Rick Martel has addressed long-standing speculation regarding his relationship with the WWE Hall of Fame, making it clear that he never declined an induction offer.

The former WWE and AWA star took to social media to clarify the situation after years of fan discussion suggesting he had turned down a Hall of Fame spot.

“In 2015, I was offered to appear at Axxess in San Francisco and attend the Hall of Fame as a spectator,” Martel wrote. “Flattered, I still turned it down as I was not ready to go back to wrestling for appearances like I am now.”

He followed up with a direct statement to clear any confusion.

“I didn’t turn down an offer to be inducted in the WWE HOF. Thank you!”

Martel’s comments confirm that the invitation he received was tied to WrestleMania weekend activities, specifically WWE Axxess and attending the Hall of Fame ceremony as a guest, rather than being honored as an inductee.

The clarification appears to settle a long-standing belief among some fans that Martel had personally rejected a Hall of Fame induction. Instead, his decision at the time was based on stepping away from public wrestling appearances, not declining recognition from WWE.

Martel, a former AWA World Heavyweight Champion and WWE standout, has remained largely absent from the wrestling spotlight in recent years. However, his latest comments suggest he is now more open to appearances than he was in the past.

While there is still no official word on if or when Martel could be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, his statement removes any notion that he previously refused the honor.

Rick Martel Denies Turning Down WWE Hall of Fame Induction

AdvertisementAdvertisement

An unusual incident involving WWE headquarters led to widespread power outages in Connecticut over the weekend after a large American flag was torn from the building and ignited on nearby power lines.

According to local officials, the flag was ripped from the roof of WWE’s headquarters on Saturday night at approximately 8:44 p.m. Stamford Deputy Fire Chief Matt Palmer confirmed that the flag became entangled in high-voltage wires near the Metro-North train tracks, close to the intersection of Atlantic Street and Manhattan Street by the Stamford Train Station in Stamford.

The situation quickly escalated when the flag caught fire after making contact with the power lines. Due to the dangerous location and the involvement of high-voltage equipment, the fire department was limited in its response and primarily monitored the situation while coordinating with utility providers.

Energy company Eversource reported that the incident contributed to significant outages across the area. Around 6 p.m. on Sunday, more than 4,000 customers in Greenwich and approximately 2,700 in Stamford were without power. At the peak of the disruption, roughly 5,000 Stamford customers lost electricity, though crews were able to restore service to about 3,000 of them within 20 minutes.

By Monday morning, all outages had been resolved.

WWE’s headquarters, located at 707 Washington Boulevard, officially opened in 2023. The 13-story building spans approximately 400,000 square feet and serves as the company’s primary corporate hub.

No injuries were reported as a result of the incident, and the exact cause of the flag being dislodged from the building has not been confirmed.

American Flag Incident at WWE Headquarters Causes Power Outages in Stamford

AdvertisementAdvertisement

Nikki Bella is closing in on a return to WWE action after her recent ankle injury, revealing that she expects to get back inside the ring soon to begin testing her recovery.

The WWE Hall of Famer has spent the past several weeks rehabbing an ankle issue that forced her to miss planned involvement around WrestleMania 42. Now, it appears she is entering a key phase of her comeback.

Speaking on The Nikki & Brie Show, Bella shared that she anticipates resuming in-ring activity shortly, which will allow her to evaluate how her ankle responds after regaining strength.

During the discussion, she emphasized that patience has been the most important part of her recovery process.

“What I’ve had to constantly tell myself is start like you have to start somewhere. So there are things that I’m doing right now where I feel like I could be lifting heavier, I could be jumping higher, but that’s not what’s on track for me. That’s not a part of my healing. And it’s OK to start here and slowly build. So don’t give up. The slow build is actually the best because we get the best foundations. And that’s what I’m telling myself.”

Bella also revealed she recently pushed herself too far during a workout, which resulted in immediate discomfort and reinforced the need to stay within her limits.

“And I learned my lesson the other day because I was doing jumping and I got a little ahead of myself and I was like, I know I can jump even higher. And the minute I did it, I felt that through my ankle, like fire. And I was like, oh, wait, now I know my limit.”

Her recovery has required lifestyle adjustments as well. Bella shared that she canceled a planned trip to Italy with Brie Bella after feeling it wasn’t the right time physically or mentally, choosing instead to remain focused on rehab.

“When I originally had my trip booked to meet Brie, every night I wake up with anxiety about this trip. So that’s when I start to know it wasn’t, it wasn’t a right time for me to go to Tuscany. And being home, I’ve realized that I’ve really just have been hard working at my workouts and recovery and just getting really good news along the way. How much stronger I am, how my, you know, just everything looks great.”

Bella added that she is scheduled for another round of X-rays earlier than expected. If all goes well, she plans to begin light in-ring work soon after.

“I’m getting my X-rays sent I think a week earlier. I’ll start to just get in the ring and dabble on how that feels.”

While no official return date has been set, getting back in the ring marks a significant milestone. With Bella also discussing future character ideas, her WWE comeback now appears to be approaching its final stages.

Nikki Bella Nears WWE Return as In-Ring Training Set to Resume

AdvertisementAdvertisement