WWE announced the following:
Jacqueline to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016
Jacqueline, a true trailblazer for women in the sports-entertainment industry, will take her well-deserved place in history in her hometown of Dallas, Texas, when she is enshrined in the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016. The news was broken by FoxSports.com, who got exclusive comments from the Hall’s latest inductee.
Her journey to sports-entertainment immortality began in the late 1980s in Dallas, where she trained under the nefarious Skandor Akbar. The lone female in Akbar’s academy, Jacqueline cut her teeth in the world-famous Sportatorium, where the Von Erich Family and Fabulous Freebirds engaged in one of the most heated rivalries ever.
She traveled to Memphis and Japan to further hone her craft before bursting onto the national scene with WCW in 1997. As the manager of the devilish Kevin Sullivan, Jacqueline showed she was just as tough as any man, clobbering Sullivan’s opponents with vicious blows and slamming them onto unforgiving arena floors.
Jacqueline jumped to WWE in 1998, aiding Marvelous Marc Mero in his quest to take back the spotlight from Sable. The hard-hitting competitor ended up taking some glory for herself, winning the reinstated WWE Women’s Championship with a victory over the blonde bombshell. She captured the championship once again in 2000.
In addition to her in-ring battles, Jacqueline took on a number of other jobs within WWE. She served as a trainer and mentor to hopeful Superstars and Divas on the first season of the reality show Tough Enough and donned stripes to enforce the rules as a WWE referee. She returned to the ring in 2004, answering the open challenge of Cruiserweight Champion Chavo Guerrero. Though Guerrero treated Jacqueline like a joke, the fierce Diva brought the fight to Guerrero and shocked the world by pinning him to capture the title. True to her groundbreaking nature, Jacqueline became the third woman ever to hold the Cruiserweight Championship and the first to do so in WWE.
Now, on the eve of WrestleMania 32, the trailblazing Diva will add another accolade to her incredible resume, as she is inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
———————————————
Source: FOX Sports
As noted, WWE has announced former Women’s Champion Jacqueline, a Texas native, for the 2016 WWE Hall of Fame class. Jackie spoke with FOX Sports about the induction and what she’s been up to. Below are highlights:
FS: What was your first reaction when you heard from WWE that you’d be inducted into the Hall of Fame in your home state?
Jacqueline: I was so overjoyed. It’s a great honor, it’s the highest honor to receive in WWE, and to be in my home town… it means so much to me.
FS: Are there any current WWE Divas on the roster who remind you of yourself?
Jacqueline: I think Naomi and Sasha Banks are pretty tough women. But there’s a lot of talent in WWE right now. Naomi kind of reminds me of me, or Jazz. There’s a lot of talented women. I think that’s because of the trainers.
FS: What have you been up to now that your in-ring career has wound down?
Jacqueline: On the record, I’m not retired. I’m just not active right now. I keep busy. If push comes to shove, I can step in the ring right now. I might be rusty, but you don’t forget. It’s just in you, you don’t forget that… I’m keeping myself busy. I’m painting now, I do art paintings and drawings. That keeps me pretty busy.
