Diamond Dallas Page has been added to the list of people who will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2017, the company announced Monday.

Diamond Dallas Page Joins WWE Hall of Fame Class Of 2017

Page joins other WWE superstars like Kurt Angle, The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express and Teddy Long.

“It surpasses everything,” Page said of his induction in an interview with Rolling Stone‘s Kenny Herzog. “I remember Dusty Rhodes saying to me, ‘In our business, the things that are really real are your first world title and the Hall of Fame.’ I would love for him to be here. I get choked up just thinking about it.”

Page’s first WCW World Heavyweight Championship title came in 1999 at an age (43) when most wrestlers generally begin to slow down. The 60-year-old debuted in WCW, which was eventually bought by WWE, as a manager in 1991 and began training as a wrestler later that year.

Page also famously lost his title to actor David Arquette in 2000 in a desperate ratings stunt that backfired.

Two fighters, Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Scott Hall, have credited Page with helping them deal with their past addiction problems.

HBO’s Real Sports profiled the three for a segment in September 2013.

HOLLYWOOD, CA – MARCH 08: Wrestler Diamond Dallas Page attends the Slamdance Cinema Club screening of ‘Resurrection Of Jake The Snake’ at ArcLight Cinemas on March 8, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

Former manager, WWE referee and SmackDown GM Teddy Long will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, the company announced Monday.

Teddy Long To Be Inducted Into WWE Hall Of Fame Class Of 2017

The Class of 2017 — which includes Kurt Angle and The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express — will be honored two nights before WrestleMania 33 on March 31 in Orlando.

Long, 69, admitted he was surprised by his induction in an exclusive interview with Fox Sports.

“Well, I was really surprised, you know? I had thought about being inducted into the Hall of Fame and I thought ‘well, if they’re going to do that, I’m pretty sure my time will come one day.’ And that’s what did happen. I was real excited, it’s such an honor to be a part of something like this. To go into the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame… man, it’s just great. It don’t get no better than that.”

Long continued: “I just want to thank Vince McMahon and the McMahon family, and the WWE Universe, and all the people that just hung out with me and wanted some more Teddy Long. I’m just excited right now so I’m kind of lost for words.”

Long first entered the WWE in the 1980s, during which he managed Butch Reed and WWE Hall of Famer Ron Simmons to a tag team title win at Capital Combat in May 1990:

Most WWE fans will likely remember Long for his time in charge of SmackDown from 2008 to 2012. Long returned last June and suggested a tag team match in order to make his case to become SmackDown’s live general manager.

He cited The Undertaker, Mark Callous, Kevin Sullivan, and Eddie Gilbert as some of his greatest career influences.

Kurt Angle, the 1996 Olympic gold medalist who fought for WWE from 1998 to 2006 as a six-time world champion, will headline the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2017.

Kurt Angle To Headline WWE Hall Of Fame Class Of 2017

Angle learned the news Monday afternoon. The 48-year-old will be inducted during a ceremony on Friday, March 31, as part of the WrestleMania 33 weekend festivities at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.

“I was shocked. I’ve been out of WWE for a long time and out of touch with them, so I didn’t really expect this,” Angle– who also won two NCAA Division I national championships during his time at Clarion University– told ESPN.com. “It’s a huge honor. This is the only Hall of Fame that I’m not in and probably [the one] I want to be in the most. This is the one that means the most for me. I had a lot of fun entertaining the fans for seven years with WWE, and I’m glad that my hard work paid off.”

Indeed, the news will also surely surprise dozens of pro wrestling fans, given that Angle spent 10 years with rival Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) after requesting his release from WWE in 2006. His post-WWE career was filled with legal issues and well-documented problems with substance abuse, although he’s been clean for the last three years.

When asked to describe his relationship with WWE executives Vince McMahon and Paul “Triple H” Levesque over the last decade, Angle chucked before stating, “There wasn’t one.” Angle added, however, that their breakup was mutual, and said he briefly spoke with Levesque last May, when talks began for an eventual reunion of some type with the company.

“It was one of those things where, when I left WWE, it wasn’t on bad terms,” Angle said. “It was just that I couldn’t do anything for them anymore because I was banged up and they couldn’t do anything more for me. I never felt ill will against them. It wasn’t like a nasty parting, it was just our time is up. You go your way, and I’ll go mine.”

Angle said the first phone call he planned to make upon hearing the news of his induction was to his old friend, Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.

“Steve and I have been up and down the road together. We had a lot of fun, and he is the one guy I have always kept in touch with,” Angle said. “He taught me a lot about wrestling and he taught me how to be funny. I’ll never forget that. He is a good friend.”

