Pete Rose, who famously was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, but never into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, has died. He was 83.
TMZ first reported Rose’s death on September 30, 2024, as confirmed by Rose’s agent, Ryan Fiterman of Fiterman Sports.
The gimmick of Rose entering the WWE Hall of Fame, in the Class of 2004, worked if only because Rose had made numerous appearances in WWE through the years, especially memorably being chokeslammed by Kane. Yet Cooperstown — home to baseball’s hall of fame — had shunned him, even though he is the all-time leader in base hits, due to his association with gambling and subsequent banishment from Major League Baseball.
SlamWrestling.net got to interview Rose on two separate occasions about his WWE experiences.
While in Winnipeg for a sports dinner, he told Jon Waldman in 2006 that “It’s just fun, it’s entertainment. It’s the best damn thing money can buy.”
Kane tombstones Pete Rose at WrestleMania 15 🔥🐔 pic.twitter.com/u63kwcfmTB
— 2000's WWE (@2000s_WWE) September 30, 2024
Eight years later, in 2014, Rose had a short chat with Caleb Smith in Niagara Falls, where he was appearing at a sports expo.
“I have nothing but good memories from Vince (McMahon) all the way down,” said Rose. “I have never met anybody connected to wrestling who wasn’t a good guy including Pat Patterson, [Jerry] Lawler, Big Show, Undertaker, Steve Austin; John Cena is unbelievable.”
“It is the best entertainment on TV. No question about it. They have grown and grown and grown. I watch them every Monday night from my home in Las Vegas,” added Rose. “But Vince is such a nice guy and he started that thing out and just kept working at it and working at it. He knows how to create a star, man … the storybook and the lines who is a good guy this week and who is a bad guy this week.”
Further details on Rose’s passing, including cause of death, are not known at this time.
TOP PHOTO: Pete Rose in WWE. WWE photo
PETE ROSE STORIES
- Mar. 29, 2014: Pete Rose has fond memories of WWE days
- June 6, 2006: Pete Rose reflects on his WWE experiences