Stephanie McMahon took center stage at the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2026 ceremony, where she was inducted with family at her side and a crowd that had waited for the night’s first major moment. The ceremony unfolded on Friday before WrestleMania 42, with Stephanie McMahon becoming the first inductee of the night.
Stephanie McMahon opens a night built around WWE memory
The Hall of Fame ceremony began with an opening video package narrated by The Undertaker, setting the tone for a show built around legacy, recognition, and long career arcs. Michael Cole and The Miz welcomed the audience as the event officially started, and Cole introduced Stephanie McMahon as the first inductee.
Stephanie McMahon was inducted by her mother, Linda McMahon, and her three daughters, Aurora, Murphy, and Vaughn Levesque. Each spoke about her success in wrestling and business, her role as a mother, and her work tied to cancer charities and the Women’s Revolution in WWE.
In her speech, Stephanie McMahon reflected on her relationship with Paul “Triple H” Levesque and the support of the WWE family that grew up alongside her in sports-entertainment. She also spoke about being a mother, her daughters’ accomplishments, and her own place in the company’s history.
Other Hall of Fame names and moments fill out the class
The Class of 2026 also included AJ Styles, who was inducted by Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows, known together as The Good Brothers. AJ Styles thanked the people who helped him through his wrestling career before leaving the stage as a Hall of Fame inductee.
Ax and Smash, also known as Demolition, were inducted by Haku, The Warlord, and WWE Hall of Famer Arn Anderson. Dennis Rodman entered the Celebrity Wing, introduced by Kevin Nash and Sean Waltman, while Hulk Hogan versus André the Giant at WrestleMania III was honored as the 2026 Immortal Moment.
Legacy inductees Bad News Brown and Sid Vicious were also posthumously honored, with family members in attendance. The class gave the ceremony a wide reach, moving from in-ring legends to celebrity recognition and historic match recognition.
Stephanie McMahon, AJ Styles, and what the ceremony signaled next
The tone of the night suggested WWE was using the Hall of Fame to frame both memory and momentum heading into the weekend. Stephanie McMahon’s induction speech, combined with the recognition of AJ Styles and the rest of the Class of 2026, gave the ceremony a clear emotional center.
For Stephanie McMahon, the moment connected family, business, and the company’s long-running push to honor its own history. For fans watching the Hall of Fame Class of 2026, the night placed Stephanie McMahon at the front of a ceremony built to celebrate the people and moments that shaped WWE’s legacy.
