8 most shocking celebrity appearances at WrestleMania
What sets WrestleMania apart from traditional wrestling premium live events is how it merges niche pro wrestling with the mainstream media. One of the most enthralling aspects of the show is the presence of celebrities to add some spice to the proceedings.
The upcoming edition of The Show of Shows will see Jackass Forever star Johnny Knoxville lock horns with Sami Zayn. The latter crashed the movie's premiere and had to be escorted out, and the growing animosity between the two resulted in a match at 'Mania.
However, this is far from the first time a celebrity guest has appeared at The Showcase of the Immortals. Over the years, many household names have turned up to sprinkle some stardust upon the show.
Here are eight of the celebrities who made shocking appearances at WrestleMania.
#8 On our list of celebrities who put more eyeballs at WrestleMania by making an appearance: Bad Bunny
Puerto Rican musician Bad Bunny ventured into pro wrestling when he made his debut on Night 1 of WrestleMania 37. He tagged with Damian Priest against The Miz and John Morrison and won the match.
Bad Bunny wowed the WWE Universe with his spectacular moveset, including a Canadian Destroyer. It was the hallmark of a great performer and set the standard for future celebrity appearances.
To cap off a great weekend, the Grammy Award Winner announced a world tour for 2022 titled 'El Último Tour del Mundo.' His association with WWE is not over, as The Undertaker recently made a surprise appearance during Bunny's concert in Texas.
#7 Ozzy Osbourne captivates the fans
Last year, Ozzy Osbourne was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Although he couldn't make it for the function, the rockstar accepted his induction via a video.
The Rock and Roll legend made an appearance at WrestleMania 2, where he was with The British Bulldogs for their World Tag Team Championship match against The Dream Team.
He returned to perform live on SmackDown in 2007 and also guest-hosted an episode of RAW two years later.
#6 The Terminator is immortalized in WWE history
Arnold Schwarzenegger has done it all in life. He has dabbled in athletics, politics, and, um, killer robots. He also shares a rich history with WWE, having been a part of some note-worthy moments.
Schwarzenegger punching Triple H on SmackDown in 1999 is one of the most amazing crossovers to have taken place in pro wrestling and mainstream media. However, his most memorable moment took place at WrestleMania 31, where he was deservedly inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
#5 Nicole Scherzinger enthralls one and all
The 25th anniversary of WrestleMania saw WWE bringing in Nicole Scherzinger. She performed a special rendition of 'America is Beautiful,' drawing inspiration from the likes of Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and John Legend.
Before the Pussycat Dolls icon took to the stage, she revealed to wwe.com that a certain Nature Boy gave her some much-needed encouragement.
"I met a Superstar today, and he came up to me after my soundcheck and he was so kind to me. He said, ‘I've been here for years. I've seen Aretha Franklin. I've seen them all. If you sing like that tonight, I've never heard anybody do it better. It was really amazing. And I believe his name was Ric Flair," Nicole said.
#4 Pamela Anderson becomes Diesel's good luck charm
The crowd at WrestleMania XI were ecstatic to see Pamela Anderson escort Diesel to his match against Shawn Michaels. Accompanied by Jenny McCarthy, she took her place in the crowd to watch the encounter.
Diesel pinned Michaels, pleasing the crowd in attendance. He then invited his guests into the ring to raise his arms in the air. They were happy to oblige as the fans cheered in approval.
#3 The Money turns up for a Big Show
One of the most iconic WrestleMania matches was when The Big Show took on none other than Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the Show of Shows. The duo was involved in an intense feud that culminated in a no-holds-barred match at WrestleMania 24.
Having broken Show's nose at No Way Out 2008, The Money squared off against him at 'Mania. Addressing the concerns surrounding the safety of his nose, Big Show said the following in an interview with SPORTbible:
“I’d spent a whole year messing around the ring boxing, so I knew he knew how to break my nose without shoving it through the back of my head. It was a left hook, it was awesome.”
In what became a phenomenal part of the show's history, Mayweather knocked his opponent out and made his record read 40-0.
#2 Kim Kardashian dazzles WrestleMania
WrestleMania 24 saw one of the most surprising celebrity appearances in Kim Kardashian. She revealed herself to be the Hostess of WrestleMania to a great ovation from fans.
Using her anchoring skills, the Keeping Up with the Kardashians icon introduced the Money in the Bank ladder match. She was then interrupted by WWE Superstar Mr. Kennedy, who declared that he only stood a chance of winning.
#1 Mike Tyson unleashes the Era of 3:16
Boxing legend Mike Tyson's crossover into WWE territory will forever be remembered as an iconic moment. At WrestleMania XIV, his role as the special enforcer for the match between Shawn Michaels and 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin drew significant mainstream media coverage.
Tyson did not stop there as he returned to WWE in 2010 as the guest host of RAW. He teamed up with Chris Jericho against Triple H and Michaels. However, he quickly turned on his teammate, giving D-Generation X the victory.
His legendary celebrity status saw him get honored with an induction into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012.
Don't miss the stupendous two-night WrestleMania, streaming LIVE from Dallas, Texas, on Saturday, April 2, and Sunday, April 3, starting at midnight in the UK. UK fans can catch all the action on the WWE Network and BT Sport Box Office.
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