WWE announces Hall of Fame ceremony, first inductee from 2021 class

After a year off when 2020’s WrestleMania plans were scrambled by the start of the pandemic, WWE is looking to get back to normal in Tampa this year.

Tickets will be on sale for the two nights of WrestleMania 37 next week. NXT is expected to announce a two night ‘Mania week TakeOver event tonight. And on this morning’s edition of The Bump, it was revealed that the Hall of Fame ceremony will take place on Tues., April 6.

No details on where the event will physically take place yet (maybe in the new home of the ThunderDome, which the company is said to be close to selecting from among some choices in the Tampa/St. Pete area), but the show will stream on Peacock - which by then will be the exclusive home of WWE Network.

The 2020 class - Batista, The Bella Twins, JBL, British Bulldog, Jushin “Thunder” Liger, and the nWo represented by Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall & Sean Waltman - will get their due. And a 2021 class will be honored, starting with the long overdue induction of Molly Holly.

Molly is a two-time WWE Women’s and a one-time Hardcore champion. She was often associated with male acts, like Bob & Crash Holly, and Hurricane, but she was a great wrestler. Molly stood out among a roster of women who, while talented, weren’t hired for their mat work, and is often mentioned along with names already in the Hall like Trish Stratus, Lita, and Beth Phoenix who inspired the Evolution era of women’s wrestling in today’s WWE.

Here’s WWE’s bio on their newest Hall of Famer:

After training under “The Man of 1,000 Holds” Dean Malenko, Holly broke into the wrestling business in 1997 and first appeared on television for WCW in 1999 alongside fellow Hall of Famers “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Alundra Blayze as part of Team Madness. Donning a glittering blue dress and sash, Holly looked like a beauty queen but was ruthless inside the ring.

She made the jump to WWE in 2000 and immediately became embroiled in a bitter family rivalry between her cousins — Hardcore Holly & Crash Holly — and The Dudleys. But a romance bloomed between Molly and Spike Dudley, as they quickly became the Romeo & Juliet of WWE.

Holly then embraced her inner superhero, turning into Mighty Molly as she joined forces with The Hurricane. Her newfound superpowers helped her win the Hardcore Championship at WrestleMania X8 in 2001.

After her turn as a caped crimefighter, Holly got serious — and a little self-righteous — and set her sights on WWE’s biggest female stars, starting with Trish Stratus. She defeated Stratus to win the WWE Women’s Championship for the first of her two reigns at King of the Ring 2002. Holly took on all comers during her two turns as champion, although her attitude came back to haunt her as her second reign ended, and she was shaved bald by Victoria at WrestleMania XX.

Holly left WWE in 2005 but returned to take part in the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble Match in 2018, as well as the 2020 edition of the over-the-top-rope melee. Her impact on women’s wrestling has been felt to this day, as she is consistently cited by today’s Superstars as an inspiration. After a legendary career, Molly Holly is more than deserving of induction into the WWE Hall of Fame.

We’ll bring you more details on the 2021 Hall of Fame Ceremony, and join us in sending our congratulations out to Molly!