The 2026 WON HOF Public Ballot Tracker is now up to 4 public ballots as 1 more ballot was added today. If you are a Hall of Fame Voter and want to reveal your ballot, tag us in a tweet, send us a DM or email @wonhoftracker@gmail.com docs.google.com/spreadsheets…

It's that time. I updated My WON HOF guide for anyone who's curious. cc: @davemeltzerWON @WONHOFTracker docs.google.com/spreadsheets…

On a brand new, special episode of the Eastern Lariat, Dylan and @EmeraldFlowShow's host @GerardDiTrolio sit down and talk about the upcoming Hall of Fame. This time with a twist from prior years. We go through the famed "Gordy List", putting every one of the Japan Region's candidates to the test. Who comes out on top? Who comes out worst? What do we take from this? Find out on the new Hall of Fame special! cagematch.net/r/?id=128&nr=1… And remember the candidates: Antonio Inoki & Seiji Sakaguchi The Great Sasuke (New) Hayabusa Io Shirai/Iyo Sky KENTA (New) Kyoko Inoue (Returning) Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada Masaaki Mochizuki Meiko Satomura Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan Tam Nakano (New) Tiger Jeet Singh Yoshiaki Fujiwara Yoshihiro Takayama Zack Sabre Jr.

"What validity does a wrestling hall of fame hold if it doesn't feature one of wrestling's predominant figures of the 21st century?" @_InYourCase with the definitive article on the @WONF4W case for KENTA. Must-read. @WONHOFTracker voicesofwrestling.com/2026/1…

I spent a significant amount of time this year consuming as much KENTA as possible and diving into every era of his career. To me, he's a no-brainer for the WON HOF. Please enjoy my column for @voiceswrestling @WONHOFTracker voicesofwrestling.com/2026/1…

Roy Welch belongs i n the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame. Educating voters of the importance of Roy by doing 50 Reasons why he should be elected in the Non-Wrestler category of the 2026 ballot: Reason #10: He booked Nashville in the late 1930s when it was still split between light-heavyweight and heavyweight offices and turned it into a weekly destination at the Hippodrome. #WONHOF #VoteForRoy @WONHOFTracker @davemeltzerWON @Rbhales @TheJimCornette @SaintThatAint1 @pbtide @SSAsstSupt

Technically yes, but in reality no. The confusion stems from this February 1966 footage of young Andre the Giant wrestling Le Petit Prince. This was both guys' second ever television appearance, it aired on the Paris regional TV News & it was purely for exhibition purposes. [1/3]

I've shared these clips before, but they're worth sharing again. These are the types of stuff Le Petit Prince was doing in France 60 years ago. Truly one of the most ahead of his time workers that there's ever been.

Roy Welch belongs in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame because he meets the criteria on longevity, historical significance, and excellence in his field as both a wrestler and a promoter. He spent roughly four decades in the ring and even longer as an architect of Southern territorial wrestling. I have laid out the case and 50 Reasons Roy Welch belongs in the #WONHOF I need everyone who agrees with me to share this post including my Southern Wrestling Friends @davemeltzerWON @Rbhales @SaintThatAint1 @pbtide @TheJimCornette @SSAsstSupt Reason #9: Roy was the wrestler-promoter half of that Gulas-Welch partnership. Gulas was the office and TV face; Welch was the man who understood talent, booking, circuits, and how to keep a territory from collapsing. @WONHOFTracker #VoteForRoy

Could Chris Nowinski be a Wrestling Observer Hall Of Fame candidate? youtube.com/live/Xkpn3Ow2iSA…

Roy Welch belongs in the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame. If you are a voter in the ballot process of selection, in addition to my 50 reasons for his Hall of Fame selection, I would like to encourage you to read my case study on Roy Welch's wrestling and business career in Professional Wrestling. Roy Welch: A Great Pioneer and Wise Architect. You can read the case study feature here--> open.substack.com/pub/tonyri… Reason #6: In 1950, they moved into Chattanooga, Tennessee to run weekly shows and in 1952 they bought the license to promote wrestling in the entire state of Alabama from Joe Gunther, a former wrestler, turned promoter. This gave them an entire state to run, which they estimated was better than the other state they had conquered, which was Louisiana. In this photo, Roy is being interviewed on the wrestling television program in Birmingham, Alabama with partners Nick Gulas and Joe Denaburg. Please consider voting for Roy Welch in the Non-Wrestler Category of your WON HOF Ballot #VoteForRoy @WONHOFTracker @davemeltzerWON @TheJimCornette @Rbhales @pbtide @SaintThatAint1 @SSAsstSupt

