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We are in San Jose, California and your hosts are Michael Cole and Maria Menounos.
We look inside the arena as the superstars and divas are walking around on the floor.
Michael mentions that Maria has covered other red carpet shows. She says it is like the Super Bowl meets the Oscars. She gets more star struck here than anywhere else. They mention Randy Savage, Kevin Nash, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the Warrior Award.
Renee Young and Byron Saxton are working with Michael and Maria.
Byron is with Paige and Alicia Fox. Byron asks Alicia what she loves most about the Hall of Fame and she says dressing up and hearing the speeches and mingling with the inductees.
Byron asks Paige about her ensemble. She says she is being the true Anti-Diva so she is wearing Doc Martens. She calls herself a Glampire.
We go to Renee Young who is with Lilian Garcia. Lilian says it is amazing. It gets better every year. Renee asks her about her favorite part and she says it is hearing all the stories. You don’t hear it on a day to day basis. You get to hear the entire careers of the inductees. She asks Lilian which one she is looking most forward to. Lilian mentions she has a photo of her being licked by the Bushwhackers.
Jake Roberts joins Byron and he says he is doing fabulous. Byron asks about what he can impart on a night like this. He says that he is trying to tell Roman Reigns that this is his time. You can go on the rest of your life and say you could have done this, or you can give it all. Byron asks Jake about Randy Savage. He says he will always remember the snake biting Randy. He mentions that he faced Randy for 40 minutes on a Saturday Night’s Main Event. Getting the ring last year, it still hurts knowing he is not there this year.
Jake is asked about Kevin Nash. He says that Kevin deserves it, but Randy deserves to be here to accept the honor.
Bret Hart and his wife join Renee. She asks him about the Hart reunion that takes place at Wrestlemania. There are so many generations of wrestlers. You go from Bruno to Roddy and down the line. Bret was asked about wearing a pink tie, but he says he was ruled out. Renee asks Bret about Randy getting in the Hall of Fame. Bret says that no one deserves to be in the Hall of Fame more than Randy. He has respect for Randy and he was a true brother. He is the one, besides Owen, he misses the most. It is a huge honor for Randy and it would not be a Hall of Fame without Randy.
Michael and Maria are with Roman Reigns. Michael asks him how he is doing. He says it is sinking in. He is ready to get in the ring. Maria asks him about his uncle being inducted. What does this mean for him. He says it is a celebration for his family and the WWE. They celebrate their history and it is the road for all of the wrestlers today. Michael asks Roman about how much pressure does he have tomorrow night. He says it is not pressure. It is a responsibility and an opportunity. He says every time he goes into the lobby, he sees a new cousin.
We are back and Renee is with Diamond Dallas Page. She asks him what it is like to be here as a fan. Page says he has been coming since Austin got inducted. He has been involved with WWE on and off. To be here for the Hall of Fame, it is pretty sweet. Page is asked about the introductory speech for the inductee. He says to breathe. He mentions that he rewrote part of his speech before he went out there. He says it was an education but a lot of fun. He says that he could not wait to get Jake into a position where he can accept the honor. He is sober and doing stand up and spoken word. He also mentions Scott Hall, who he is proud of.
Michael and Maria are with Dusty Rhodes and Eden. Maria says that her boyfriend is obsessed with Dusty Rhodes. Dusty says he heard that Maria does a good Dusty impression. She gives a Dusty promo for the American Dream. Dusty is impressed with her performance. He is thrilled that people remember. Maria says that Dusty is a genius for all of that to come off the top of his head. Dusty mentions that Derrick Brooks would give the Hard Times speech.
Eden is asked if she does any Dusty promos, but she is ready to try an impression.
Michael asks Dusty for some promos. He says one of his favorite was from Atlanta when he saw a sign that said ‘Electrified Funk’ and he saw a man in the alley. He said he wined and dined with kings . . .
Renee is with Miz and Maryse. Maryse shows off her dress, but Miz says he is the one who is supposed to be interviewed because he can follow Dusty. Renee asks Miz about the Marine 4 premiere. He says he doesn’t want to be in the theater so people won’t notice him and react because he is there. He was impressed with the reaction and all of the hard work is paying off.
