UPDATE: Rick Martel has clarified his earlier comments. In a post on X, “The Model” said the offer he previously turned down was an invitation to appear at WWE Axxess in San Francisco in 2015 and attend the Hall of Fame ceremony as a spectator, not an offer to be inducted.
“Flattered I still turned it down as I was not ready to go back to wrestling for appearances like I am now,” Martel wrote. “I didn’t turn down an offer to be inducted in the WWE HOF. Thank you!”
Martel said he was offered the chance to appear at the 2015 fan event and watch the Hall of Fame as a guest, but passed because he was not ready to return to wrestling appearances at the time. The original story is preserved below.
Rick Martel says WWE has already extended him an offer connected to its Hall of Fame, and he turned it down. The longtime fan campaign to get “The Model” inducted has always centered on whether WWE wanted him, and Martel addressed the topic directly in a recent interview.
Martel discussed the past offer during an interview on Prime Time with Sean Mooney. When Mooney brought up how many fans believe Martel belongs in the Hall of Fame, Martel said he had received a call before but passed on it.
“I did a while back, you know. I got a call, but I wasn’t ready,” Martel said.
Martel did not slam the door on a future induction. He made it clear he is enjoying his life right now and would want to weigh the full situation before committing to anything.
“I’m not sure if I would go, or right now I’m enjoying myself. I’m enjoying with all of this, and we’ll see,” Martel said.
His later clarification on X adds important context to those comments, specifying that the offer he turned down was a spectator invitation rather than an induction.
A Resume Built For The Hall Of Fame
Martel’s credentials make a strong case for enshrinement. He is a former AWA World Heavyweight Champion and a multiple-time WWF Tag Team Champion, and he became one of the company’s most memorable heels in the late 1980s and early 1990s with his arrogant “Model” character.
He has been away from the wrestling spotlight for decades, which makes his recent return to public appearances stand out. Martel said he began doing conventions and signings again after reconnecting with fans, and he is enjoying catching up with people he had not seen in years.
That does not mean a full-time return is on the table. Martel made clear the road is no longer realistic for him, and for now he seems content doing things on his own terms.
Via Prime Time with Sean Mooney and Rick Martel on X