WWE Hall Of Famer Pete Rose Passes Away
The legendary baseball player and WWE Hall of Famer Pete Rose has passed away.
It has been reported by TMZ that Major League Baseball’s all-time hits leader Pete Rose passed away at the age of 83 in his Las Vegas home.
Fans of WWE will remember Pete Rose for a memorable promo he did at WrestleMania 14 in 1998 when he insulted the Boston crowd. Rose did that because he was a legendary baseball player with the Cincinnati Reds, who beat Boston in the 1975 World Series.
After Rose did that promo, WWE Hall of Famer Kane showed up, much to the delight of the crowd even though Kane was a heel at the time. Kane gave Pete a Tombstone. It led to Jim Ross screaming on commentary: “That’s Pete Rose! Pete Rose just got Tombstoned! Pete Rose just got Tombstoned!” The crowd cheered wildly.
One year later at WrestleMania 15 in 1999, Pete Rose was dressed as the San Diego Chicken and tried to get revenge against Kane, but that didn’t work. Kane gave Rose a Tombstone again.
For the third straight WrestleMania at WM 16 in 2000 in Los Angeles, Pete Rose tried to attack Kane with a baseball bat, but that didn’t work either. Kane gave Rose a Chokeslam while WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi gave Rose a Stinkface as well.
At the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony in 2004, Pete Rose was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame.
WWE Pays Tribute To Pete Rose
The following appears on Pete Rose’s WWE profile page, which also highlights some of his success as a baseball player.
The all-time hit king of Major League Baseball, Pete Rose has established a legacy unforgettable to fans of America’s pastime. For fans of WWE, he created another extraordinary legacy with some of the most memorable celebrity appearances of all time.
Rose’s appearances at WrestleMania XIV, WrestleMania XV, and WrestleMania 2000 are classic moments that stand among the celebrity highlights of WWE’s annual spectacular. Who can forget his repeated run-ins with Kane, which once featured Rose disguised as the Famous Chicken, as well as a skirmish where he found himself in a very unfortunate position courtesy of Rikishi.
The ongoing relationship between Rose and WWE is the product of mutual respect — Rose’s respect for the unique entertainment form that is WWE, and WWE’s respect for Rose’s incredible athletic accomplishments. In a career that spanned from 1963 to 1986, he compiled 4,256 hits, which broke the all-time record previously held by Ty Cobb. He was named National League Rookie of the Year in 1963 with the Cincinnati Reds and went on to become an integral part of the famous “Big Red Machine” of the 1970s, playing in four World Series and winning two.
In 1975, he was named World Series MVP in the Reds’ stirring seven-game victory over the Boston Red Sox. He enjoyed continued success with the Philadelphia Phillies, where he led the team to its first World Championship in 1980 and another National League pennant in 1983. He returned to the Reds in 1984 and served as manager from 1985 to 1988, leading his team to four consecutive second-place finishes.
For his contributions to sports-entertainment, Pete Rose was inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame.
Even though Rose is one of the most accomplished baseball players ever, he is not in the Baseball Hall of Fame due to betting on baseball while he was a manager, which led to a lifetime ban from the sport help he loved.