Byron is with Roddy Piper and his wife. Byron asks Roddy about how much it has changed over the 30 years. Roddy says it has made an impression. It is cool to see the young talent that has come through from the foundation of the first Wrestlemania. He says that he is proud of everyone. He says it is first class across the board. Byron asks Roddy about the Bushwhackers and them being inducted. Roddy says he was the first to be licked by Butch. Roddy was climbing the cage and he slipped off the cage. He says they are one of the greatest tag teams of all time. He says it is time they got in the Hall of Fame.
Michael and Maria are with Brie Bella and Daniel Bryan. Michael mentions their appearance on The Soup and Daniel says it was fun. Michael congratulates Brie on the success of Total Divas. She is glad everyone is enjoying their lives. Brie mentions the vomiting on Nikki’s breasts. Daniel says Brie doesn’t let him watch because she is embarrassed about what she does.
Maria asks Daniel about Connor. He says he met him in December 2012 and you would not know that he had cancer. He was special and amazing and that is why he is getting the Warrior Award. He says Connor deserves it.
Michael mentions that there is no more deserving individual than Connor, especially after the way he celebrated Daniel’s win with him. Daniel says they didn’t know if he could make it through Wrestlemania. He says Connor saying ‘Yes’ after he won made him cry.
We go to commercial.
We are back and Renee is with Booker and Sharmell in the Vine Booth. Booker says it is like a Spinaroonie because the camera goes around the people in the booth and he says they can give him the royalties.
Byron is with John Cena and Nikki Bella. Byron asks John about the Hall of Fame being the calm before the storm. He says it is a reason to appreciate why we have Wrestlemania. You cannot have the present without the past. New generations get to hear about what got them to this point.
Nikki is asked about Alundra Blayze and she says that she was one of the first Divas and she was bold and daring. She was someone who was fearless.
John says he is looking forward to the Warrior Award as well as Arnold. Nikki says the Hall of Fame is like a prom. You see everyone dressed up and you honor the people who have done so much for the business.
John says it is great for the crowd to experience the Hall of Fame because they treat it with respect.
Michael and Maria are with Big Show and his wife. Michael asks Big Show about how much he likes the Hall of Fame. Show says that a lot of his mentors are getting inducted while he is still traveling on the road. Maria asks Show who gave him the greatest memory. He says the Bushwhackers were so entertaining. He talks about Rikishi and Kevin Nash. He mentions talking about Rikishi living with him. Show mentions that he was in Jingle All the Way with Arnold. Show says that the Battle Royal will be a great way to kick off the show and he points out that he does not think he has won a battle royal in the WWE.
Renee is with Christian and she asks him what he has been doing. Christian says he has been in hibernation. He is trying to keep busy and get healthy. He was doing work on Haven with Edge so that kept him busy. Renee asks Christian about Alundra Blayze dropping the belt in the trash can. He says you couldn’t believe they did that. To go from WWE to WCW the next week and then see a WWE title dropped in the trash can on WCW. People still talk about it today.
Byron is with Mark Henry and his son. Byron mentions how it is a family affair and he asks Mark how it fells to have his family with him. He says that he doesn’t want his children to look like a deer in headlights when he gets there. His son says that it is great to see the legends get their moment. Byron asks Mark about seeing Rikishi getting inducted. Mark says he loves the man and he is a good guy. He has looked out for his sons because dad called to make sure they are doing the right thing. It is good to seem them get their moment. Mark is asked about being in WWE for 20 years and if he still gets excited. Mark says he has been blessed to be in Halls of Fame and to complete his life as a sports entertainer is to get in the WWE Hall of Fame. The emotion that everyone shows when they get inducted makes him want it more.
Michael and Maria are with Lita. Michael mentions he cannot believe it has been a year. She says she enjoyed everything about it. She had her family and friends with her. Michael asks her about Alundra Blayze and her memories of her. Lita says there was that and the red, white, and blue attire. The belt in the trash can was a bold move. Now it is a moment in history instead of something controversial. Maria asks Lita about her dress and shoes. She says that she went to Beetlejuice for the inspiration for her shoes.
