On the latest episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, Matt and co-host Jon Alba discussed the current state of the WWE Hall of Fame and listed several performers he believes deserve induction, including Owen Hart, Chyna, and Miss Elizabeth.
Hardy began by outlining his criteria for a Hall of Fame career, emphasizing the need for standout qualities, innovation, and longevity in the professional wrestling industry. When asked who should be in the Hall of Fame that currently isn’t, Hardy immediately named Owen Hart.
“The first person that pops in my mind is Owen Hart, more than anybody else,” Hardy stated. “I understand why that is what it is. But, I mean, he is just an amazing wrestler. He was so great. He was so good. He was a good human. And just his death was so sad. I personally took a huge liking to him, and I had a huge level of respect for Owen because I got to work with him. That’s kind of the first person that pops in my mind when we start talking about who should be in the Hall of Fame that isn’t.”
Hardy then transitioned to the prominent female figures of the past, advocating for solo inductions for both Miss Elizabeth and Chyna.
“Miss Elizabeth is one that I feel like is very deserving,” Hardy explained. “She was really the first female to kind of break through in professional wrestling, especially with her role with Macho Man. She was a huge part of his act. People cared about her. She had so much sympathy; people were emotionally invested in her. She was a trailblazer as far as putting a woman in a prominent spot back in the day.”
Hardy also emphasized Chyna’s impact on the industry and detailed her positive demeanor backstage during his early years in the company. While Chyna was inducted as a member of the D-Generation X faction, Hardy believes her individual accomplishments warrant a solo induction.
“Somebody else who goes hand in hand with that statement, someone who’s a trailblazer and put women in a prominent spot, was Chyna,” Hardy said. “She was a breakthrough in so many ways. She had a different look, very unique. She would wrestle men. She was such a trailblazer, and she broke so much ground. Yes, it is cool that she did go in with DX, but she is someone who is also deserving of a solo spot. She was the complete opposite [of some others]. Even before we’d signed contracts, she was so nice to us. She was so happy when we got there. She was just so, so sweet and just had such a different mentality.”
When discussing potential tag team inductees, Hardy pointed to Demolition as an iconic act that has yet to be recognized. The podcast was recorded before WWE announced on Monday that Demolition would be inducted in the 2026 Hall of Fame.
Hardy said, “I feel like when NWA were so hot with the Road Warriors, WWE’s answer was Demolition, and they ended up becoming their own thing. They established their own identity and who they were. I like those guys. Back then, I was a big fan of those guys.”
The conversation also touched on the highly controversial topic of Chris Benoit. Despite Benoit’s undeniable in-ring talent, Hardy strongly argued against any form of celebration or Hall of Fame induction due to the tragic circumstances of his death and the murder of his family.
“He is one of the greatest pro wrestlers—and I say that with heavy emphasis on pro wrestler, more than a sports entertainer—one of the greatest pro wrestlers of all time,” Hardy stated. “I worked with him many times on my own. I’ve seen him have incredible matches, have incredible moments. It’s just, you can’t celebrate someone who murders his family, though. Regardless of how great of a wrestler and performer he was, the fact of the matter is he had major issues. What he did was unforgivable, and it’s just something that can’t be celebrated. I don’t think there’s anything that could justify celebrating that or trying to make him seem special or rewarding him after that act. You do that, and then you do have to be erased out of history. There’s no justification. It’s pure evil when it’s all said and done.”
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