In addition to part 3 don't forget to check out the first two parts to get the entire career retrospective of a true wrestling great, Takayama. Pre-Peak (92-02): vivazero.substack.com/p/digg… Peak Years (02-04): vivazero.substack.com/p/digg… Post-Peak (06-17): vivazero.substack.com/p/digg…

Reason #6 why Roy Welch belongs in the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame: He and Nick Gulas built a partnership that lasted from the late 1930s/1940s until Welch’s death in 1977—one of the longest and most consequential promoter partnerships in U.S. wrestling. If you are a vote in the #WONHOF please strongly consider voting for Roy Welch in the Non-wrestler category. #VoteForRoy #CaseForRoy @WONHOFTracker @davemeltzerWON

vivazero.substack.com/p/digg… I have finally been able to release part 3, the final chapter of my look digging deeper on the career of Yoshihiro Takayama, with this effort being focused on his return from his stroke in 2006 to the end of his career in a year by year format. My ultimate motivation for me doing it being to analyze his case for the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame which judges drawing power, in-ring, and historical significance. I have covered his entire career now separated by Pre-Peak/Peak/Post-Peak (Peak being 2002-2004). Please check out my article and particularly if you are voting in the Hall of Fame Japan region or know someone who is.

Ethan Tyler (@ETyler01) on the @WONF4W HOF case of Dominic DeNucci and how his omission from the HOF is a major oversight. @WONHOFTracker voicesofwrestling.com/2026/0…

Im reading @BrianRSolomon book on gorilla monsoon. Im extremely fascinated on the parts that cover buddy rogers. Especially buddy's big ploy to get the wwwf title back from bruno sammartino by pitching to be the mgr of bill watts. Watts would win the title. Then buddy would turn on watts. Get a title match and win back the title, without wrestling bruno (who hated buddy). F'n brilliant in theory. I never knew any of this!!! Wow.

Reason #5 Roy Welch should be elected into the @WONHOF : The Dyersburg, Tennessee booking office he stablished became the Mid-South Booking Office and later the NWA member office—Welch’s name, not Gulas’s, was on the Alliance membership in 1949. The first member in after the original group in 1948. He was one of the first promoters after the original founding group to join the National Wrestling Alliance, helping lock the South into the territorial system that defined the next 35 years. If you are a voter in the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame ballot, I urge you to #vote for Roy in the Non-Wrestler category. @WONHOFTracker @davemeltzerWON

The top babyface of the top promotion during a boom period. In potentially his final year on the ballot, I took a comprehensive look at why Dominic DeNucci needs to be in the Observer Hall of Fame: ethantylersayshmm.substack.c…

Reason #4 Roy Welch needs to be elected into the #WONHOF : He learned the office side of the business in Al Haft’s emerging Ohio circuit in the early 1930s, then applied those lessons south of the Ohio River where no formal circuit existed. Then in 1934, He established a booking office in Dyersburg, Tennessee, and ran a “gasoline circuit” across western Tennessee, western Kentucky, southeast Missouri, and northeast Arkansas when most towns had only sporadic shows. #VoteForRoy in the Non-Wrestler category of your ballot @WONF4W @davemeltzerWON @WONHOFTracker

All Elite Wrestling is saddened to announce the passing of Benjamin Satterley, aka Pac. A native of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Satterley began his wrestling career in 2004 and went on to perform for wrestling organizations all over the world, captivating fans with innovative high-flying moves and incredible in-ring ability. Pac signed with All Elite Wrestling in 2019 and held multiple AEW Championships and competed in some of the most memorable matches in AEW history. Our condolences go out to Satterley’s family, friends and fans.