Angle confesses he struggled to watch the current WWE product in recent years, not knowing whether he would one day return. Although his WWE contract runs through the Hall of Fame ceremony, Angle stated Monday that his new deal does not include a WrestleMania match.

Angle took off most of 2016 from active wrestling, except for a few independent dates, in order to spend time with his wife Giovanna, who gave birth to their third child in November. When asked, however, how much longer he thinks he can wrestle as he approaches 50, the former star chuckled heartily.

“Almost entirely full [tank],” Angle said. “The thing is — I can still go. I think I have proven that in the other company [TNA] up until the day I retired. But that’s not important to me anymore. I have a beautiful wife and five kids. I’m spending a lot of time with them.

“I took this year off and enjoyed it thoroughly; almost too much, to the point where I was thinking maybe I’m not going to go back anywhere. But I really believe that the contract with WWE, whether I wrestle or not — and there aren’t any guarantees either way — I feel like being an ambassador to the company is the most important thing for them and for me right now.”

Angle also added that if he had the opportunity to choose who to fight in his last match, that he would likely choose AJ Styles or Seth Rollins.

Angle captured just about every major title with the company and is regarded by many of his peers as the quickest learner they have ever seen, going from novice to prime time in record time.

ORANGE, CA – MAY 08: Wrestler Kurt Angle arrives at the Lions Gate Premiere of ‘See No Evil’ at the Century Stadium Promenade 25 on May 8, 2006 in Orange, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images)

The list of Modern-Era nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2017 consists of 94 players and coaches. Among the nominees announced are several first-year eligible players, including Donovan McNabb, Hines Ward, LaDainian Tomlinson and Jason Taylor. 

Nominees For 2017 Pro Football Hall Of Fame Announced: Donovan Mcnabb, Hines Ward Included

The list of nominees is comprised of 45 offensive players, 32 defensive players, six special teams players and 11 coaches. The list will be narrowed down to 25 semifinalists in November and after that, to 15 finalists in January.

The finalists will be presented to the full 48-member Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee during its annual selection meeting on the day before Super Bowl LI next year, in February. Also to be presented are the recently named Senior Finalist, Kenny Easley, and the 2017 Contributor Finalists, Jerry Jones and Paul Tagliabue.

The selection committee will meet on February 4, 2017 in Houston, Texas to elect the Class of 2017. Although there is no set number for any class of inductees, the selection process by-laws provide that between four and eight new members will be chosen.

Easley, Jones and Tagliabue will be voted “yes” or “no” for election at the annual selection meeting, and must receive at least 80 percent support from the Committee in order to be elected.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2017 will be formally recognized on Saturday, August 5, 2017. The presentation is one of three marquee events to be held in the fantastic new Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium during the Enshrinement Week along with the Concert for Legends and the NFL/Hall of Fame Game. The celebration will begin with the nationally televised Gold Jacket Dinner on Thursday night of Hall of Fame Week.

The annual Enshrinement Ceremony is televised nationally by the Hall of Fame’s broadcast partners, NFL Network and ESPN.

Here is the full list of nominees:

*Finalist in 2016 (Players and coaches must have last played or coached at least five full seasons ago to be eligible for nomination. Therefore, any individual who last played or coached in 2011 is eligible for the first time in 2017).

QUARTERBACKS (7): Drew Bledsoe, Randall Cunningham, Doug Flutie, Donovan McNabb, Steve McNair, Phil Simms, *Kurt Warner

RUNNING BACKS (13): Shaun Alexander, Ottis Anderson, Tiki Barber, Larry Centers, Roger Craig, *Terrell Davis, Eddie George, *Edgerrin James, Daryl Johnston, Eric Metcalf (also WR/PR/KR), LaDainian Tomlinson, Herschel Walker (also KR), Ricky Watters

WIDE RECEIVERS (10): Isaac Bruce, Henry Ellard (also PR), Torry Holt, Chad Johnson, Derrick Mason (also KR/PR), *Terrell Owens, Sterling Sharpe, Jimmy Smith, Rod Smith, Hines Ward

TIGHT END (1): Mark Bavaro

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (14): Tony Boselli (T), Ray Donaldson (C), *Alan Faneca (G), Jay Hilgenberg (C), Chris Hinton (G/T), Kent Hull (C), *Joe Jacoby (T), Mike Kenn (T), Olin Kreutz (C), Jim Lachey (T), Kevin Mawae (C/G), Tom Nalen (C), Nate Newton (G), Steve Wisniewski (G)

