WWE Hall of Famer Pete Rose Reinstated, Now Eligible For Baseball Hall Of Fame

WWE Hall of Famer Pete Rose is now eligible for another Hall of Fame, after Major League Baseball posthumously removed him from the sport's permanent ineligibility list.

Rose, who passed away at the age of 83 last year, became infamous within the world of pro wrestling for his numerous WrestleMania run-ins with Kane.

The world of Big Red Machines first clashed at WrestleMania 14, in 1998, when the Cincinnati Reds switch-hitter ran afoul of the Undertaker's baby brother, much to the delight of the Boston crowd, whom he had just been trash talking regarding his victory over the Red Sox in the 1975 World Series.

Kane made short work of Rose, tombstoning the 17-time All Star in the middle of the ring

A year later, Rose would seek to gain a measure of revenge over Kane by...*checks notes* dressing as the San Diego chicken and attacking the former WWE Champion as he made his entrance for his bout against Triple H. Yeah that didn't end so well. Another tombstone later and Rose was carted away from ringside, feathers and all.

The greatest trilogy since The Godfather was completed at WrestleMania 2000, when Rose was once again destroyed by Kane and, this time, Rikishi, for good measure. True wrestling fans regard this WrestleMania run as the real Streak.

Rose couldn't even escape big Glenn Jacobs when filming commercials for WWE, as he was promptly chokeslammed during a Halloween themed shot for the 2002 No Mercy pay-per-view. In 2004, however, bygones appeared to have become bygones as Kane inducted Rose as the first ever member of the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame, ahead of WrestleMania 20.

Well, bygones were bygones until 2010 when, in the last episode of Raw ahead of WrestleMania 26, Rose served as the special guest General Manager of Monday Night Raw and booked Kane and Shawn Michaels in a match against each other. Unfortunately for the three time World Series winner, his mortal enemy still had enough gas in the tank to attack MLB's all time leader in hits off camera.

Rose was infamously placed on MLB's permanent ineligibility list for the Hall of Fame in August 1989 after being found guilty of betting on baseball games. His family had filed an application to change the league's policy last year, following Rose's passing. Now, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has made the decision to remove the 1975 World Series MVP from the list, along with 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson and 15 other deceased players.

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In a statement released by MLB earlier today, Commissioner Manfred said, “In my view, a determination must be made regarding how the phrase ‘permanently ineligible’ should be interpreted in light of the purposes and policies behind Rule 21, which are to: (1) protect the game from individuals who pose a risk to the integrity of the sport by prohibiting the participation of such individuals; and (2) create a deterrent effect that reduces the likelihood of future violations by others.

"In my view, once an individual has passed away, the purposes of Rule 21 have been served. Obviously, a person no longer with us cannot represent a threat to the integrity of the game. Moreover, it is hard to conceive of a penalty that has more deterrent effect than one that lasts a lifetime with no reprieve.

"Therefore, I have concluded that permanent ineligibility ends upon the passing of the disciplined individual, and Mr. Rose will be removed from the permanently ineligible list.”

Pete Rose, dressing as the San Diego chicken and getting Tombstoned by Kane at Wrestlemania XV.

Also an all-time memory. #RIP pic.twitter.com/FTNasTEWdp
— Dan Marrazza (@DanMarrazza) September 30, 2024

Bob Castellini, Principal Owner and Managing Partner of the Reds, also made a statement on Rose's reinstatement, saying, "On behalf of the Reds and our generations of loyal fans, we are thankful for the decision of Commissioner Manfred and Major League Baseball regarding the removal of Pete Rose from the permanently ineligible list.

"Pete is one of the greatest players in baseball history, and Reds Country will continue to celebrate him as we always have. We are especially happy for the Rose family to receive this news and what this decision could mean for them and all of Pete’s fans."

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