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Something for everyone interested in hair, makeup, style, and body positivity.Celebrity·Posted 6 minutes ago19 Unforgettable Celebrity Moments In WWE
These celebs made the most of their time in the world of pro wrestling!
by Ken W. HanleyBuzzFeed Contributor
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Folks, WrestleMania is less than one week away and WWE's annual flagship event promises to hold some of the biggest and most anticipated matches of the year.
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WWE
But outside of dream matches, story resolutions, and the pure spectacle of it all, WrestleMania is often the time of year when celebrities get in on the action and have their own "WrestleMania moment."
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WWE
So with this in mind, I've assembled 19 of the most unforgettable celebrity moments from throughout WWE's storied history! Here we go:
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WWE / Logan Paul
1. Bad Bunny stunned in his debut match at WrestleMania 37
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WWE / Via youtube.com
The WWE capitalizing on the global stardom of Bad Bunny toward the end of the COVID-19 pandemic was certainly not on anyone's pop culture bingo cards, but the Puerto Rican rapper's love for pro wrestling (as exhibited by his hit single, "Booker T") and his willingness to put in the work to prepare for a WrestleMania match was more than enough for WWE to pull the trigger. Luckily, the experiment paid off big time, with Bad Bunny wowing the crowd in the first live WWE event since the lockdowns of 2020, and subsequently returning for a Royal Rumble appearance in 2022, and an upcoming hosting gig at Backlash in Puerto Rico in May 2023.
2. Snooki impressed in the ring at WrestleMania 27
Kevin Mazur / WireImage
In early 2011, Jersey Shore fever was still white hot, so many were surprised that WWE struck the iron and recruited Snooki to not only appear at WrestleMania, but actually partake in a match, teaming with women's wrestling stalwart, Trish Stratus, and then-star, John Morrison, against Dolph Ziggler, Layla, and Michelle McCool. Snooki — who had been getting much more flack on social media than her reality television costars — had something to prove, and prove she did, exhibiting some really cool and acrobatic moves to silence her critics in fairly short order.
3. Cyndi Lauper connected rock and wrestling at WrestleMania I
Adam Scull / PHOTOlink.net / Alamy
Cyndi Lauper is notable for being one of the first mainstream celebrities to bridge the gap between wrestling fans and general pop culture through the "Rock 'n' Wrestling" connection, which included the musical star featuring Capt. Lou Albano as her father in the iconic video for "Girls Just Want to Have Fun." While Lauper's physicality was fairly limited in the world of wrestling, she did show up in the corner for legendary women's wrestler Wendi Richter in her championship match against Leilani Kai, during which Lauper prevented Richter from an attack by standing up to the Fabulous Moolah. Lauper may not have stayed with the business, but her impact and influence on sports entertainment have inspired fans to continue calling for her WWE Hall of Fame induction to this day.
4. Michael Che and Colin Jost faced a monster's wrath at WrestleMania 35
Brian Ach / Getty Images for WWE
With Wrestlemania 35 coming to the New York/New Jersey area, WWE was bound to bring in some local flavor for the show, especially considering that the New York Metropolitan area is so tied into the history of the company. I don't think anyone could have predicted that Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update" duo, Michael Che and Colin Jost, would be the names that came to mind, but when the two began cutting heel promos on WWE's resident "Monster Among Men" Braun Strowman, it became clear that the pair would be getting in the ring in some capacity. While their time in WrestleMania's annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal was brief and largely uneventful, it did end in a particularly memorable manner as Che eliminated himself in the name of self-preservation shortly before Strowman sent Jost flying into a sea of previously-eliminated entrants outside of the ring.
5. Logan Paul soared as WWE's most valuable rookie in 2022
Alex Bierens De Haan / Getty Images
Logan Paul has been a divisive figure in the media landscape for years, so WWE fans were naturally skeptical when news broke that the notorious influencer was dipping his toes into the pool of pro wrestling. Initially debuting at WrestleMania 38 as The Miz's tag partner against Rey and Dominik Mysterio, Paul would shift his performances into next gear with riveting in-ring performances at Summerslam, Crown Jewel, and the Royal Rumble, in which he was part of a show-stopping mid-air collision with WWE's high-flying thrill-seeker Ricochet. It's a borderline miracle that even Logan Paul's most vocal detractors have to admit his wrestling career has turned out even better than imagined, with his upcoming WrestleMania bout with Seth Rollins being widely considered to be one of the most anticipated matches on the grandest stage of them all.
