By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
TNA issued the following press release on Thursday to announce Rhino and Bob Ryder as the newest members of the TNA Hall of Fame.
TNA Wrestling confirmed that former multi-time champion Rhino and company co-founder Bob Ryder will be inducted into the TNA Wrestling Hall of Fame, as first announced today by Busted Open on SiriusXM.
The official ceremony for the Class of 2024 will coincide with Bound For Glory weekend in Detroit, Michigan and air live during the BFG Pre-Show.
The showcase event of the year for TNA Wrestling, Bound For Glory, is Saturday, October 26, at the Wayne State University Fieldhouse in Detroit. Then, on Sunday, October 27, the stars of TNA Wrestling will be back in action at the Wayne State University Fieldhouse, with all matches taped for future episodes of the company’s flagship weekly TV show, iMPACT!, which airs every Thursday night on AXS TV.
Former two-time World Champion and four-time World Tag Team Champion Eric Young will induct and accept on behalf of his longtime friend, Bob Ryder. EY also was a TNA World Tag Team Champion with Rhino.
Tickets for both Detroit shows are on-sale at https://www.etix.com/
Powell’s POV: Two deserving inductees. The initial concept for the company was pitched on Bob Ryder’s fishing boat. Ryder worked for the company from its inception and through his death in 2020. Eric Young is a fine choice to accept on behalf of Ryder. Given the working relationship between TNA and NXT, it would be a nice touch to invite Ryder’s longtime friend Jeremy Borash to take part in the ceremony.
I wonder if Heath Slater would induct Rhino.
I’m OK with Ryder. And I get Rhino going in seeing as to how the show is in Detroit. But, you’ve got to admit, there’s a whole hell of a lot more deserving than Rhino. James Storm, for one. Either with Chris Harris or Bobby Roode, he made much more of an impact (pardon the pun) than Rhino.
And I know that they just signed with WWE, but given the good relations with them Sabin & Shelley would be much more deserving than Rhino.
Nothing against Rhino, but Storm & either of his partners or MCMG had a much more meaningful TNA/Impact career than Rhino ever did.