Special guests were Paul "Mr. Wonderful" Orndorf, Tom Anderson and Fritz Von Goering. Brisco, former junior world heavyweight champion who now works in the front office of the WWE, called the inductions event "one of the highlights of my life. It was a great, great weekend. Getting to meet the other hall of famers - and to spend time with my hero, Dan Hodge - was a real treat. I plan to come every year that my schedule allows."

Harley Race also called the weekend a dream come true. He said that "to be honored by your peers, other great wrestlers, is the biggest thrill you can imagine. I was deeply humbled by the entire weekend."

One of the highlights of the event was the appearance of Gene LeBell, who has carved out a spot in the history of wrestling, the marital arts and Hollywood . He won many major titles as an amateur and pro athlete and has appeared in nearly 1,000 movies as an extra and stuntman. "This is a wonderful place," said LeBell, looking around the museum. "It's a real thrill to even be here, let alone to be the recipient of the Frank Gotch Award. I am deeply honored."

"Saturday night after the banquet, Gene entertained all of us with wonderful stories of working with people like Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris and Clint Eastwood," said Chapman. "He showed some of his special chokes and hooks. And, of course, he gave special tribute to his hero, Lou Thesz."

Race and LeBell were the featured attractions of a book signing held at the museum on Friday and Saturday afternoons. LeBell spent a great deal of time training with Lou Thesz when Gene was a young martial artist in Los Angeles . He has produced a beautiful, full-color pamphlet entitled Gene LeBell Remembers Lou Thesz and has them for sale at the museum. He is donating some of the proceeds to the museum.

Antonio Inoki was the Japanese heavyweight champion when he rocketed into global prominence in 1976 with his mixed martial arts contest against Muhammad Ali, the world heavyweight boxing champion. The contest was called "War of the Worlds" and was seen by an estimated billion people on Pay TV all around the planet. It ended in a 15-round draw.

Inoki went on to establish himself as one of the most powerful men in the history of Japanese sports, both as a wrestler and promoter, and as a politician. He won numerous titles, including the WWF world championship from Bob Backlund in 1979. He is a major owner of New Japan Pro Wrestling organization and was elected into the Japanese Congress.

Harley Race, from Missouri , was an eight-time NWA world heavyweight champion. He also shared the AWA world tag-team title with Larry Hennig and won numerous other championships during his 30-year career in the ring. Also known as "Handsome" Harley Race to millions of fans, he is still active in his own wrestling promotion around the Midwest .

Jerry Brisco joins his brother, Jack, in the pro hall of fame (Jack was inducted in 2001). Like Jack, Jerry was a high school mat star in Blackwell , Oklahoma . He was World Junior Heavyweight Champion and later teamed up with his older brother to capture the NWA world tag-team title in 1983. Jerry was also NWA Southern Champion and was a household name throughout the South in the 1980s. He works for the WWE.

John Pesek of Nebraska has a reputation as one of the greatest shooters and hookers of all time. Known as a trustbuster for his unwillingness to do worked matches, he was feared far and wide. He held a version of the world heavyweight title on several occasions, including over a year in 1937. Pesek was also a well-known dog breeder and ran a stable of greyhounds. He died in 1978, at the age of 84.

His daughter, Mary Lee Pesek, is coming from Omaha along with other family members.

Earl McCready and Bill Miller both had highly successful amateur careers before turning professional. McCready, a native of Saskatchewan , Canada , is the very first collegiate wrestler to ever win three NCAA Championships, claiming heavyweight titles for Oklahoma State in 1928, '29 and '30. He also competed in the 1932 Olympics for Canada before embarking on a 30-year professional career. He died in 1983.

Miller won two Big Ten titles and placed fourth in the NCAAs as a student-athlete at Ohio State University in the 1950s. As a professional, he held numerous titles and was a huge star in the AWA as Big Bill Miller, Dr. X and Mister M. He owned several versions of the world title on various occasions, and retired from the ring in 1974 to become a veterinarian. He died in 1997.

Judo Gene LeBell will receive the 2005 Frank Gotch Award, which goes to a wrestler who has brought positive recognition to the sport. LeBell has made a huge impact on the sport in the areas of judo (where he was a two-time national champion), amateur wrestling and pro wrestling. He has authored numerous books and is a legendary figure in the world of mixed martial arts. In 1976, he was selected from 200 candidates to referee the bout between Antonio Inoki and Muhammad Ali. He is also one of the most respected stuntmen in Hollywood history and has appeared in nearly 1,000 films.