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Arnold won Mr. Universe at 20 and he dominated the bodybuilding world. He won 7 times and that led to his role in Pumping Iron. He went on to star in many more movies including The Terminator. His movies earned more than $4 billion. He became Governor of California in 2003.
Arnold has always had a passion for wrestling and it showed when he appeared on Smackdown and confronted Triple H in 1999.
Jerry mentions the next inductor will be facing Sting tomorrow night and he wants to keep his job so he will refrain from giving his prediction for the match.
Jerry introduces Triple H.
Hunter says this is his favorite night of the year. This is the greatest business in the world. You cry one minute and laugh the next. You look for someone who made a lasting impact or influenced a Superstar. Arnold embodies everything about the Celebrity Wing. Whether it was with Vince McMahon or Hulk Hogan or when Arnold slapped him . . . hard so many years ago.
Arnold was an inspiration to many superstars. A lot of the people went to the gym for the first time because of Arnold. What if Arnold had a different hero, not a former Mr. Universe who went on to the movies. What if it was Bruno Sammartino. Arnold could have been the biggest WWE Superstar in history. If that was his path? He had the physique to strike awe in people. He has the charisma and he is larger than life.
Arnold slaughtered millions of people in his movies and no one got hurt. That is a great worker. He had catchphrases. If he lost, “I’ll Be Back’. If he won “Who’s your daddy and what does he do?’. Maybe if he chose a different path, instead of chanting ‘YES’, 72,000 people would be chanting ‘Get to the Chopper’. Arnold could rest on his laurels, but he gives back and he tries to make the world a better place.
Whether it is his fitness crusade or his environmental crusade or his after school All Stars program so children can learn and have a productive life. Arnold is the American Dream. He might just be the Global Dream. Hunter says he knows one thing for sure. Arnold is the greatest bodybuilder in history, the greatest box office draw, and a two time Governor of California, he can now add WWE Hall of Famer.
Arnold thanks everyone for this welcome and he throws out a ‘Get to the Chopper’ and an ‘It’s not a tumor’. He thanks Triple H for his introduction. He says Hunter is an extraordinary man. What a great athlete and wrestler and now he helps to run WWE. He loves it when people can cross over from the field to the office. Arnold thanks the WWE for inducting him into the Hall of Fame.
The wrestlers who dream of being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, but he never thought he would be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He dreamt of being the greatest bodybuilder, coming to this country, becoming an actor and entertaining people all over the world, being a public servant and becoming the Governor of California. He never dreamt of being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Arnold says he has always loved professional wrestling. There was Otto Wanz and his father would take him to the wrestling matches. That is when he thought about having a muscular body. He did idolize Reg Park, he also idolized professional wrestling.
When he moved to Munich, he managed a gymnasium, the wrestlers trained at his gym. They had the greatest workouts. When he came to America after winning Mr. Universe, the head judge the third time he won was Bruno Sammartino. Bruno told him to do some poses and Bruno says he was going to vote for Arnold.
He formed a friendship with Bruno and that is why he inducted Bruno two years ago. Bruno would invite him to the matches and Arnold says he could not believe how strong Bruno was and able to pick up a 400 pound man and slam him to the ground. Arnold mentions how different it is than doing weightlifting. He admired the speed and power that Bruno had.
There is a camaraderie between wrestlers and bodybuilders. Arnold says he accepts this on behalf of his fans. Without the fans, we would be nothing. We wouldn’t be the stars without the fans who created us. He thanks everyone for their loyalty. Arnold says he wants to accept this honor on behalf of America. This is the land of opportunity, justice, freedom, and liberty. He was received in America with open arms. We need to keep this country the number one in the world.
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