6. Lawrence Taylor collided with Bam Bam Bigelow at WrestleMania 11
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WWE / Via youtube.com
Business was down in WWE in 1995, as the company was tonally stuck between the sillier, gimmick-driven characters of yesteryear and a new class of more in-your-face performers. Yet the company managed to secure headlines across mainstream press outlets with the main event of WrestleMania 11, in which former NFL linebacker, Lawrence Taylor, clashed with the surprisingly agile big man, Bam Bam Bigelow. The match between the controversial New York Giants legend and the New Jersey native wasn't a technical wrestling showcase, but the hard-hitting affair blew the roof off of the place and helped thrust WWE's cultural momentum in a positive direction.
7. Jon Stewart turned heel at Summerslam 2015
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Jon Stewart has not tried to hide his fandom of professional wrestling, but in 2015, the former Daily Show host brought that passion in front of the camera by engaging in an on-screen feud with WWE's villainous Seth Rollins that crossed between WWE programming and The Daily Show itself. Eventually, Stewart would be announced as the host of Summerslam at Brooklyn's Barclays Center, but Stewart shocked the crowd by helping Rollins and striking John Cena with a chair during their championship match. However, Stewart made sure to do the favors for Cena the next night on Raw, taking John Cena's finishing move after an on-air explanation of his actions.
8. Hugh Jackman helped Zack Ryder with a Haymaker
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WWE / Via youtube.com
There were many peaks and valleys during the "Guest Host" era of Raw, with the likes of Bob Barker and the cast of MacGruber making the most of their airtime while the failures led to peak television cringe (we're looking at you, Jeremy Piven and Ken Jeong). But one of the most universally lauded guest hosts came in the form of Hugh Jackman, appearing to promote his fighting robot movie Real Steel. Even so, Jackman found himself in the corner of Zack Ryder (a decade before he nearly started a riot with his viral GCW championship win under his shoot name, Matt Cardona) and threw a surprisingly believable punch on Dolph Ziggler to help Ryder pull off an underdog victory. Jackman's appearance was such a success that he was invited back three years later to become the only two-time "Guest Host" in Raw history.
9. Ben Stiller felt the pain on Raw
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In the summer of 1999, professional wrestling was riding high as a cultural phenomenon in the midst of the "Monday Night War," bringing in record ratings and generating controversy on a weekly basis. Of course, the wrestling audience became a sought-after consumer base, leading to a number of interesting crossovers, from the killer doll Chucky appearing on WCW Nitro to, yes, Ben Stiller taking part in a promo with the volatile Jeff Jarrett on Raw to promote his latest film, Mystery Men. While Stiller managed to avoid Jarrett's dreaded guitar shot (unlike 2023 Emmy winner Paul Walter Hauser), the then-Intercontinental Champion locked Stiller in the Figure 4 Leg Lock, which the actor effectively sold like pure torture.
10. Stephen Amell became a wrestling wonder at Summerslam
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Before Jon Stewart got involved in the main event, a different celebrity turned heads at Summerslam in 2015, as Arrow's Stephen Amell entered the ring with the gravity-defying Neville to take on Stardust (aka this year's WrestleMania headliner, Cody Rhodes) and King Barrett. Though the match itself was set up to be a colorful affair, all four performers put on one hell of a show, with Amell displaying some strong offense and taking bumps like a ring veteran. While this remains Amell's sole WWE match to date, Amell would remain a presence in the world of wrestling for years to come, joining the "Bullet Club" stable in Ring of Honor in 2017, challenging independent wrestling icon Christopher Daniels at All In in 2018, and starring in the Starz drama series Heels.
11. The cast of Jackass Forever turned the tables on Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 38
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One of the many highlights of WrestleMania 38 in 2022 was the "Anything Goes" match between Johnny Knoxville and Sami Zayn, who is renowned for being able to steal the show whenever he's given the opportunity. Of course, fans expected things to devolve into full Jackass antics, and with the crew of Jackass Forever ringside, the fans got their wish and so much more. Pyro, giant hands, and mouse traps all factored their way into the hysterical match, but the hands-down most unforgettable moment was when the crowd erupted at the sight of Wee Man body-slamming Zayn in a manner that evoked Hulk Hogan slamming Andre the Giant at WrestleMania 3.
