In a WWE Magazine in the U.K. (Topix Media Lab took over the magazine when WWE dropped it and publishes issues every six weeks), there were Hall of Fame profiles for the three stars of this year’s class, which were listed as Randy Savage, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Nash, using that name and not Diesel. So when the article was done, he was going in as Nash.
Bruno Sammartino will give the speech for Zbyszko. Sammartino helped train Whistler, who took the Zbyszko name from his first match in Pittsburgh. After leaving his home area to get experience, he worked as Larry Whistler in 1973 in British Columbia for Sandor Kovacs and Gene Kiniski and briefly for Don Owen in Oregon. The reason he did that was because it would be okay to lose matches as Larry Whistler, with the idea that nobody would ever know the connection.
As far as the other inductees go, John Laurinaitis will induct the Bushwhackers. When Laurinaitis started pro wrestling in Florida in 1987 as Johnny Ace (as a trivia note, Johnny Weaver used the name Johnny Ace early in his career), his first role as the American who would wave The Sheepherders flag. What’s notable about that is in the WWE video, The Sheepherders and The Kiwis were not acknowledged and only the Bushwhackers, an era Laurinaitis had no part in. Shawn Michaels will induct Nash, and the plan is to close the show with Nash, not Randy Savage because the decision was made not to honor a deceased wrestler last. Dana Warrior and Daniel Bryan will induct Conor Michalek, which will be accepted by his father. The Usos will induct Rikishi. Hulk Hogan will induct Randy Savage, which will be accepted by Lanny Poffo. One of the women will induct Madusa. HHH will induct Arnold Schwarzenegger. And Ric Flair will induct Fujinami.