WrestleMania I ushered in a unique relationship that mixed sports entertainment and Hollywood, with special appearances by Mr. T, Cyndi Lauper, Muhammad Ali, Billy Martin, and Liberace.
The tradition continues today — with Bad Bunny being the latest example of this crossover phenomenon — and while COVID-19 pandemic restrictions might have affected recent ‘Manias, below is a list of the top five celebrity appearances throughout WWE’s flagship event’s history.
WrestleMania has a long and rich history when it comes to celebrities, stemming as far back as the very first event.
Mr. T – WrestleMania I
We start with the OG of WrestleMania celebrities. The dream team of Hulk Hogan and Mr. T squaring off against resident “bad guys” “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff created a major stir for fans. Before that time, WWE audiences had rarely seen a celebrity jump into the squared circle to battle disputes in the ring.
As Mr. T (a.k.a. B.A. Baracus) was in one of the most popular television series of that time, The A-Team, him being a part of WrestleMania placed a huge spotlight on the event. All things considered, Mr. T held his own in the squared circle, so much so, he was asked by the company to return for WrestleMania II, in a boxing bout against the Rowdy One, a year later.
Mike Tyson – WrestleMania XIV
WWE’s “cool” factor shot up several notches when they decided to add boxing bad boy Mike Tyson to WrestleMania XIV in 1998. They reportedly paid a hefty price for Tyson, approximately $3 million when all was said and done.
Tyson played a huge role in WM that year, essentially helping to usher in the Austin Era in the WWE, while fans also bid HBK adieu. The ‘Mania match saw Tyson give Stone Cold the assist to score a win. This was pivotal, not only for storylines moving forward but helped write a new chapter in the WWE and is still looked upon as a major cornerstone in WWE’s shift during the Monday Night Wars.
Snooki – WrestleMania XXVII
So, Snooki didn’t play a major role in pivotal storylines during her WrestleMania XXVII appearance or ushering new eras; however, all considering, her tag match — she teamed with Trish Stratus and John Morrison against LayCool and Dolph Ziggler — was highly entertaining. As far as celebrities in matches are concerned, she certainly held her own and showed some pretty impressive flips and in-ring technique.
For a young lady that was known for being clumsy and uncoordinated (from her time on MTV’s Jersey Shore), she exceeded expectations in executing the couple of spots she was given. The same could be said for her promos leading up to the big event.
Motorhead – WrestleMania 21
Legendary heavy metal band Motorhead is not only loved for their music all around the world, but they’ve been a major influence in WWE, especially when it comes to HHH and his entrance themes. Trips also happens to be known for his well-choreographed walks along the ramp come WrestleMania time (whenever he’s on the card). Therefore, Motorhead belting out Triple H’s theme music as he headed down to the ring is certainly a moment worth nothing from WrestleMania 21 (their second time doing so for “The Game” at WrestleMania). Not only for fans of Motorhead, but HHH, too.
Mickey Rourke – WrestleMania XXV
Actor Mickey Rourke enjoyed a nice career comeback in 2008 for his lead part in an indie film titled The Wrestler. Promoting himself for an Academy Award that year, it seemed as if teaming up with the WWE during WrestleMania season made sense.
While the idea was to set up a match between him and Chris Jericho; however, it turned out that Rouke’s connection with the WWE could hurt his chances at winning an Oscar for his role in the movie, so he eventually pulled back on his association with the company. Still, Rouke attending WrestleMania 25 and punching out Chris Jericho after he defeated three (well, technically four with Ric Flair along for the ride) WWE legends made a great ‘Mania moment and lands him on this list.