With ECW alum such as Paul Heyman, The Dudley Boyz and Rob Van Dam being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame over the years, perhaps we could see some more legends recognized in 2026.
Only Stephanie McMahon has been confirmed for this year’s WWE Hall of Fame class thus far, but with WrestleMania 42 drawing closer, perhaps we could soon see more announcements made.
Here are six ECW legends to potentially be inducted into the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame.
6. Sabu
One of the biggest losses within the wrestling industry in 2025 was hardcore icon Sabu (real name Terry Brunk).
Passing away on May 11, 2025, Sabu’s contributions to wrestling were recognized by both AEW and WWE, with both paying tribute to the two-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion on Dynamite and Monday Night Raw respectively.
While Sabu’s brief stint in WWE’s own version of ECW was short-lived, he was still able to showcase the undeniable aura and risk-taking tendencies that made him stand out as one of ECW’s all-time greats.
Among the most worthy inductees from the extreme brand, Sabu would be a fitting addition to the WWE Hall of Fame.
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5. Rhyno
Recognized as the final ECW World Heavyweight Champion before the company folded in early 2001, Rhyno’s legacy in the promotion is absolute.
Much like Rob Van Dam and many others, ECW launched Rhyno’s career, which later saw him find more success in WWE and TNA Wrestling.
One of the notable ECW alum to make an immediate impact in WWE following ECW’s closure, Rhyno played a big role in the legendary three-way TLC WWE Tag Team Title match between Edge & Christian, The Dudley Boyz and The Hardy Boyz – with Rhyno helping Edge & Christian to get the win.
As well as his ECW accolades, Rhyno won three Hardcore Championship reigns and the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Titles (during his second stint in the company) – making for someone who WWE could recognise for more than just his run on the extreme brand.
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4. New Jack
Easily one of wrestling’s most infamous and controversial figures, New Jack is someone who would have previously seemed like an impossibility for the WWE Hall of Fame.
However, last year, fans were greeted by the surprise announcement that New Jack would be a downloadable character in WWE 2K25 – his first-ever appearance in a WWE game.
According to WWE 2K video game producer Bryan Williams, WWE President Nick Khan was a “big fan” of New Jack, and suggested him as an inclusion to the roster of last year’s game.
While not necessarily an indication that a WWE Hall of Fame nod will follow, it certainly has made it seem like way more of a possibility than ever before.
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3. Bam Bam Bigelow
With memorable spells in WWE, WCW and ECW throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Bam Bam Bigelow has long been one of the WWE Hall of Fame’s most glaring omissions.
Unlike many “big men” of his era, Bigelow was uber-athletic and known for hitting a stunning Moonsault.
While he won championships in other promotions, ECW is where Bam Bam reached the mountaintop – claiming the ECW World Heavyweight Championship from Shane Douglas in 1997.
Given that he is one of the only ECW alum to main event WrestleMania – doing so in 1995 against NFL legend Lawrence Taylor – Bigelow’s case for a Hall of Fame induction is stronger than most.
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2. The Sandman
When it comes to stars that truly embodied the “E” in ECW, The Sandman is certainly one of the first names that will come to fans’ minds.
Drinking beer on his way to the ring long before Stone Cold Steve Austin did in WWE, The Sandman had zero flash to his presentation or in-ring style – making for an easily relatable figure for the ECW audience to get behind.
His feuds with Raven and Tommy Dreamer rank among ECW’s all-time best, and he was also one of the promotion’s longest tenured stars – first debuting in 1992 when it was still Eastern Championship Wrestling and staying until its final year in 2001.
Sandman was one of many ECW alum to jump to WWE for the company’s relaunch of the brand, but like many others, never saw much success. Despite this, his contributions to ECW deserve recognition and a Hall of Fame nod is certainly deserved.
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1. Tommy Dreamer
When looking at ECW’s history, there is arguably no wrestler who meant more to the company than Tommy Dreamer.
Another name who first arrived in the promotion before its extreme rebranding, Dreamer went from a fresh faced “jock” character to a true hardcore icon across an eight year spell, and carried that legacy onwards into WWE.
Winning the ECW World Heavyweight Championship in both ECW and WWE’s own version of the brand, Dreamer also captured the WWE Hardcore Title 14 times across a near nine year spell.
Now working as TNA Wrestling’s Head of Creative, Dreamer’s induction would seemingly be one of the easier to facilitate given the promotions partnership with WWE.
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