5 greatest celebrity matches in WWE history
WWE is the biggest wrestling promotion in the world, but even they are aware they can always push higher. Although there are millions (AND MILLIONS!) of fans tuning in to the product, there are always methods of drawing more eyeballs to it.
One way of doing this is by booking celebrities on WWE programming. In the past, the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mike Tyson have appeared for the promotion. Naturally, their star power draws more viewers, making for high-profile events and generating more revenue.
But because WWE is a wrestling establishment, they are well aware that fans want to see celebrities actually compete in the ring. Over the years, WWE has mastered the art of celebrity matches to such an extent that it is almost always guaranteed to be entertaining, if not a wrestling clinic.
Over the last several decades, Vince McMahon and company have given fans many such mainstream spectacles. With that in mind, here are five of the greatest celebrity matches to have ever taken place in WWE.
#5. Neville and Stephen Amell vs. Stardust and King Barrett - WWE Summerslam 2015
Arrow star Stephen Amell is a huge WWE fan, and he made quite the first impression in his wrestling debut. After being called out by Stardust, he teamed up with Neville to take on his face-painted rival and King Barrett at SummerSlam 2015.
The match played to Amell's strengths as he translated his passion for wrestling into his performance. He sold the beating he took extremely well and then dropped all jaws with a big dive to the outside of the ring.
The babyfaces picked up the victory after Neville got the pin, but fans were full of praise for the celebrity and what he brought to the table.
#4. The Mysterios vs. The Miz and Logan Paul - WrestleMania 38
.@LoganPaul's got the moves at #WrestleMania! https://t.co/5NQnpwZeCv
It's no secret that WWE does celebrity matches for publicity. More often than not, they portray celebrities as babyfaces to present them in a positive light to fans watching.
However, Logan Paul is anything but a normal celebrity. Fans despise him for his arrogant persona. To his credit, Paul seems to thrive on the vitriol he receives, and WWE took full advantage of it.
Booking beloved babyfaces Rey and Dominik Mysterio to take on two jerks in Logan Paul and The Miz was a great bit of thinking. Fans booed the YouTuber out of the building, but everyone had to admit that he put in a phenomenal performance that included iconic wrestling moves and stellar heel work.
After a back-and-forth match, Miz and Paul picked up the victory. As the duo celebrated, the A-Lister gave the real A-Lister (wink wink) a Skull-Crushing Finale that drew a great pop.
#3. Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. The Big Show - WrestleMania 24
A decade after Mike Tyson's unforgettable appearance at WrestleMania 14, WWE had another boxing legend in Floyd Mayweather Jr. grace the ring. Mayweather's match against The Big Show generated a lot of hype and mainstream attention and was a stellar success all around.
Mayweather wrestled Show under No Disqualification rules with the odds stacked against him. The company played the size disparity to perfection, and the result was a solid David vs. Goliath narrative.
The two stars showed great chemistry and had the crowd invested from start to finish. After taking a lot of punishment, Mayweather hit two devastating blows on his opponent with brass knuckles to take victory via knockout.
#2. Damian Priest and Bad Bunny vs. The Miz and John Morrison - WrestleMania 37
The WWE Universe was in disbelief after Bad Bunny's debut match was over. As far as celebrity bouts go, his first outing was absolutely sensational and exceeded anyone's wildest expectations.
Bunny teamed up with Damian Priest to take on The Miz and John Morrison at WrestleMania 37. The work the rapper put in at the Performance Center was evident as he executed some wild moves that stunned both his opponents and fans watching.
The chaotic match ended with Bunny and Priest picking up the victory over the heels. It immediately became a benchmark for celebrity matches and one of the best spectacles WWE has ever provided. As far as this list goes, it is a worthy winner, but not the conclusion.
#1. Pat McAfee vs. Adam Cole - NXT TakeOver 30
As good as Bad Bunny's match was, Pat McAfee vs. Adam Cole takes the cake because of how close to a wrestling clinic it was. If a celebrity match can come within touching distance of that status, you can bet this was an all-timer.
The heated feud between McAfee and Cole gave us some of the best promos in recent memory. The intensity carried over to the match, which was a great contest that saw the two superstars wage nothing short of war in the ring.
The former NFL punter more than held his own against one of the best wrestlers in the world and came out looking like a million bucks. Although he ultimately came up short, his performance convinced everyone that he would never look out of place as a wrestler.