Sting makes his first ever WrestleMania appearance in 2015. (Don Feria/AP Images for WWE)

The WWE is set to induct into its Hall of Fame a wrestler who has only spent a small fraction of his career appearing in the company’s events. But when that wrestler has had the kind of career that Sting has had you make allowances.

Steve Borden, better known as Sting, will be among the members of the class of 2016 when the WWE holds its Hall of Fame ceremony in April, one day before WrestleMania 32. The company made the announcement Monday, then showed a tribute video during its telecast of “Raw.”

Although the 56-year-old Sting began wrestling in 1985 and quickly became a major attraction, his first WWE appearance didn’t arrive until two years ago. He had been a superstar performer with the rival WCW and chose not to sign with the then-WWF when it acquired its longtime rival promotion in 2001.

Finally, in 2014, Sting appeared at the WWE’s “Survivor Series,” leading to a match the next year against Triple H at WrestleMania 31. In September, Sting suffered a major neck injury while battling Seth Rollins at “Night of Champions,” but he expressed optimism about an eventual return to the ring.

[Sting’s manager confirms wrestler injured at WWE’s ‘Night of Champions,’ but says it’s not career-ending]

Paul Levesque, who portrays Triple H and is also a WWE executive, issued this statement Monday:

“We are truly honored to have Sting take his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame. His contributions to our industry are unprecedented, and we look forward to celebrating his incredible career with fans all over the world.”

Other notable names from the world of wrestling also offered congratulations.