WrestleMania's 10 greatest celebrities
Since its inception in 1985, WrestleMania has been a showcase for some of the world's most famous — and, in some cases, most unique — celebrities. Who could forget Pam Anderson walking Diesel down the aisle at WrestleMania XI or William “The Refrigerator” Perry throwing his weight around in WrestleMania 2’s battle royal?
Countless pop culture icons have set foot on The Grandest Stage of Them All, but here are our favorite movie stars, sports heroes, game show hosts and other famous personalities who’ve been a part of the spectacle at The Show of Shows.
Mickey Rourke, The 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania
While the WWE Universe clamored for the star of "The Wrestler" to enter the ring opposite Chris Jericho for a sanctioned WWE bout, the Golden Globe-winning actor still made a definite impact in Houston. Rourke confronted the former World Champion in the middle of the ring and, showing flashes of his early boxing days, laid him out with a stiff left cross.
Burt Reynolds, WrestleMania X
WrestleMania X saw probably the strangest coterie of special guests, including Donnie Wahlberg, Jennie Garth, Rhonda Shear and a Bill Clinton imposter. But our favorite was Burt Reynolds, who, along with his mustache, served as guest ring announcer for the Bret Hart vs. Yokozuna match. Reynolds even joined the in-ring celebration after The Hitman won the WWE Title.
Snooki, WrestleMania XXVII
The "Jersey Shore" star took her fighting and clawing out of the beach house and brought it to Atlanta for a Six-Person Mixed Tag Match at WrestleMania XXVII. Joined by John Morrison and Trish Stratus, Snooki landed a vicious back-handspring on Vickie Guerrero and a "Snooki Splash" to secure the win for her team.
Alice Cooper, WrestleMania III
Few celebrity/Superstar pairings were as perfect as the partnership between Jake “The Snake” Roberts and shock rocker Alice Cooper. Infamous for his grotesque, theatrical stage shows that included everything from electric chairs to boa constrictors, Cooper cornered The Snake in his bout against The Honky Tonk Man at WrestleMania III. Roberts lost the match, but the gruesome twosome left the Pontiac Silverdome on top after the "School's Out" singer ran off their enemies with Roberts’ python, Damien.
Lawrence Taylor, WrestleMania XI
NFL great Lawrence Taylor wasn’t at WrestleMania XI to flex for the cameras and offer up a few quotes for reporters. He was there to rumble with the 390-pound Bam Bam Bigelow in the show’s main event. Refusing to crack under the pressure of performing on The Grandest Stage of Them All in his first match, LT toppled The Beast from the East. Following his victory, Taylor had to literally be carried to the back by a group of his NFL buddies — a sure sign that he’d left it all in the ring.
Mr. T, WrestleMania
The one celebrity who was synonymous with WrestleMania’s early days was none other than B.A. Baracus himself, Mr. T. “The A-Team” star was a huge celebrity at the time, and one of the first to ever step into a WWE ring with Superstars. Not only did he live to tell the tale, but he re-upped the very next year, squaring off in a wild boxing brawl with “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.
Floyd Mayweather, WrestleMania XXIV
Floyd “Money” Mayweather hasn’t always backed down from a fight, as he showed at WrestleMania XXIV, when he stepped into the ring to face Big Show. Mayweather gave up nearly 350 pounds to The World’s Largest Athlete, but he was able to fell the giant thanks to well-placed interference by his entourage and a set of gold knuckledusters.
Pete Rose, WrestleMania XV
One year after Pete Rose was brutally assaulted by Kane at WrestleMania XIV, the baseball legend attempted to get revenge on The Big Red Machine at WrestleMania XV by attacking the monster while disguised as the San Diego Chicken. To the surprise of few, the plan went horrible awry and “Charlie Hustle” ended up getting leveled with a Tombstone for the second year in a row. Rose’s appearances on The Grandest Stage of Them All didn’t do much for his physical wellbeing, but they did gain him entry into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Muhammad Ali, WrestleMania
The world’s best boxer was guest referee at the inaugural WrestleMania main event, and the man who raised Hulk Hogan’s hand at the end of the bout. At the time, The Show of Shows wasn’t an entertainment institution — it was just Mr. McMahon’s gamble. By appearing at the event, “The Greatest” sent a clear message to the world that this was an event worth seeing.
Donald Trump, WrestleMania 23
The Donald has been just about as much of a WrestleMania mainstay as Howard Finkel, having appeared in five events, but it was his performance at WrestleMania 23 that is most memorable. Waging an unforgettable “Battle of the Billionaires” against Mr. McMahon, Trump watched as his Superstar, Bobby Lashley, successfully defeated The Chairman's proxy, Umaga. The real estate magnate then hopped in the ring and gleefully shaved Mr. McMahon bald.
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