In 1998, during the NBA Finals, Dennis Rodman opted to skip a Chicago Bulls practice to appear on WCW. Rodman teamed up with the late Hulk Hogan and the rest of the nWo. Rodman teamed with Hogan in a tag match against Diamond Dallas Page and Karl Malone.
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That appearance became legendary, not only because of what happened on television, but because it landed Rodman a $20,000 fine.
Well, now it looks like that was $20,000 well spent. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Rodman is set to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. His induction will happen during the week of WrestleMania, which is taking place in Las Vegas.
"Basketball Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in April, per ESPN sources," Charania reported via X. "Rodman made his WCW debut in 1997 and famously skipped a practice during the 1998 NBA Finals for a wrestling match alongside Hulk Hogan. Two HOFs for Rodman."
Interestingly, Rodman has never stepped foot in a WWE ring. However, the company did purchase WCW back in 2001. As such, the company owns the rights to all WCW programming, including all of Rodman's appearances.
Dennis Rodman's Last Appearance in Wrestling Came for AEW
By inducting Rodman into the WWE Hall of Fame, it appears the company is willing to forgive the fact that Rodman's last appearance in wrestling came on AEW, which is owned by Tony Khan.
AEW was founded in 2019. In the seven years since, it has grown into the second-largest wrestling company on the planet. As such, it's WWE's biggest rival. Both companies have poached talent from one another in recent years.
Cody Rhodes was a key part of AEW's founding but is now the top babyface on WWE's roster. WWE Hall of Famer Adam Copeland, aka Edge, moved to the challenger brand in October 2023. The competition from each company has ensured wrestling is a better place, both for the fans and the talent involved.
Still, it's interesting that Rodman is being inducted into a Hall of Fame for a company he's never worked for. At least he gets a WrestleMania moment, though. Because truthfully, who doesn't want one of those?
