As you may have heard, WWE has announced that Mike Tyson will be a member of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2012. The news has Twitter abuzz, with many people decrying the choice and others embracing it. Tyson was an important piece of the Attitude Era storyline between DX and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
While Tyson’s role in the shift of power from WCW to WWE during the Monday Night Wars may be overstated, he played a more significant role in wrestling history than, say, Drew Carey or Bob Uecker, both already members of the WWE’s Hall. “Iron Mike” brought publicity to the industry and his involvement helped WWE to grow to its peak.
All of that isn’t to say I think Mike Tyson deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. My main point is that the Hall has already been so diluted by the celebrity inductions that it really doesn’t matter at all at this point. If you’re one of the many who always argue that WWE’s Hall is meaningless, then you really can’t complain that Tyson is getting in. It’s meaningless, remember?
Be clear: Mike Tyson is not being inducted in the same regard as the Four Horsemen and Edge. He is akin to Pete Rose, William “The Refrigerator” Perry, Uecker and Carey. And if those men are already in the Hall of Fame, why not clear a spot for Mike Tyson?
