He’s a five-time NBA champion. A two-time Defensive Player of the Year. A rebounding machine who led the league for seven straight seasons. And now, Dennis Rodman has added another accolade to his already legendary resume. The Worm is officially a double Hall of Famer. On March 19, 2026, WWE confirmed that Rodman will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026, cementing his crossover from basketball icon to professional wrestling legend.
The Dennis Rodman Hall of Fame journey began in 2011 when he was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, recognized as arguably the best rebounding forward in NBA history. Now, fifteen years later, he’s receiving a different kind of honor. The 2026 WWE Hall of Fame induction celebrates his memorable stint in the world of professional wrestling during the late 1990s, when he brought his larger-than-life personality to WCW as a member of the iconic New World Order.
Rodman will be inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame, joining a select group that includes Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, and Mr. T. The ceremony is set for Friday, April 17, 2026, at Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas, the night before WrestleMania 42 kicks off at Allegiant Stadium .
Rodman’s transition to wrestling was anything but ordinary, fitting for a man who dyed his hair neon colors, wore wedding dresses, and befriended North Korean dictators. He first appeared in WCW in 1997, aligning himself with Hulk Hogan and the nWo faction. His wrestling debut came at Bash at the Beach in July 1997, where he teamed with Hogan against Lex Luger and The Giant.
But his most famous wrestling moment came the following year. During the 1998 NBA Finals between Rodman’s Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz, Rodman famously skipped a practice to appear on WCW Monday Nitro in Detroit, where he and Hogan attacked Diamond Dallas Page. He returned to Bash at the Beach later that summer, this time facing off against fellow NBA star Karl Malone in a tag team match that captured mainstream attention.
Rodman’s final WCW match came in 1999 against the legendary “Macho Man” Randy Savage at Road Wild. He made occasional appearances in the decades that followed, including a surprise showing on AEW Collision in 2023 where he aligned himself with The Acclaimed.
Before he was body-slamming opponents, Rodman was rewriting the NBA record books. His career reads like a highlight reel of dominance. He won two championships with the Detroit Pistons as part of the “Bad Boys” era (1989-1990) and three more with the Chicago Bulls during their second three-peat (1996-1998). He led the NBA in rebounds per game for a record seven consecutive seasons from 1992 to 1998, finishing his career with 11,954 total rebounds.
Defensively, he was unmatched. Rodman earned NBA All-Defensive First Team honors seven times and won Defensive Player of the Year twice. His No. 10 jersey was retired by the Detroit Pistons in 2011, the same year he entered the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Rodman joins a stacked 2026 WWE Hall of Fame class that already includes AJ Styles, Stephanie McMahon, and the legendary tag team Demolition. His induction adds star power to the celebrity wing, which has historically featured sports and entertainment icons who made significant contributions to wrestling.
For Rodman, the honor is a testament to his unique ability to transcend sports. Few athletes have successfully straddled the line between competition and entertainment quite like he has. His wrestling career may have been brief, but his impact was lasting, helping bridge the gap between the NBA and WWE during wrestling’s hottest era.
The Dennis Rodman Hall of Fame double achievement arrives as the 64-year-old continues to stay in the spotlight. His life story is set to be told in the upcoming Lionsgate comedy 48 Hours to Vegas, starring LaKeith Stanfield as Rodman. The film recounts his infamous trip to Las Vegas during the 1998 NBA Finals, when he left the Bulls mid-playoffs for a wrestling appearance .
As WrestleMania 42 weekend approaches, all eyes will be on Las Vegas to see The Worm take his place among wrestling’s elite. For a man who once said he wanted to “be remembered as somebody who did whatever he wanted,” a second Hall of Fame induction feels like the perfect final chapter, or maybe just another wild story in a life full of them.
