Muhammad Ali Joins WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024

WWE continues to supersize its Hall of Fame Class of 2024. The festivities began earlier this month when it was announced that storied promoter and current manager Paul Heyman would top this year’s class, an appropriate headliner considering the ceremony will take place in ECW’s backyard of Philadelphia. Alongside Heyman will be legendary Japanese wrestler Bull Nakano and historic tag team The US Express (Mike Rotunda and Barry Windham). As WWE inches closer to WWE WrestleMania 40, the global leader in sports-entertainment is growing its Hall of Fame Class of 2024 even further, now welcoming someone that many believe to be the greatest boxer of all time.

Muhammad Ali Joining WWE Hall of Fame

The original People’s Champ is joining WWE’s hallowed grounds.

As announced on social media, WWE will posthumously be inducting the late Muhammad Ali into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2024. 

“One of the most iconic figures in sports history, the three-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion and Olympic gold medalist was known around the world for his charisma, his confidence, and his ability to back it up inside the ropes,” WWE wrote in its release. “Known simply as ‘The Greatest,’ Ali’s influence transcended sports as his work as an activist, artist, and personality established him as one of the most renowned figures in the entire world.”

Ali has a limited history in and around the world of professional wrestling. The three-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion first mixed it up with the squared circle realm when he battled legendary wrestler Antonio Inoki in an exhibition boxing match in 1976. The bout went down on a special event titled The War of the Worlds and emanated in front of 32,000 fans inside the Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan arena. Inoki was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2010.

Nearly a decade later, Ali made his way to a World Wrestling Federation ring when he served as the special guest referee in the very first WrestleMania main event. Ali officiated the tag action between the teams of Hulk Hogan and Mr. T as well as “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff. Ali would end up getting physical in that bout, striking Piper with his signature right hand.

The WWE Hall of Fame ceremony will take place during the week of WWE WrestleMania 40.