6 world champion boxers who have made an impact in WWE
Over the years, WWE has brought in an impressive number of MMA fighters.
The likes of Ronda Rousey, Matt Riddle and Ken Shnumberk have all made the jump from sport into professional wrestling, and it is easy to see why. With so much of MMA based on wrestling, the transition is an easy one for many fighters to make.
That being said, for the majority of its history, WWE has also had a fairly close relationship with the boxing world. There have been numerous occasions where figures from the sport have appeared in Vince McMahon's company, with differing levels of success.
Some played huge roles in significant moments in the promotion's history while others appeared briefly before disappearing into the night.
With that in mind, here are six world champion boxers who have made an impact in WWE.
#6. Butterbean destroys WWE Brawl for All winner Bart Gunn
When Vince McMahon created the Brawl for All tournament, he intended to use the concept to push "Dr. Death" Steve Williams as a huge name. Unfortunately, Bart Gunn had other ideas, and he knocked Williams out in the second round before going on to win the entire tournament.
In a move that many considered punishing Gunn because of the result, he was scheduled to take on former world champion boxer Butterbean at WrestleMania 15.
The two faced off in a boxing match at the Showcase of the Immortals. Butterbean, who held a professional record of 42-1-1 at the time, destroyed Gunn, knocking him out in just 35 seconds. The former tag team champion was released not long afterwards.
This was Butterbeans' second WWE appearance, having won a worked match against Marc Mero by disqualification at In Your House: D-Generation X in December 1997.
#5. Tyson Fury takes on Braun Strowman at WWE's Crown Jewel event
🥊Tyson Fury's WWE debut! 💥🥊
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The most recent boxing megastar to show up in WWE was current WBC Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury.
The Gypsy King showed up on the inaugural episode of Smackdown on Fox and would quickly begin a feud with Braun Strowman. This led led to a pull-apart brawl between the two on the subsequent episode of Raw.
Fury would go on to face Strowman in Saudi Arabia at the Crown Jewel event and win the match by countout. He then appeared one month later on Smackdown and teamed up with the Monster Among Men, beating the B-Team in an inpromptu tag team match.
#4. Evander Holyfield wrestles Matt Hardy on WWE's Saturday Night Main Event
Back in August 2007, former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield stepped in to replace MVP for his boxing match against Matt Hardy on an episode of Saturday Night's Main Event.
MVP was forced to pull out after being diagnosed with a legitimate heart condition, and Holyfield was brought in to fight Hardy in his place.
The fight didn't last long and it ended in a no contest when the former boxer refused to knock Hardy out. MVP quickly confronted Holyfield and was subsequently laid out with a right hand for his troubles.
#3. Floyd Mayweather faced Big Show at WrestleMania 24
In the midst of a feud between Big Show and Rey Mysterio, WWE decided to bring boxing great Floyd Mayweather into the company to take on the World's Largest Athlete at WrestleMania 24.
Initially portrayed as a babyface, fans didn't take kindly to Mayweather. He was quickly turned heel while Big Show transitioned into a babyface role.
In a confrontation before the event, "Money" legitimately broke Show's nose. Once WrestleMania 24 came around, fans were well invested in the pair's match.
Mayweather would go on to beat Big Show by knockout in just over 10 minutes at the event.
#2. Muhammad Ali was the referee for the main event at the very first WrestleMania
.@HulkHogan, Muhammad Ali, and Libarce at the WrestleMania 1 Press Conference!
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The very first WrestleMania significantly changed the course of WWE's history, and one of the greatest boxers of all time was there to witness it.
Muhammad Ali, alongside Pat Patterson, was a special guest referee for the main event between Hulk Hogan and Mr. T Vs. Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff.
Ali even got to throw a punch, laying Piper out as the match broke to the outside of the ring. Having an icon like Ali at the event really helped solidify the spectacle that was WrestleMania, and played a hand in it becoming the biggest event in sports entertainment.
#1. Mike Tyson changed the course of the Monday Night Wars
When Mike Tyson showed up on Raw, Vince McMahon's company was on the losing end of their battle for ratings supremacy with WCW.
Ted Turner's promotion had been the number one wrestling company in the world for over a year, and Vince McMahon needed something to help them turn the tide. Tyson was just that, and he brought mainstream eyes to the company when it sorely needed them.
From his first confrontation with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin to his role as an outside enforcer in the main event of WrestleMania 14, Tyson made a huge impact in WWE. He played a large role in the company regaining its place as the number one promotion in the wrestling industry.