Rick Martel has never been offered a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame, according to his manager Bertrand Hebert, who addressed long-standing rumors during an appearance on the Wrestling Nostalgia podcast with Dave Dynasty.
Hebert firmly denied claims that Martel had turned down an induction in the past, stating that no such offer has ever been made.
“No matter what Bruce Prichard said, he has never been offered the WWE Hall of Fame,” Hebert said. “And if he’s offered the WWE Hall of Fame, I will make sure personally that he accepts the offer.”
Hebert explained that confusion may stem from Martel declining certain WrestleMania Axxess appearances, including one in San Francisco. According to Hebert, the travel and limited compensation did not appeal to Martel, especially without any formal role tied to WWE programming.
“The idea of traveling to sign autographs, maybe for a few hours, for not a lot of money, and do all that traveling from Quebec City to San Francisco, was the big no-no for him,” Hebert said. “And especially to return and to be asked to just sit around and have no official role or no invitation to the Hall of Fame. He didn’t think it was the right timing.”
Hebert also made a strong case for Martel’s eventual induction, pointing to his accomplishments across multiple promotions now owned by WWE.
“He should be there,” Hebert said. “Three-time Tag Team Champion, The Model, one of the most memorable gimmicks in their history. And they own the AWA library. He was the AWA World Heavyweight Champion. Compared to some of the guys already in the Hall of Fame, if he doesn’t deserve it, I don’t know who does.”
He added that WWE holds footage from every major stage of Martel’s career, including his time in American Wrestling Association, WWE, and World Championship Wrestling.
“They own everything,” Hebert said. “For the AWA, WWE, and WCW. And they have Tony Garea and Tito Santana that can induct him. I think it’s a no brainer to send that invitation.”
Hebert also addressed Martel’s limited involvement in wrestling over the years, noting that financial independence has allowed him to stay away from regular appearances.
“He doesn’t need to do those appearances. And that’s hard for people in the business to understand,” Hebert said. “But for the guys outside of the business, not doing shows every weekend, being recognized by WWE means something. He was there. He worked there. He helped build the company to where it was and is. For him, it’s a recognition that means something.”
Hebert emphasized that timing is important, as Martel recently turned 70 and should be honored while he can still enjoy the moment.
“I think it should be done in the next few years,” Hebert said. “Because obviously at 70 years old, he’s not getting any younger. Let’s do it while he can still attend and enjoy and appreciate everything.”
Discussing Martel’s legacy, Hebert argued that many fans overlook his status as a former AWA World Heavyweight Champion, especially during a period when he was considered one of the top champions in the industry alongside Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair.
“There was that time, that quick time period in ’85-’86, there were three World Champions: Hogan, Ric Flair, and Rick Martel,” Hebert said. “There’s that famous poster from Pro Wrestling Illustrated, and they were the top three guys in the business.”
Hebert also suggested WWE has not fully highlighted that era of Martel’s career.
“Even the AWA DVD by WWE is kind of a revisionist history,” Hebert said. “They barely mention it, because for WWE fans, Rick was just the middle of the card and a tag team wrestler. But he had been AWA World Champion.”
Martel is set to make a rare public appearance at the Big Event convention on March 21 in Brentwood, New York, during WrestleMania week. He will appear alongside Tito Santana and Tony Garea.
Rick Martel Has Never Been Offered WWE Hall Of Fame
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