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (5): Leslie O’Neal (DE), Simeon Rice (DE), Fred Smerlas (NT), Jason Taylor (DE), Bryant Young (DT)

LINEBACKERS (11): Carl Banks, Cornelius Bennett, Tedy Bruschi, Seth Joyner, Levon Kirkland, Clay Matthews, Willie McGinest (also DE), Karl Mecklenburg, Sam Mills, Joey Porter, Zach Thomas

DEFENSIVE BACKS (16): Eric Allen (CB), *Steve Atwater (S), Joey Browner (S), LeRoy Butler (S), Brian Dawkins (SS), Rodney Harrison (S), Ty Law (CB), Albert Lewis (CB), *John Lynch (S), Frank Minnifield (CB), Bob Sanders (SS), Darren Sharper (FS), Dennis Smith (SS), Troy Vincent (S), Everson Walls (CB), Darren Woodson (S)

KICKERS/PUNTER (4): *Morten Andersen (K), Gary Anderson (K), Sean Landeta (P), Nick Lowery (K)

SPECIAL TEAMS (2): Brian Mitchell (KR/PR, also RB), Steve Tasker (ST, also WR)

COACHES (11): *Don Coryell, Bill Cowher, Tom Flores, Mike Holmgren, Jimmy Johnson, Chuck Knox, Buddy Parker, Richie Petitbon, Dan Reeves, Clark Shaughnessy, Dick Vermeil

CHICAGO, IL – OCTOBER 16: Quaretrback Donovan McNabb # 5 of the Minnesota Vikings passes during the game against the Chicago Bears on October 16, 2011 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

The Notre Dame football program made quite a stir in South Bend, Ind., over the weekend.

Notre Dame Football’s 2017 Recruiting Class Becomes No. 7 After New QB, LB

Notre Dame’s Junior Day event on Saturday reportedly featured up to 30 prospects from the class of 2017 from 16 different states.

Junior Day is designed to offer prospective players a closer look at the Fighting Irish’s campus and watch Saturday’s football practice as the university continues spring-ball workouts. The recruiting event appeared to reap immediate benefits, since it resulted in commitments from a pair of players rated as four stars according to 247Sports.

Avery Davis, a 5-foot-11, 192-pound quarterback from Cedar Hill, Tex., and David Adams, a 6-1, 215-pound inside linebacker from Pittsburgh Central Catholic, both announced their commitments to Notre Dame via Twitter this weekend.

Following the addition of Davis and Adams, the Irish’s 2017 six-member class has jumped to No. 7 in 247Sports’ composite team rankings with five four-stars and one three-star.

Davis, who is rated the seventh-best dual-threat QB and 213th overall prospect nationally for the class of 2017, and had 16 Division I offers in total, including Colorado, Houston, Texas Tech and Utah. He did not, however, receive any offers from his home state of Texas.

Adams had 32 Division I offers, including Baylor, Florida, LSU, and Michigan. He is rated the 105th-best overall prospect and fourth-ranked inside linebacker nationally for 2017.

The four other 2017 prospects currently committed to Notre Dame are:

• OT Dillan Gibbons (6-4, 311), three-star, Clearwater (Fla.) Central Catholic
  • TE Cole Kmet (6-5, 230), four-star, St. Viator (Arlington Heights, Ill.)
  • OT Joshua Lugg (6-6, 288), four-star, North Allegheny (Wexford, Pa.)
  • TE Brock Wright (6-4 ½, 243), four-star, Cy-Fair (Cypress, Texas)

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish Men’s Basketball Team defeated the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks 76-75 in the second-round game of the NCAA March Madness tournament in Brooklyn, New York on Sunday after a final tip-in off with 1.5 seconds left.  The Lumberjacks held a one-point lead in the final 3:30 before the Irish’s Rex Pflueger tipped in a shot with his right hand after forward Zach Auguste missed a putback after misses from Stephen F. Austin’s Thomas Walkup (who led the Lumberjacks with 21 points, five rebounds and five assists) and Notre Dame’s Demetrius Jackson, who led his team with 18 points.

The Fighting Irish shot 56.9 percent from the field, but attempted 13 fewer field goals than the Lumberjacks, who shot 45.3 percent. Auguste scored 18 points and added a game-high 16 rebounds for the Fighting Irish.

Notre Dame is now in the Sweet 16 for the second straight year. They will next face the Wisconsin Badgers.

Caption: GLENDALE, AZ – JANUARY 01: Quarterback DeShone Kizer #14 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish throws a pass during the BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl against the Ohio State Buckeyes at University of Phoenix Stadium on January 1, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. The Buckeyes defeated the Fighting Irish 44-28. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)