The APA Reportedly Slated for WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2020
The latest inductee for the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2020 will be announced during WWE Backstage [...]
The latest inductee for the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2020 will be announced during WWE Backstage tonight, and wrestling insider @WrestleVotes seems to know who it will be. So far the induction class includes Batista, The New World Order (Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Sean Waltman) and The Bella Twins, and in recent weeks the British Bulldog, Jushin "Thunder" Liger and John Bradshaw Layfield have all been rumored for the class as well. It appears that last rumor has been altered slightly, as the account wrote on Tuesday that Layfield and Ron Simmons (Faarooq) would both be entering the Hall of Fame as the Acolytes Protection Agency, better known as The APA.
The two worked together from 1998-2004 with a small split in 2002. The two initially worked together as The Acolytes in Undertaker's Ministry of Darkness faction, then started their popular babyface gimmick in 2000. By the end of their run the three held the WWF Tag Team Championships three times, and Layfield went on to have a successful run as WWE Champion under his JBL gimmick.
Simmons was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame back in 2012, so if this report turns out to be true he'll join Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, Booker T, Bret Hart, Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash and Sean Waltman as the only wrestlers to ever be inducted twice.
Last HOF lineup I had heard was The nWo, Batista, Liger, Bella Twins, Bulldog and The APA. So unless WWE added someone last minute, which is more than possible, I would assume Bradshaw & Ron Simmons are the HOF guests on Backstage tonight on FOX.
— WrestleVotes (@WrestleVotes) March 3, 2020
The account assumed the two would be at WWE Backstage tonight, but later added a source confirmed Simmons wouldn't be at WWE Backstage tonight.
WWE's final pay-per-view before WrestleMania 36, Elimination Chamber, takes place this Sunday in Philadelphia. Here's the latest card for that show:
- Shayna Baszler vs. Asuka vs. Natalya vs. Liv Morgan vs. Ruby Riott vs. Sarah Logan (Elimination Chamber Match)
- Intercontinental Championship: Braun Strowman vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Cesaro and Sami Zayn
- SmackDown Tag Team Championships: The Miz & John Morrison vs. The New Day vs. The Usos vs. Heavy Machinery vs. Lucha House Party vs. Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode (Elimination Chamber Match)
- Raw Tag Team Champions: The Street Profits vs. Seth Rollins & Murphy
- AJ Styles vs. Aleister Black (No DQ Match)
- United States Champion Andrade vs. Humberto Carrillo