Stephanie McMahon Headlines WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2026
Former WWE wrestler and brand chief, Stephanie McMahon, has been announced as the first inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2026.
The news took McMahon by surprise, who received the announcement from The Undertaker, a WWE Hall of Famer, during the WrestlePalooza broadcast. The Undertaker made a special appearance with his “American Badass” character, arriving at the ring on his motorcycle, where McMahon was in the front row.
After The Undertaker asked McMahon: “Are you ready?”, he informed her that she would be the first to be honored in the class of 2026.
Daughter of WWE’s former chairman, Vince McMahon, Stephanie held multiple roles in the company from 1998 to 2023. She began as an account executive and receptionist in 1998, before her first on-screen appearance in 1999, involved in Vince McMahon’s rivalry with The Undertaker. Subsequently, she became a wrestler and won the WWF Women’s Championship in 2000, while continuing to work behind the scenes as a director, senior vice president of creative writing, executive vice president of creative development and operations, and chief brand officer.
McMahon continued to make frequent appearances and participated in some memorable storylines. One of them came true when she began dating and married professional wrestler Paul “Triple H” Levesque in 2003. In 2019, her appearances became more sporadic as her behind-the-scenes role grew. She was promoted to interim chairwoman and CEO following a board investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against her father. She resigned from the position in 2023, but has made periodic appearances for the company despite not holding a position at WWE.
The 2026 Hall of Fame is scheduled to take place during WrestleMania weekend in Las Vegas next April.
