Jim Ross said Cyndi Lauper belongs in the WWE Hall of Fame, calling her inclusion obvious given her contributions to the company during its national expansion in the 1980s.
“Cyndi Lauper belongs in the WWE Hall of Fame,” Ross said on the latest Grilling JR. “Cindy brought a lot of publicity, a lot of awareness to the WWE, to a brand new audience – that MTV audience. She had distinct contributions to WWE, and I think she should be in the Hall of Fame as a result of that.”
Lauper was a central figure in WWE’s crossover into mainstream pop culture in the mid-1980s, a period often referred to as the Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Connection. Her involvement with the company, alongside manager Captain Lou Albano, helped bring wrestling to MTV and introduced the product to millions of viewers who had never watched it before. Lauper appeared at the first WrestleMania in 1985 at Madison Square Garden and was involved in several high-profile segments that helped establish the event as a cultural phenomenon.
The topic resurfaced after a clip circulated of Lauper appearing on Drew Barrymore’s talk show, where the two discussed whether Lauper should be inducted. Co-host Conrad Thompson noted that Lauper’s Las Vegas residency starts just days after WrestleMania 42, making the timing ideal for a last-minute addition to the Hall of Fame ceremony.
Cyndi Lauper’s Las Vegas residency starts a few days after WrestleMania. A few years ago, a fan claimed she turned down WWE. Cyndi said that was not true. This year seems like the perfect time to reach out. pic.twitter.com/5CmKJB8uUY
— Wrestling News (@WrestlingNewsCo) March 8, 2026
Thompson also referenced a claim from @IANdrewDiceClay on X that said Vince McMahon “thought she didn’t mean anything, so he never wanted to work with her again.” In her own book, Lauper reportedly called the WWF “weird, greedy people.”
Thompson asked Ross about a previous WWE Legends Roundtable appearance where Ross was reportedly less supportive of the idea. Ross said he did not recall being negative toward Lauper. “I never had a hard-on for Cyndi Lauper – no pun intended,” he said. “I gave the reasons that I believe she has earned the right, based on other Hall of Fame inductees, because she did make significant contributions at a key time in the growth and expansion of World Wrestling Entertainment.”
With WrestleMania 42 taking place in Las Vegas on April 18-19 and Lauper already scheduled to be in the city, multiple fans and commentators have called for WWE to make it happen this year.
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