The Undertaker just became the first inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022, as first announced by the New York Post. The Deadman will be enshrined in the hallowed hall during the 2022 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony as part of WrestleMania Week.
In an extraordinary career that spanned three decades, The Undertaker loomed over the WWE landscape like a menacing shadow, spelling out doom for those who dared cross him. Imbued with seemingly mystical abilities and preternatural in-ring skill, the legendary Phenom operated on his own level.
First introduced at 1990’s Survivor Series, The Demon of Death Valley was soon battling with Hulk Hogan, then at the top of the food chain in WWE. This clash set the tone for Undertaker’s dominant career. No one was too big, and no one was safe from his gloved grip.
A multi-time WWE and World Heavyweight Champion, a seven-time tag team titleholder and a Royal Rumble Match winner in 2007, Undertaker has cemented his place among the greatest in the game. A true in-ring pioneer, he was part of many WWE firsts, including the first-ever Casket Match at Survivor Series 1992, the first-ever Buried Alive Match in 1996 and the inaugural Hell in a Cell Match in 1997.
But there was one achievement that stood out above all others that is unlikely to ever be topped. Since WrestleMania VII in 1991, The Undertaker maintained a winning streak on The Grandest Stage of Them All that grew to an astounding 21-0, with milestone victories over the likes of Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Randy Orton, Diesel, Kane and so many more. Only Brock Lesnar proved capable of upending The Last Outlaw in his yard, snapping The Streak in an earth-shocking upset at WrestleMania 30. The iconic Superstar closed the book on his Showcase of the Immortals career with an astonishing 25-2 record, most recently scoring an incredible victory over AJ Styles in a Boneyard Match.
Undertaker's incomparable career concluded at Survivor Series on Nov. 22, 2020 when The Deadman retired, fittingly at the same event he debuted and exactly 30 years to the day he first stepped into a WWE ring.
In the face of all challenges, The Deadman would rise time and time again, stronger and mightier than ever to serve as sports-entertainment’s grim reaper of justice with his name permanently etched like an epitaph on the history books of WWE. No grave could hold him, no god could claim him and no devil would have him. In the end, there would only be one suitable resting place for the almighty Deadman: the WWE Hall of Fame.
VADER TO BE INDUCTED INTO THE WWE HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2022
Hailing from The Rocky Mountains, the intense 450-pound Vader first made a splash in the rings of Japan, where he destroyed WWE Hall of Famer Antonio Inoki in a wildly controversial match. The Japanese fans were so distraught overseeing their hero dismantled by the gigantic Vader that a riot broke out in Tokyo's Sumo Hall. This pandemonium only further fueled Vader's aggression, and a long line of competitors fell to his devastating maneuvers — particularly the bone-crushing Vadersault.
The Mastodon continued to assert his dominance in Japan and eventually stomped his way through competitors all over Europe and Mexico. This path of destruction brought the giant to World Championship Wrestling in the early '90s where he would eventually become one of their biggest stars. With WWE Hall of Famer Harley Race in his corner, Vader battered WCW legends like Sting, Ric Flair, and Cactus Jack and captured three World Heavyweight Championships during his time with the company.
In 1996, the powerhouse made his way to WWE, where he debuted in that year's Royal Rumble Match. Immediately impactful, Vader teamed up with manager Jim Cornette and battled Shawn Michaels for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam that year. The Mastodon then linked up with Paul Bearer and locked horns with Undertaker, scoring a huge victory over The Deadman at Royal Rumble in 1997.
QUEEN SHARMELL TO BE INDUCTED INTO THE WWE HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2022
While she may be a former Miss Black America, winning the 1991 Miss Black America Pageant at age 20, Sharmell was never just another pretty face. Behind that beauty stood an extremely cunning mind, and Sharmell was not afraid to do whatever it took to help her husband, Booker T, succeed in the squared circle and achieve success of her own.
Queen Sharmell came to prominence during her time in WCW, first under the name Storm before eventually redefining herself as Paisley. As a member of The Nitro Girls, she soon became a competitor and accompanied other competitors to the ring.
After signing with WWE and training in OVW in 2001, Sharmell donned a blonde wig and added her special brand of talent to The Suicide Blondes as Sister Sharmell. She also became a backstage interviewer.
Perhaps her greatest contribution in WWE, though, was her association with real-life husband Booker T. Accompanying Booker to the ring, Queen Sharmell made quite a splash when she began interfering in her spouse’s matches. Although the fan-favorite Booker feigned innocence at first, the charade was eventually broken, and the WWE Universe learned what a mastermind the lovely Sharmell really was.
When Booker T won the King of the Ring Tournament in 2006, he started referring to himself as King Booker, and inevitably, his bride became Queen Sharmell. Together the pair began using faux English accents and carried a superior attitude, becoming the couple that the fans simply loved to loathe. When King Booker defeated Rey Mysterio at The Great American Bash to become the new World Champion, Queen Sharmell and Booker T took their place on the top of the mountain.
THE STEINER BROTHERS TO BE INDUCTED INTO THE WWE HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2022
The most successful of tag teams must be completely in synch and possess an ability to almost read each other’s thoughts. Arguable no one can find that level of connection better than family. Enter celebrated University of Michigan alumni Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner, sibling competitors who donned on the headgear (and/or mullet) and introduced an innovative in-ring style that helped them fight their way to the top of the mountain.
The Steiner Brothers first joined forces in 1989 and grew to become the face of tag team excellence as one of sports entertainment’s most celebrated tag teams. Together, Rick and Scott lit up NWA Mid-Atlantic and NWA/WCW where they used their impressive mix of amateur and professional wrestling to capture the WCW Tag Team Titles seven times and the United States Tag Team Titles once.
Their success was not entirely limited to the Atlanta-based organization, however. During their brief time in WWE in the early ’90s, the pair quickly made history by appearing on the first episode of Monday Night Raw in 1993, battling The Headshrinkers on The Grandest Stage of Them All at WrestleMania IX and winning the WWE Tag Team Championship twice. Following a short tenure with ECW in 1995, The Steiners then returned to WCW in 1996 and their impact was undeniable as they battled elite opposition like Harlem Heat and The Outsiders for the WCW Tag Team Titles.