"Why couldn't you put the guy in when he was alive?" - Vince Russo reacts to 2025 WWE Hall of Fame induction (Exclusive)

By Manik Aftab

Modified Apr 12, 2025 06:44 GMT

The official poster for the 2025 WWE Hall of Fame (Image via WWE.com). — The official poster for the 2025 WWE Hall of Fame (Image via WWE.com)

Vince Russo has reacted to the latest 2025 WWE Hall of Fame induction announcement. For those unaware, Ivan Koloff will enter the HOF as a legacy inductee, alongside Kamala and Dory Funk Sr.

During a recent episode of BroDown on Sportskeeda WrestleBinge, Vince Russo told Dutch Mantell he was happy to finally witness the induction of "The Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff into the WWE Hall of Fame even though he felt it should've happened while he was alive.

"I will tell you this. I was very, very, very happy to hear this, Dutch. Ivan Koloff is finally going in (Hall of Fame). But again, why couldn't you put the guy in when he was alive? Like, you know what I'm saying? But I'm glad he's going in anyway. When's Dutch going in? That's what I want to know. Let's go, Mac. Let's go picket. Let's go, me and you, picket in Vegas. Let's bring.. Let's get Dutch in there, man." [From 20:30 onwards]

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Ivan Koloff is best remembered for putting an end to Bruno Sammartino's legendary seven-year WWE Title reign inside the historic Madison Square Garden on January 18, 1971. The moment nearly caused a riot inside the Mecca of professional wrestling and is considered one of the biggest upsets in the history of the business.

The 2025 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on April 18, Friday, in Las Vegas. Superstars to be inducted include Lex Luger, Michelle McCool, and Paul "Triple H" Levesque. The Game will be inducted by real-life best friend and fellow D-Generaton X member, Shawn Michaels.

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About the author

Manik Aftab writes Exclusive articles for Sportskeeda Wrestling’s WWE division. A BA (Hons) in English Literature helped him improve his writing skills before starting his career as a pro wrestling writer.

Before joining Sportskeeda, Aftab worked for Ringside News and The Sportster, where his wrestling articles and feature pieces consistently ranked on the first page of Google SERPs.

He prioritizes accuracy, relevance, and ethics in his reporting by conducting thorough research, verifying sources, and adhering to professional journalistic standards.

While Aftab’s favorite wrestler in AEW is Hangman Adam Page, he doesn’t have a favorite in WWE yet. However, he considers Stone Cold Steve Austin to be the greatest professional wrestler of all time. His earliest memory of watching pro wrestling was when The Rock faced The New Age Outlaws in a handicap match, but it was the John Cena vs. Edge match from Unforgiven 2006 that got him hooked. If given the chance to manage a star from the Attitude Era, he would choose The British Bulldog, as he believes Davey Boy Smith was a terrific worker and could've benefitted from having a mouthpiece for his lack of mic skills.

When not watching pro wrestling, Aftab enjoys reading science fiction and watching anime.

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Edited by Harish Raj S