In a surprise moment at the inaugural WWE Wrestlepalooza, The Undertaker made an appearance to announce that Stephanie McMahon will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026. The announcement was a complete surprise to McMahon, who was at ringside for the event.
Her husband, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque, revealed on the post-show press conference that he is now “in trouble” because his wife had no idea the announcement was coming. The 2026 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony is scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, during WrestleMania 42 weekend.
Triple H explained the situation during the post-show, joking about needing a lawyer. “Yeah, has anybody got a good lawyer? I’m in trouble. Steph is not happy with me. She had no idea, and I think she thought Taker was coming out there — it’s her birthday in four days — I think she thought Taker was coming out there to embarrass her and sing happy birthday to her, and she had no clue right up until he said, ‘Induct.’”
Despite the surprise, Levesque was sincere in his praise for his wife’s contributions to the business, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. “But, the truth is, she is one of the most iconic performers in an era, the Attitude Era and moving forward from there, she was a powerful character for a lot of young women around the world, of a young, powerful executive and an incredible performer… what she’s done behind the scenes, for all of it, just so well deserved. I can’t say it enough.”
Stephanie McMahon has been a prominent figure in WWE for over two decades. She first appeared on screen during the Attitude Era, where she was a central character in top storylines. She held the Women’s Championship and served as the on-screen General Manager of both Raw and SmackDown. Behind the scenes, she has held numerous high-level executive positions, including Chief Brand Officer, Chairwoman, and co-CEO of the company.
The surprise announcement was a fitting reversal of roles for the couple. In 2025, it was Stephanie McMahon, alongside The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, and WWE President Nick Khan, who surprised Triple H with the news of his own Hall of Fame induction.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit WWE’s YouTube channel with an h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
