4 times a WWE announcer has competed at WrestleMania
WWE WrestleMania is the biggest pro wrestling extravaganza every year, dating all the way back to 1985. The biggest stars in pro wrestling's vast history have performed on the WrestleMania stage, including the likes of Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Steve Austin, John Cena, Becky Lynch, Roman Reigns, and Brock Lesnar.
Interestingly, WrestleMania has also played host to several celebrities. Whether in the ring or in some other roles, non-wrestling entities have often been associated with the titanic event. Recent examples of celebrities at WrestleMania include the likes of Rob Gronkowski, Bad Bunny, Logan Paul, and the Jackass Forever crew.
Given that The Show Of Shows has featured both wrestlers and non-wrestlers alike, it shouldn't be too surprising for fans to learn that retired and non-wrestling personalities have also mixed it up at the big events. In fact, several announcers have found themselves in the ring at WrestleMania in the past.
This list will look at four times active announcers had a match at WrestleMania. Wrestlers who competed at the event and then later went on to do commentary won't be included.
#4. Bobby Heenan competed at two WWE WrestleMania events
#OnThisDay in 1988: WrestleMania IV: The Islanders & Bobby Heenan defeated The British Bulldogs & Koko B. Ware. https://t.co/D4YJbSGJfI
Bobby The Brain Heenan is one of the greatest personalities in pro wrestling history. The WWE Hall of Famer first began wrestling in the 1960s, but truly excelled once he became a manager. He was known for his bombastic and arrogant promos.
His incredible microphone skills and sharp wit ultimately led him into hosting and announcing. He and Gorilla Monsoon are to this day considered one of the greatest commentary duos of all time. The Brain managed to pull off being a manager, commentator, host, and at times, an active wrestler.
The Weasel competed at WrestleMania IV in a six-man tag team bout. He teamed up with Haku and Tama, collectively known as The Islanders, to battle Koko B. Ware and The British Bulldogs. Heenan and his team were the winners of the bout, but he regularly had issues with Matilda, Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid's bulldog mascot. In total, the bout went for a little under eight minutes bell-to-bell.
Heenan's second and final WrestleMania match was much briefer. He battled his former client The Red Rooster at WrestleMania V. Despite having The Brooklyn Brawler in his corner, The Brain lost to The Red Rooster in just 31 seconds.
#3. Jerry "The King" Lawler & #2. Michael Cole, two commentators clashed at the big event
#OnThisDay in 2011, Michael Cole def. Jerry The King Lawler at #WrestleMania 27
That's right, Michael Cole is 1-0 and joins a small list of undefeated wrestlers at Wrestlemania 😂
@MichaelCole https://t.co/Rsn54zFLD5
Michael Cole is one of the longest-tenured commentators in modern wrestling history. He first joined WWE in 1997 to serve as the successor for Todd Pettengill. He began as a backstage interviewer but eventually became the lead play-by-play commentator for the promotion.
Jerry Lawler was an iconic wrestler who is known as The King Of Memphis. He wrestled for decades before joining WWE, where he competed on a part-time basis while also transitioning into the role of color commentator. He and Jim Ross were a highly touted pair who many believe were the best commentary duo of all time.
The King and Michael Cole finally clashed at WWE WrestleMania XXXVII after months of being at each other's throats. Cole proved to be an all-time annoyance for Lawler and fans hoped that Michael would get slapped around, hit a few times, and maybe even have some sense knocked into him.
Unfortunately, things didn't quite turn out that way. Cole and Lawler ended up wrestling for close to 14 minutes, far longer than anybody expected. Stone Cold Steve Austin was the referee and when Jerry seemingly won, the mysterious Anonymous RAW General Manager reversed the decision and awarded the match to Michael Cole. The GM cited biased officiating as the reason.
#1. Pat McAfee battled Austin Theory at the Show of Shows
Pat McAfee is a big name in sports. He was a punter for the Indianapolis Colts and made it to two Pro Bowls. He's also an accomplished sports analyst. Still, wrestling fans know him best as the entertaining color commentator on WWE SmackDown, even if he's on a temporary break to cover ESPN's College Game Day.
McAfee isn't a total stranger to in-ring competition. Prior to competing at WrestleMania, Pat had two matches in NXT that both exceeded expectations. This theme continued when he took on Austin Theory at WrestleMania.
He and A-Town's Finest wrestled on Night 2 of WWE WrestleMania 38 for just under 10 minutes. Pat put on an impressive showing, and while Theory seemingly had the match won, McAfee pulled off an upset victory with a quick rollup. His night didn't end there, however.
An angry Vince McMahon, who previously took Austin Theory under his wing, challenged Pat to an impromptu match then and there. Thanks to a pre-match assault from an angry Theory, Vince defeated Pat in under four minutes. Stone Cold Steve Austin then came out and hit the Stone Cold Stunner on Theory, McMahon, and even McAfee.