5 surprising facts about WWE Hall of Famers

In the annals of WWE history we the fans have seen thousands of Superstars.

And though there have been countless matches with these stars, only a select few have had careers epic enough to warrant a place in the company's Hall of Fame. From its first inductee Andre The Giant, the elite group has welcomed some of wrestling's biggest ever stars, from 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin to 'Macho Man' Randy Savage.

But whilst the Hall of Fame induction ceremony has allowed fans to take a peek into the lives of the legends, many Superstars still have their secrets. In a world as crazy and unique as professional wrestling, it's hardly surprising that there are some skeletons in the closet.

Here are five shocking facts about WWE Hall of Famers you probably didn't know.

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#5: Foley nearly quits

Foley as WWF Champion in 1999.

When the Montreal Screwjob happened at Survivor Series 1997, the wrestling world looked on in awe.

Bret Hart, one of the WWF's most loyal stars, who had sacrificed so much for the company, had been kicked out and robbed of the World championship in the most unfair of ways.

Several stars wanted out of the WWF following Bret, and though you'd expect his Hart Foundation brothers to leave in protest, one surprising name that wanted out was Mick Foley.

Disgusted by what he saw, Foley has said that it showed McMahon had no allegiance to anyone, and that trust was nothing than a five letter word. Fortunately for the WWF fans, cooler heads prevailed and Foley stayed.

The next year, Foley as Mankind immortalized himself in WWF history after getting thrown from the Hell in a Cell, and in January 1999, would achieve a life-long dream, becoming WWF Champion.

#4: Goldberg's proud heritage

The former World Champion returned to WWE in 2016 in and won the Universal title the next year.

Goldberg may be known by many fans for being an absolute beast in the ring, but the former WWE Universal Champion has revealed some personal facts about his life over the years.

One tidbit Goldberg revealed is that he is, in fact, Jewish, though admitted in an interview that he's not the most devout person, telling fans "I'm so far from religious it’s not even funny."

Though he may not consider himself overly religious, the Hall of Famer did get married in a traditional Jewish ceremony and has followed several Jewish holidays throughout his incredible life.

During his time in WCW, the former NFL star requested time off from touring for Yom Kippur and has said he considered incorporating the Star of David into his ring attire before scrapping the idea.

#3: DDP's only RAW win

Page was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2017.

In WCW, Diamond Dallas Page was a huge star. Joining the industry at a time when many are considering retirement, Page would become a 3-time WCW World Champion, remaining loyal until the company's 2001 demise.

Joining the WWF not long after though, DDP's new character was as the stalker of The Undertaker's wife Sara, though thankfully got to be a face again after the Invasion.

And though Page is a well-respected Superstar and WWE Hall of Famer, he has only had one win on Monday Night RAW. That huge night came on January 28, 2002, when DDP teamed with The Godfather to take on Lance Storm and Christian.

Knocking Storm out with the Diamond Cutter, the match may have not meant much in the long run, but has gone down in history as a huge win for the Yoga instructor.

#2: Sting's early arrival, in 2002?

The Stinger actually debuted in the WWE at Survivor Series 2014, opposing Triple H.

At Survivor Series 2014, the last great star of WCW finally made his debut in the WWE

In the midst of a main event was between Team Cena and Team Authority, Sting made a shock appearance, helping team Cena get the win, and dropping Triple H.

But though this was the final WCW star to join the WWE, Sting's debut in the McMahon-based promotion nearly came in 2002.

According to former WWE creative writer Dave Lagana, there was a plan to bring the Stinger in and he was supposed to make his WWE debut at WrestleMania X8 against Kurt Angle.

Obviously, these plans didn't pan out, as Kurt wound up facing Kane in a very rushed together feud, but would get his chance to take on the Stinger years later in TNA Wrestling.

#1: The Nature Boy Fred Phillips

The Nature Boy is a household name but isn't sure of his actual name before his adoption.

Ric Flair has led an extraordinary life.

A 16-time World Champion, Flair is also a former Royal Rumble winner, Intercontinental and Tag Champion, and has cemented himself as one of the biggest names in wrestling.

Ironically though, Flair isn't too sure on what his birth name actually is.

Born in February 1949, the Nature Baby was quickly adopted by the Tennessee Children’s Home Society, an orphanage that was involved in kidnapping babies and offering them up to those looking to adopt.

With no actual birth name, Flair naturally took the name of his adoptive family, the Fliehr.

Fans of the Dirtiest Player in the Game may never know what Flair's actual name is, though it has been speculated to be Fred Phillips, though could also be Fred Demarre or Fred Stewart.