Bull Nakano Named to 2024 WWE Hall of Fame Class; Joins Paul Heyman

Former WWE women's champion Bull Nakano was named the latest inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame's Class of 2024 on Wednesday.

WWE officials confirmed the news to ESPN's Marc Raimondi, and Nakano said the following about the honor through an interpreter: "During my active years, I was able to get championship belts in Japan, America and Mexico. But just one thing was missing—I didn't get inducted into the Hall of Fame. I wanted this. Finally, in 2024 in WrestleMania week, I am able to get this."

WWE head of creative Triple H also commented on Nakano's induction with a post on X:

Nakano is now the second known member of the WWE HOF's Class of 2024, joining legendary manager and ECW promoter Paul Heyman, who was announced on Monday.

The 56-year-old Nakano made her pro wrestling debut in her native Japan in 1983 at just 15 years of age. She was a dominant force in All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling for over a decade, winning multiple titles, including the AJW Championship.

In 1992, Nakano CMLL Women's World Championship in Mexico, and she later made the move to the United States, signing with WWE in 1994.

At a time when WWE was attempting to revive its dormant women's division, Nakano instantly became the top heel. Her pure power and unique look, complete with spiky hair and menacing face paint, made Nakano the perfect person for the job.

Nakano's WWE run only lasted for about a year, but it was a memorable one, as she feuded with top babyface Alundra Blayze for much of that time.

After losing to Blayze at SummerSlam 1994, Bull beat Blayze for the WWE Women's Championship at an event in Tokyo in November 1994, and she held it for over four months before dropping it back to Blayze on the April 3, 1995, episode of Raw in what proved to be her final WWE match.

Following her WWE departure, Nakano resurfaced in rival WCW later in 1995 and remained with the company through the summer of 1996.

In WCW, Nakano reprised her rivalry with Blayze, who was going by the name Madusa by then. They traded victories with Madusa winning at Hog Wild 1996 and Nakano winning on an episode of WCW Saturday Night before Madusa prevailed in the feud by winning at Clash of the Champions XXXIII.

Nakano retired from in-ring competition in 1997, but she returned to wrestling in more recent years as a manager in Rise Wrestling and an authority figure in the Japanese Sukeban promotion.

Along with Heyman, Nakano will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania weekend in Philadelphia next month with the ceremony taking place after SmackDown on April 5.

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