New Jersey Hall of Fame categories

For the past year, I posted blogs and social media posts that there are no professional wrestlers in the NJ Hall of Fame. There were none in the 2024 class. New Jersey has a wide field to choose from. J.J. Dillon is from Trenton. The Jersey shore gave us Bam Bam Bigelow, King Kong Bundy, Diamond Dallas Page. There were even wrestlers with two names like Chris Candido and Tammy Sytch.

Diamond Dallas Page was a successful professional wrestler in the 1990s. After he retired, he started DDP Yoga. There are many stories of people whose lives were turned around after participating in the program. He should at least be considered for the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

I think the first issue is what category should he be in. He first made a name in wrestling. That takes athleticism and skill. Professional wrestling hasn’t been considered “sports” in decades. Vince McMahon tried to bridge the athletic participants and predetermined drama with the phrase “sports entertainment.” That settles nothing.

Should Page be inducted under entertainment? That’s a category for actors, actresses, singers and stage performers. While pro wrestling is a lot of acting and performing, wrestlers don’t get into S.A.G. Automatically.

Should we put Page in Business? DDP Yoga has been business, financially and civically successful. Would DDPY be successful without Page and his name?

What category Should we try?