Following the announcement of Sid’s induction earlier this week, yet another “Legacy Class” inductee has been confirmed for the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame class.
With just over three weeks until WrestleMania 42 weekend, Triple H took to Twitter today (March 26) to announce that Bad News Brown will be joining this year’s Hall of Fame class.
Triple H wrote:
From standing on the podium at the 1976 Summer Olympics to the center of the ring at #WrestleMania IV, Bad News Brown was a fierce competitor with an attitude to match.
For his accomplishments in combat sports and contributions to @WWE, it is a pleasure to announce his induction into the 2026 Legacy Class of the #WWEHOF.
WWE Reflect On Bad News Brown’s Legacy With Official Announcement
With Bad News Brown joining fellow “Legacy Inductee” Sid, as well as Stephanie McMahon, AJ Styles, Demolition and Dennis Rodman in this year’s WWE Hall of Fame class, the company issued a statement reflecting on Brown’s impact and legacy in the business.
Per WWE:
WWE legend Bad News Brown will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a legacy inductee and a member of the Class of 2026.
Starting in the squared circle after winning the bronze medal in judo at the 1976 Olympics, Brown combined his grappling expertise with vicious brawling techniques he picked up on the mean streets of his hometown, Harlem, NY, to become one of sports-entertainment’s most feared competitors.
After tearing through future WWE legends like Bret Hart at Stampede Wrestling in Calgary, Alberta, Bad News made his way to WWE in 1988. He made an instant impact, knocking out opponent after opponent with a devastating enzuigiri.
Bad News preferred to keep to himself, making no friends. Even the most evil of WWE Superstars couldn’t warm up to Brown. At several Survivor Series events, the Harlem native opted to walk out on his team, rather than work as part of a unit.
Brown demanded title opportunities, deriding the “beer-bellied sharecroppers” and “spineless cockroaches” he claimed were holding him back. Bad News went as far as to accuse then-WWE President Jack Tunney of colluding with stars like Hulk Hogan and “Macho Man” Randy Savage, putting his hands on the esteemed official when he denied the claims.
Bad News soon focused his attention on another unpredictable Superstar: “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. After The Hot Scot eliminated him from the 1990 Royal Rumble Match, Brown climbed back to the ring apron and forced Piper over the top rope and out of the fray, setting off a brawl no WWE official could halt.
During summer 1990, WWE fans learned there was one thing that scared the hardened New Yorker: snakes. Jake Roberts surprised Bad News with a birthday gift of the reptilian variety, spooking the surly Superstar. Looking for a way to combat Roberts and his dangerous python, Damien, Brown went back to his roots, searching for the meanest, nastiest creature in Harlem. He had to go underground to find them, scrounging through subway tunnels to find the biggest sewer rats in The Big Apple.
Though Bad News trained the rodents to feast on snakes, they couldn’t help him much in the ring against Roberts at SummerSlam 1990. After his defeat at the hands of “The Snake,” Bad News Brown disappeared from WWE.
Brown passed away in 2007, but his legacy lives on as his fellow legends welcome him into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Will More WWE Hall of Fame 2026 Inductees Be Announced?
Bad News Brown’s addition brings the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame class to six inductees overall.
While 2023 saw five inductees and 2024 had six, 2025’s class featured eight in total, with three of those being “Legacy Inductees” (Dory Funk Sr., Kamala, Ivan Koloff).
With 2025 being the first year to include the “Legacy” wing, it can’t be said just yet whether three inductees per year will be the norm, but it at least remains a likely possibility that one more name could be announced.
The 2026 WWE Hall of Fame also does not currently have a confirmed “Immortal Moment” – a new award that debuted last year with WrestleMania 13’s Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin being the inaugural inductee.
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