Walker Stewart
- Apr 9, 2021
- 7 min read

Ranking the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2020 Speeches

Note: This article was originally published to eWrestlingNews.

On April 6, 2021, the WWE Hall of Fame Classes of 2020 & 2021 were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in a pre-recorded event uploaded to the new home of WWE's content catalog - Peacock. If you're a fan of professional wrestling, you already know the intrigue drawn up by the prospect of stories and memories shared at the podium of the WWE Hall of Fame ceremonies. There have been some incredible speeches delivered since the WWE Hall of Fame's inception in 1993 (the likes of Mark Henry and Bobby Heenan come to mind.) We've also had some not-so-incredible speeches delivered at the event (sorry, Hilbilly Jim.) With this in mind, let's take a look back at the speeches from WWE's 2020 Hall of Fame Class and determine when they fall in our rank!

Author's Note: I will not be ranking the Legacy inductions for the 2020 Class as they are done via video package and there is no Hall of Fame induction/acceptance speech for these individuals. Nevertheless, the careers of Ray Stevens, Brickhouse Brown, Gary Hart, Steve Williams, and Baron Michele Leon are preserved in the WWE Hall of Fame forever.

#7: William Shatner

Discussing the validity of Shatner's deservingness to grace the WWE Hall of Fame would leave us with a tired and repetitive argument. While that subject has been debated to death by professional wrestling fans as of late, one thing is undebatable: Shatner's induction speech was beyond lackluster.

Shatner did not attend the WWE Hall of Fame event live (something deemed understandable given the climate of the current global health pandemic.) However, his lacking attendance could be easily forgiven if his speech had any interesting content matter. Despite the multiple segments Shatner could have referenced throughout his involvement with World Wrestling Entertainment, William left much to be desired after giving a brief "thank you" for his induction to the WWE Hall of Fame. Shatner's speech radiated "Oscar-acceptance energy." It felt as if he could not have cared less about the production he was a part of, and for that reason, William Shatner lands a spot at the bottom of this list.

#6: Jushin "Thunder" Liger

Unlike his predecessor on this list, Jushin "Thunder" Liger's induction into the WWE Hall of Fame can not be disputed. The current NJPW star is a prime innovator of acrobatics and athleticism within the squared circle. Despite this, similarly to his fellow 2020 inductee, Jushin Liger's speech was nothing to write home about.

Yet, here I am writing about it (Classic journalist pun!)

Jushin "Thunder" Liger's speech took place via video (as he was in his native Japan at the time.) Liger began his speech by introducing himself as being from "New Japan Pro Wrestling." I thought it was really cool for Liger to reference the promotion that truly gave him a spot to shine throughout his career. Liger's speech was brief. He said he was thankful for the ring and the plaque that he had received, and he was very thankful and lucky to be a professional wrestler. It was a great sentiment but didn't deliver to the standard of other speeches on this list. Therefore, Liger lands on this list at number six.

#5: The Bella Twins (Brie Bella and Nikki Bella)

In our opinion, no one can argue that The Bella Twins placement in the WWE Hall of Fame isn't deserved. Brie Bella and Nikki Bella are true pioneers in women's wrestling, and it can (and should) be argued that these two blazed a trail for the future of women in the industry that we love dearly.

While this induction speech was by no means "bad," it lacked the substance and gravitas culminated by other induction speeches at this ceremony. The Bella Twins made their entrances in typical Bella Twin fashion before stumbling into a seemingly awkward and rehearsed dialogue. Brie and Nikki would begin to speak at the same time and then blame the flub on "twin magic." While the beginning may have been a teeny bit awkward, the rest of the speech went fairly smooth. The Bellas thanked their family members, lovers (and former lovers - ie. John Cena,) and the Bella Army. This was okay but felt like the culmination of one long WWE backstage segment.

#4: "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith

The British Bulldog is arguably one of the most renowned superstars to come out of the United Kingdom. The first-ever WWF European Champion easily built up a catalog of incredible matches during his time in World Wrestling Entertainment. These matches range from the likes of his bout against Owen Hart on RAW for the WWF European Championship to his Summerslam 1992 bout against Bret Hart where he won the WWF Intercontinental Championship. Despite passing away in 2002, Davey Boy Smith was inducted post-humously into the WWE Hall of Fame by his son Davey Boy Smith Jr. (former WWE Tag Team Champion David Hart Smith,) daughter Georgia Smith, and widowed-wife Diana.