Renee is with John Layfield and they mention their show on Youtube. He mentions he climbed the mountains in San Jacinto this week. He is asked about Arnold being inducted. He mentions he lived in Austria in Arnold’s home town when he worked for Otto Wanz, who was a friend of Arnold’s. John mentions that he told Arnold in German that he lived in his home town. John is asked about Ron Simmons being his date tonight and John says that he is very safe tonight.
We go to commercial.
We are back and Michael and Maria are with Jerry Lawler and he says that maybe he should have had his hair dyed red. He says he wasn’t sure if he was hosting for a while. Michael comments on Jerry’s clothes and how he is not in a t-shirt and sweatpants. He says his girlfriend dressed him while he dressed her. He does not know how long he has been doing the Hall of Fame, but he has been in the business for 40 years. Jerry says that he had some introductions, but they had a paragraph added by the man who looks them over. Maria points out that there are two undefeated people with him and there is a challenge.
Renee is with Jimmy and Jey Uso and they are asked about the jitters to induct their father. Jey says this is an honor for the Anoa’i family and this is where they are from. Jimmy says it is like a family reunion. Their dad is getting inducted and they have sisters, brothers, and cousins. He says they are excited to induct their dad into the Hall of Fame.
Byron is with Ron Simmons and he says that all you have to say is that you need protection and you will be fine. Byron asks Ron about how much he enjoys seeing the fans. He says it is one of the most enjoyable times in his career. He did not have the opportunity to travel and stop to talk with the people and converse with them. It is a great time for him. Byron asks about how important it is to honor those who have accomplished so much. Ron says it was important because those who paved the way for him like Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, and Arn Anderson, it has been memorable for him.
Maria and Michael are with Randy Orton. They ask Randy about his match tomorrow night. He says Seth is an awesome competitor but the most important thing is stealing the show and Seth is someone he can do it with. They can go out there an steal the show. Michael asks Randy about how things get better every year as well as Randy. He mentions this has been twelve in a row. It is a huge event with AXXESS and the Make-A-Wish work. He feels selfish that he gets so much out of it to put a smile on their faces. It is a great week for their business. Maria mentions how many things the wrestlers do and how they will meet with the children after shows. Randy says it is one of the best things they do.
We go to commercial.
We are back and Renee is with Hulk Hogan and his family. Renee asks Hulk about Arnold going in and how it feels for him. Hogan mentions that Randy Savage is going in as well. He was a great fan. They lived down the street from each other and he babysat his kids. They had a spat for a little while but they were friends again.
Brooke says it was bittersweet because she wishes he was here to accept it. Nick is asked about Savage being inducted. He says he was excited because he deserved it more than anyone. It was a tragedy that he died. To have Randy teach him things growing up, it was full circle for him to get in.
Michael and Maria are with Michael Hayes. He says that he wants to talk to Maria and she says that Michael Cole should take cues from Michael’s fashion. He says if you live on the edge, you have to dress like you are on the edge. This is some times the final chance for recognition. To give up what you have to in order to make a Hall of Fame career, it is recognized tonight. Michael Cole mentions the NXT event and experiencing it with Michael Hayes. He says NXT is unbelievable. They have the passion to get up here and stay up here. He says the sacrifices that the people in the WWE make, the families and friends make sacrifices as well.
Renee is with Dana Warrior and her daughters. Dana is asked about the Warrior Award and the statue. She says it is overwhelming and to have Connor as the first recipient, it is great to honor him. She will never forget this and her husband would have been so proud. It is being given to a child who changed the world. Connor’s spirit will go on like her husband’s will.
We go to commercial.
Michael asks Byron, Renee, and Maria what they are looking for.
We go to credits.
Scheduled to be inducted into the Hall of Fame:
Kevin Nash (to be inducted by Shawn Michaels)
Randy Savage (to be inducted by Hulk Hogan)
Tatsumi Fujinami (to be inducted by Ric Flair)
Larry Zbyszko (inducted by Bruno Sammartino)
The Bushwhackers (to be inducted by John Laurinaitis)
Alundra Blayze (to be inducted by Natalya)
Rikishi (to be inducted by Jimmy and Jey Uso)
Celebrity Inductee: Arnold Schwarzenegger (to be inducted by Triple H)
Warrior Award: Connor Michalek (to be inducted by Daniel Bryan and Dana Warrior)
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