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They announced the Legacy Wing inductees:
*Ray Stevens.
*Brickhouse Brown.
*Dr. Death Steve Williams.
*Baron Michele Leone.
*Gary Hart.
THAT is a hell of Legacy wing!
The next inductees are Nikki and Brie Bella.
They did a comedy bit where they tried to speak at the same time.
Brie said it was an honor to be inducted alongside Nikki. They have shared everything from the womb to the soccer field to the wrestling ring. Nikki said they have changed the world. Show the world and they will kick it down. As twins, they fight for everything, to be the fastest, smartest, strongest Twin.
They showed up 2016 at the Diva Search audition and they weren't picked but they wanted a taste of wrestling. They were sent to Georgia (Deep South Wrestling) and they found their place. Women were only in the margins in WWE at the time, so it was clear they would fight like they always had. They fought in the ring and backstage. They knew that with a special crew of women they could marshall the entire women's scene and force it forward to the point it only made sense for WWE to make it the main event.
Throught Total Divas and Total Bellas, they were able to inspire young women, great new female fans and made it possible for women to always be in the ring and not just alongside it. They were in a world where they could be the SHE-RO or the villain and sometimes both. Nikki got to be the longest reigning Divas champion and they are proud to take part in the first ever WWE Evolution PPV and the first-ever Women's Royal Rumble and now getting to see others continue on the battle.
They named a number of stars alongside them, male and female. They thanked Steve Keirn, Mark Carano, Tom Prichard, Dusty Rhodes, Johnny Ace, Scott Armstrong, Pat Patterson, among others. Nikki thanked John Cena for helping her to find her fearless side. They thanked everyone behind the scenes for everything they do for not just the Bellas but everyone who is part of the road family. Brie thanked Bryan Danielson for sacrificing their private life to show the world of women in wrestling. She thanked him for their children. Nikki wanted to thank Ardem and said in 18 years, Buddy and Mateo will be back as the next generation.
This was OK. I feel like they deserved a more profound, deeper speech and far more time to speak on their careers.
Nia Jax backstage said the Bellas were so supportive backstage. Shayna Baszler said her actual company debut was on Total Divas as she was helping train her some submission. She takes pride in seeing them as Hall of Famers.
Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke were interviewed and put over The Bellas for their work in WWE and in building their brand outside of WWE.
Lana and Naomi were interviewed. Lana said seeing the Bellas get inducted was incredible. Naomi said being in the locker room and the reality show with them allows them to know them in a different way. She said she is super proud of them and to see where they are is excited.
Sheamus was interviewed about Titus O'Neil getting the Warrior Award. He said there's not one person who could argue this and talked about what he's done raising money locally in Tampa Bay. He's always on his phone and working to help out as many charities as possible.
Warrior Award: Titus O'Neil
They had a tremendous video for Titus.
He said he grew up in poverty with a single mom who was the victim of a sexual assault. He was labeled as someone who would be dead or in jail at a young age. He ended up in a Sherrif's Ranch in Florida. He heard the words there that changed his life forever - "I love you and I believe in you." Many told him they loved him but their actions told a different story. Words are powerful and they led him to changing and going from being an underperforming student becoming the first in his family to graduate High School and College with honors.
This allowed him to work with charities inside and out of WWE and build a legacy with his own sons. He wants a legacy that can help others. There are kids who are labeled bad and are asked what's wrong with you. Few will ask what happened to you. Providing moments and assistance has allowed him to change the experiences that others have dealt with. There's no question that the WWE platform has allowed him to put smiles on faces and he's eternally grateful for that but he wanted to always build a life that was signifigant.
Winning the Warrior Award means he's lived a life of signifigance. He wants to continue that work with the help of his partners and sponsors to provide affordable house, transportation, clothing and food to those in knees. The honor is impactful. He truly believes we should be respectful to everyone we come into contact with. You don't like to like or agree with them, but you can respect them. That's what heroes of humanity do. He thanked his family, co-workers and friends helping him grow and prosper as a fan and worker. He thanked them and said "I believe in you."
This was the best speech of the night in my opinion.
Coverage continues on Page 3!
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