The WWE Hall of Fame is getting bigger. On Tuesday, WWE announced that William Shatner will be inducted into the Hall of Fame class of 2020-21. He will take part in the WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Tuesday, April 6, as the Class of 2020 and Class of 2021 will be inducted together. The Class of 2020 didn’t have a ceremony last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shatner has made several appearances on WWE television over the years. He made his WWE debut in 1995, appearing on Jerry “The King” Lawler’s King’s Court. Shatner sent Lawler flying with a monkey flip when “The King” began badgering him. He returned to WWE a week later to be in Brett “Hit Man” Hart’s corner for a match against Jeff Jarrett. The Star Trek star got in on the action when he punched Road Dogg and rammed him into the turnbuckle. He also appeared at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony in 2007 to induct Lawler, showing their past feud is now water under the bridge.
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In February 2010, Shatner returned to WWE as a guest host on Monday Night Raw. He was also the narrator of the WWE Network reality series WWE Breaking Ground. “It’s very much the same, the approbation, the joy,” Shatner told USA Today when he learned the news of his induction. “The enthusiasm the wrestling audience shows toward its favorite people is not dissimilar to the enthusiasm Star Trek fans show.”
Shatner will be part of the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame. That part of the Hall of Fame also includes William “Refrigerator” Perry, Bob Uecker, Drew Carey, Mike Tyson, Mr. T, Kid Rock, Snoop Dogg, Donald Trump and Arnold Schwarzenegger. When it comes to the Class of 2020-21, Shatner joins New World Order (Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Sean Waltman); The Bella Twins; Kane; Rob Van Dam; The British Bulldog, JBL; Molly Holly; Eric Bischoff; and the Great Khali.
“Shatner is beloved by millions around the world for his iconic portrayal of James T. Kirk, captain of the USS Enterprise in the original Star Trek television series, as well as the motion picture series,” WWE said in a statement. “He’s also starred in T.J. Hooker, was the host of Rescue 911, won Emmys and Golden Globe Awards for his portrayal of Denny Crane on Boston Legal, and has released numerous spoken-word albums and best-selling books.
