Bad News Brown Set To Be Inducted Into WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2026

Olympic bronze medalist Bad News Brown will be inducted into the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame, the company revealed earlier today. Brown, whose real name was Allen Coage, was an American judoka who won medals for the country, including in the 1976 Summer Olympics.

He later found success in professional wrestling across different promotions. He started his wrestling career in New Japan Pro-Wrestling in 1977 and later competed in the World Wide Wrestling Federation and Stampede Wrestling before returning to the then-WWF in 1988.

Bad News Brown competed at three WrestleManias during his stint. He won a battle royal at the fourth iteration of The Show of Shows in 1988. Just like Sid Vicious, Brown will join the Legacy wing of the WWE Hall of Fame. He died of a heart attack on March 6, 2007.

WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque wrote on X: “From standing on the podium at the 1976 Summer Olympics to the center of the ring at #WrestleMania IV, Bad News Brown was a fierce competitor with an attitude to match.” He continued, “For his accomplishments in combat sports and contributions to @WWE, it is a pleasure to announce his induction into the 2026 Legacy Class of the #WWEHOF.”

You can check WWE’s statement on Bad News Brown’s Hall of Fame induction HERE. The announcement video is also available below.

The 2026 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony will take place at Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas on Friday, April 17. The Class of 2026 thus far includes AJ Styles, Stephanie McMahon, Ax and Smash of The Demolition, Dennis Rodman (celebrity wing), Sid Vicious, and Bad News Brown (legacy wings).