Bad News Brown joins WWE Hall of Fame class of 2026
Bad News Brown, an Olympian who found pro wrestling success in multiple countries, is being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
It was announced today that Bad News Brown (real name Allen Coage) has joined the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2026. The ceremony is being held in Las Vegas on Friday, April 17 during WrestleMania 42 weekend. Stephanie McMahon, AJ Styles, Demolition (Ax & Smash), Dennis Rodman, and Sid Vicious are the other inductees that have been confirmed so far.
Like Vicious, Brown is a Legacy Award winner, which is how WWE honors inductees who have passed away. Brown, 63, died of a heart attack in 2007.
Brown entered pro wrestling after an accomplished judo career that saw him win a bronze medal for the United States at the 1976 Olympics. He started with New Japan Pro-Wrestling shortly after that and later competed for Stampede Wrestling in Canada and the WWF back in the US. He went by both “Bad News Brown” and “Bad News Allen” in pro wrestling.
While with WWF, Brown competed at three WrestleManias, including winning a battle royal at WrestleMania IV in 1988.
“From standing on the podium at the 1976 Summer Olympics to the center of the ring at #WrestleMania IV, Bad News Brown was a fierce competitor with an attitude to match,” Paul “Triple H” Levesque tweeted. “For his accomplishments in combat sports and contributions to @WWE, it is a pleasure to announce his induction into the 2026 Legacy Class of the #WWEHOF.”
Dolby Live at Park MGM in Vegas will be the venue for the Hall of Fame ceremony.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.