Stephanie McMahon Headlines WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2026
Former WWE co-CEO and chairwoman Stephanie McMahon has been announced as the first inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2026.
The surprise was revealed by The Undertaker, a WWE Hall of Famer, during the WrestlePalooza broadcast on Saturday. The Undertaker made a special appearance as his “American Badass” character, arriving at the ring on his motorcycle, where McMahon was sitting in the front row. After asking McMahon “Are you ready?”, The Undertaker informed her that she would be the first to be inducted into the 2026 class.
Daughter of former WWE 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 simultaneously working 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 making frequent appearances and participated in several featured storylines. One of these plots became reality when she began dating and married professional wrestler Paul “Triple H” Levesque in 2003.
In 2019, McMahon’s appearances became more sporadic as her behind-the-scenes role expanded. 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 having a position in WWE.
The 2026 Hall of Fame ceremony is scheduled to take place during WrestleMania weekend in Las Vegas in April.
