Team	The manager of The Road Warriors, helping them achieve great success.
2011	Vince McMahon	Executive	The long-time chairman and CEO of WWE, who grew the company into a global entertainment giant.
2012	Junkyard Dog	Modern Era	A very popular wrestler known for his charisma and championships.
2012	Jimmy Snuka	Modern Era	Known as "Superfly," a high-flying wrestler who inspired many.
2012	Afa	Tag Team	Inducted as a member of The Wild Samoans, a powerful tag team.
2012	Sika	Tag Team	Inducted as a member of The Wild Samoans, known for their tough style.
2012	Wendi Richter	Lady Wrestler	A popular WWF Women's Champion during the "Rock 'n' Wrestling" era.
2012	Jim Cornette	Colleague	A successful manager, promoter, and announcer in various wrestling companies.
2013	El Santo	International	A legendary masked luchador from Mexico, famous for his wrestling and movies.
2013	J. J. Dillon	Colleague	A famous manager, especially known for managing The Four Horsemen.
2014	Stu Hart	Pioneer Era	The patriarch of the Hart Family and a trainer of many famous wrestlers.
2014	Bruiser Brody	Television Era	A tough and intense wrestler known for his brawling style.
2014	Sherri Martel	Lady Wrestler	A former WWF Women's Champion and a successful manager.
2015	Pedro Morales	Television Era	A popular champion who held the WWWF World Championship and Intercontinental Championship.
2015	Curt Hennig	Modern Era	Known as "Mr. Perfect," a talented wrestler who held many championships.
2015	Michael "P.S." Hayes	Tag Team	Inducted as a member of The Fabulous Freebirds, a very influential tag team.
2016	Stone Cold Steve Austin	Modern Era	One of the most popular wrestlers in WWE history, a multiple-time WWF Champion.
2016	Sgt. Slaughter	Modern Era	A patriotic wrestler who held the WWF Championship and other titles.
2016	Gene Okerlund	Colleague	A famous interviewer and announcer for WWF and WCW for many years.
2017	Mick Foley	Modern Era	Known for his hardcore style and multiple WWF Championship reigns.
2017	Shawn Michaels	Modern Era	Known as "The Heartbreak Kid," a multiple-time WWF and WWE World Champion.
2017	Tatsumi Fujinami	International	A Japanese wrestling legend who held many championships, including the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
2018	Sting	Modern Era	A long-time WCW icon and multiple-time world champion.
2018	Jim Duggan	Modern Era	Known as "Hacksaw," the first winner of the Royal Rumble.
2018	Hiro Matsuda	Colleague	A famous trainer who taught many future wrestling stars like Hulk Hogan.
2019	Abdullah the Butcher	Television Era	A hardcore wrestling pioneer known for his intense matches.
2019	Owen Hart	Modern Era	A talented wrestler known for his high-flying moves and championships.
2019	Bobby Eaton	Tag Team	Inducted as a member of The Midnight Express, a famous tag team.
2019	Gory Guerrero	International	A legendary Mexican wrestler and the patriarch of the famous Guerrero wrestling family.
2020	Jake Roberts	Modern Era	Known as "The Snake," a master of psychology in wrestling.
2020	Magnum T. A.	Modern Era	A popular wrestler known for his NWA United States Heavyweight Championship reigns.
2020	The Great Kabuki	International	A mysterious Japanese wrestler known for his unique style.
2020	Luna Vachon	Lady Wrestler	A fierce and unique female wrestler.
2021	Tony Atlas	Modern Era	A powerful wrestler who won many championships.
2021	Tommy Rich	Modern Era	A popular wrestler who held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
2021	Robert Gibson	Tag Team	Inducted as a member of The Rock 'n' Roll Express, a very popular tag team.
2021	Ricky Morton	Tag Team	Inducted as a member of The Rock 'n' Roll Express, known for their exciting matches.

Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum facts for kids

How Wrestlers Were Chosen

Famous Inductees

See also