WWE announced earlier on Wednesday that Molly Holly (real name Nora Kristina Benshoof) will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2021.
Holly appeared in WWE from 1997 to 1999, and then in World Championship Wrestling from 1999 to 2000 as Miss Madness and Mona.
You can read the full announcement from WWE below:
Molly Holly to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2021
Molly Holly, a true pioneer of women’s wrestling, is the first inductee in the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2021. She was surprised with the news of her induction by her former associate The Hurricane on WWE’s The Bump.
Holly will take her place in sports-entertainment history on Tuesday, April 6, during the 2021 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. The special, which will stream on Peacock in the United States and WWE Network everywhere else, will feature the induction of both the 2020 and 2021 classes.
After training under “The Man of 1,000 Holds” Dean Malenko, Holly broke into the wrestling business in 1997 and first appeared on television for WCW in 1999 alongside fellow Hall of Famers “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Alundra Blayze as part of Team Madness. Donning a glittering blue dress and sash, Holly looked like a beauty queen but was ruthless inside the ring.
She made the jump to WWE in 2000 and immediately became embroiled in a bitter family rivalry between her cousins — Hardcore Holly & Crash Holly — and The Dudleys. But a romance bloomed between Molly and Spike Dudley, as they quickly became the Romeo & Juliet of WWE.
Holly then embraced her inner superhero, turning into Mighty Molly as she joined forces with The Hurricane. Her newfound superpowers helped her win the Hardcore Championship at WrestleMania X8 in 2001.
After her turn as a caped crimefighter, Holly got serious — and a little self-righteous — and set her sights on WWE’s biggest female stars, starting with Trish Stratus. She defeated Stratus to win the WWE Women’s Championship for the first of her two reigns at King of the Ring 2002. Holly took on all comers during her two turns as champion, although her attitude came back to haunt her as her second reign ended, and she was shaved bald by Victoria at WrestleMania XX.
Holly left WWE in 2005 but returned to take part in the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble Match in 2018, as well as the 2020 edition of the over-the-top-rope melee. Her impact on women’s wrestling has been felt to this day, as she is consistently cited by today’s Superstars as an inspiration. After a legendary career, Molly Holly is more than deserving of induction into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Don’t miss Molly Holly enter the WWE Hall of Fame during the 2021 Induction Ceremony on Tuesday, April 6! Stay tuned to WWE programming and all of WWE’s digital platforms as WrestleMania Week approaches for more information on the 2021 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.