In this induction speech, Davey Boy Smith Jr. spoke on behalf of the family while Georgia and Diana supported him from behind. The three family members were actually accompanied by another member of the family, the family pet Buffy. Buffy the Bulldog is the legitimate granddaughter of the legendary Matilda the Bulldog.

Smith discussed the nature of Bulldog's character. British Bulldog was a legendary jokester, and this was referenced multiple times in relation to Bulldog's "ribbing" backstage. Smith highlighted his father's past matches and career highlights. Later, he thanked the fans for their dedication to never letting his father's spirit die. Throughout the speech, he's petting Buffy and attempting to hold her still. At one point, it seems as though she's trying to jump off of the podium. Smith did an incredible job at discussing his father's legacy. This was an excellent speech!

#3: New World Order (Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Sean Waltman, & Hulk Hogan)

One cannot simply envision the professional wrestling landscape without the New World Order's existence. Would wrestling have gone on? Certainly. Would Eric Bischoff be hosting the 83 Weeks Podcast? Definitely not. It's impossible to attend a wrestling event without seeing at least one n.W.o t-shirt - and that is just scraping the surface of this stable's influence remaining in the professional wrestling product. Whether it's the "too sweet," the countless n.W.o rip-off merchandising, or the general concept of a stable shocking the system of a promotion - the New World Order's force is felt throughout professional wrestling.

In this speech, all four members of the New World Order spoke. Sean Waltman (known in the group as Syxx) gave a brief thank you to his family members and to those surrounding him in the group for allowing him to thrive in WCW. Scott Hall went on to share similar sentiments. Kevin Nash spoke passionately about how the n.W.o truly is "for life" and gave his thank-you's. Hulk Hogan's portion of the speech felt like it was completely in-character. For what it's worth, it was entertaining, but compared to the sentimental value behind Nash, Waltman, and Hall's words - it just felt cheap. Despite this, the visual of all four of those men earning their second WWE Hall of Fame rings places this induction at number three.

#2: John "Bradshaw" Layfield

He is the longest-reigning champion in SmackDown television history, and he is now a member of the WWE Hall of Fame. John "Bradshaw" Layfield has been at the lowest of lows in professional wrestling and has reached the pinnacle of the industry too. No matter one's personal feelings on Mr. Layfield, his induction to the WWE Hall of Fame cannot be challenged.

The former WWE Champion began his speech recounting moments of his career. He talked about riding the roads with Teddy Long and Ron Simmons, and thanks both of them for their contributions to his career. For every sentimental value JBL shared during his speech, he doubled them with quips and cracks. Notably, JBL gave thanks to Eddie Guerrero claiming that without Eddie Guerrero, there would have been no John Bradshaw Layfield. JBL's speech encapsulated everything that a WWE Hall of Fame speech should be, and it did so in a quick fashion. JBL couldn't just leave it on a sweet note, though. Layfield began to move towards an incoming apology for those in the wrestling industry with which he had made enemies... that was until he finished his speech with "suck it snowflakes."

Was that some sort of pseudo-kayfabe? Was it entertaining? That is for you to decide, but this line alone lands him at number two on our list.

#1: Titus O'Neil

Our number one pick is a name that many did not expect to see placed this high on the list. Titus O'Neil was not inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a professional wrestler but as a recipient of the Warrior Award. The inaugural WWE 24/7 Champion was awarded the Warrior Award for his community service and active involvement in communities across the globe as an ambassador for World Wrestling Entertainment.

Titus told the stories of his subjection to the titles "troubled" and "unfixable" throughout his youth. He spoke of the way these terms influenced him, claiming they made him lose confidence in his direction. He conveyed his dedication to make sure no child feels the weight of those terms. O'Neil spoke passionately on his investments in public service, both as a member of WWE and on his own. Titus O'Neil made his thank-you's and ended his speech by remarking about the power of knowing your purpose and making it a mission to fulfill it. Titus O'Neil's speech was an easy number one; it was gripping, emotional, and inspirational within the short period he was given to speak. Go out of your way to watch this induction speech if you haven't.

Check back later for our rankings of the 2021 WWE Hall of Fame Class speeches. Stay tuned to eWrestlingNews for more wrestling news, rumors, and results.

Did I miss something? Do you agree/disagree with a take of mine? Let me know in the comments below or reach out on Twitter @WalkurLIVE

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