Muhammad Ali will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024.
World Wrestling Entertainment announced Monday that the three-time world heavyweight boxing champ and activist will be honored at an April 5 ceremony at the Wells Fargo Center during the WrestleMania 40 weekend in Philadelphia.
Ali be inducted by his widow Lonnie Ali at the event.
“His legacy as one of the greatest athletes persists, and his work to modernize and globalize professional wrestling helped seamlessly blend the world of sports and entertainment,” WWE said.
Considered the greatest boxer of all time, Ali — who died in 2016 at the age of 74 — had a history with the iconic wrestling promotion company, too.
The Louisville, Ky., native born Cassius Clay competed in the 1976 mixed martial arts exhibition match, dubbed “The War of the Worlds,” against Japanese professional wrestler Antonio Inoki in Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan arena.
After his retirement from boxing, Ali served as the special guest referee in the main event of the inaugural WrestleMania, which featured Hulk Hogan and Mr. T battling for the belt against “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff in 1984.
During the wild tag-team match, Ali punched Piper with his signature right hand and restored order to the Madison Square Garden showdown.
“Many claim to be great, but only one man is ‘The Greatest,’” WWE chief content officer Triple H, a retired wrestler, shared Monday on X. “Muhammad Ali transcended sport to become a global icon who captivated and impacted the world like no other. @WWE is honored to induct ‘The Greatest’ Muhammad Ali.”
Wrestling executive Paul Heyman and retired wrestlers Bull Nakano and the U.S. Express (Mike Rotunda and Barry Windham) are also among the 2024 Hall of Fame inductees.
