Wrestling Veteran Ray Apollo Says Celebrities Have No Place in WWE Hall of Fame

Wrestling veteran Ray Apollo maintains that celebrities have no place in the WWE Hall of Fame.

The WWE Hall of Fame, besides honoring wrestling legends, also features a celebrity wing for notable figures with WWE connections. However, former WWE star Ray Apollo — known as Doink the Clown — argues that such celebrities should not be inducted at all.

“In my view, a Hall of Fame should honor only those who were active participants,” Apollo stated on Monte & The Pharaoh. “If someone never set foot in the ring, never served as a referee, or never worked as a manager, they don’t belong. Try running a match without a referee, or conducting interviews without a manager — you’ll see why each role matters. To me, induction requires genuine involvement in the business.”

“If you’re a movie actor, a basketball player, or come from another sport, you simply don’t qualify,” he added. “You won’t find professional wrestlers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame or the Baseball Hall of Fame, and that’s exactly how it should be for wrestling.”

In 2026, the WWE Hall of Fame inducted five‑time NBA champion Dennis Rodman. Although Rodman is best known for his basketball career, wrestling fans recall his involvement with the New World Order in WCW, where he made his in‑ring debut teaming with Hulk Hogan at WCW Bash at the Beach 1997.

Other celebrity inductees comprise boxing icon Muhammad Ali, comedian Andy Kaufman, musicians Ozzy Osbourne and Kid Rock, and former MLB star Pete Rose.

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