12. Mr. T went from boxing Rocky to wrestling Roddy Piper
Adam Scull / PHOTOlink / MediaPunch / Alamy
Both Mr. T and Hulk Hogan had become massive stars after appearing in Rocky III together, so when Hogan became the biggest name in the World Wrestling Federation, Hogan recruited Mr. T as his tag-team partner for the company's biggest show to date, WrestleMania. However, Mr. T had no formal wrestling training, and many on the roster didn't know what to make of his involvement, including his opponent, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. The real-life animosity between Mr. T and Piper made for compelling entertainment, so much so that Mr. T was invited back for a worked boxing match against Piper at WrestleMania II.
13. Rob Gronkowski lent a helping hand to an old friend at WrestleMania 33
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The Super Bowl-winning tight end for the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has had a somewhat complicated history with the WWE, signing a contract with the company mere weeks before COVID-19 sent the country into lockdown, leading him to host WrestleMania 36 in front of no crowds and eventually ditch his contract to return to football. But his journey with the global wrestling company actually began three years prior, as Gronkowski jumped from the crowd to help his longtime IRL friend, Mojo Rawley, eliminate Jinder Mahal with a booming tackle in that year's Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
14. Drew Carey flexed his comedy muscles at the 2001 Royal Rumble
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WWE / Via youtube.com
Drew Carey's first appearance on WWE television was a "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" scenario, as the comedian was preparing to release a NSFW improv comedy special on pay-per-view, a business model that WWE had mastered by 2001. In turn, Carey accepted an invitation to participate in the famed Royal Rumble match and received a hero's welcome from the live crowd. His time in the ring was short-lived, though he elicited big laughs after trying to bribe the demonic Kane before eliminating himself, but he made such a good impression on those within the company that Carey was eventually inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame 10 years later.
15. Mickey Rourke took The Wrestler to WrestleMania 25
Bill Olive / Getty Images
Leading up to WrestleMania 25, rumors swirled that Mickey Rourke would parlay his critically-acclaimed performance in The Wrestler into an actual wrestling match with longtime WWE standout Chris Jericho. Sadly, this match never came to be, with insurance concerns being the scapegoat for the match falling apart while others have claimed Rourke's own paranoia about Jericho taking liberties with his body was a primary reason for kiboshing the match. However, Rourke did appear at the show and sent the fans into a frenzy after hitting Jericho with a knockout blow after Y2J won in a handicap match against several retired WWE legends.
16. Machine Gun Kelly crashed RAW
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Machine Gun Kelly has had a minor yet longstanding relationship with the wrestling business, and his involvement with WWE's video game division has even resulted in the music star getting his own playable character in WWE 2K22. But MGK's most jaw-dropping moment in WWE dates back to 2015 when the performer was sent plummeting off of the stage due to a powerbomb from the ruthless Kevin Owens after performing live on Raw.
17. Arnold Schwarzenegger pumped up the WWE Hall of Fame
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Though you would think Arnold Schwarzenegger would have crossed paths with the wrestling world during the height of his bodybuilding days (especially after acting alongside Jesse Ventura on multiple occasions), Schwarzenegger wouldn't make his WWE debut until 1999, appearing on Smackdown to promote End of Days and eventually becoming involved in the main event angle. Schwarzenegger would remain involved with the company for the years that followed, including a Raw appearance alongside his Sabotage costar and noted wrestling superfan, Joe Manganiello. But Schwarzenegger's most memorable moment in the wrestling industry was probably his surprisingly touching induction of the legendary Bruno Sammartino into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013.
18. Pete Rose faced the real Big Red Machine at WrestleMania 14
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Pete Rose is an accomplished yet controversial figure in the world of sports, which is why it's no surprise that the WWE was drawn to bringing him in for an appearance at WrestleMania 14. Unsurprisingly, Rose took to the business like a fish to water, cutting a remarkably entertaining heel promo on the crowd before selling a Tombstone Piledriver as if it sent him to hell personally. What is surprising is that Rose and WWE's relationship bore more fruit than a one-off appearance, with Rose incurring the wrath of Rikishi at WrestleMania 2000 and even doing a commercial with Kane in 2002. He would eventually become the first entrant in the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004 and returned to the company for one last comeuppance from Kane during the "Guest Host" era in 2010.
19. And finally, Betty White made Raw golden as a Guest Host
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WWE / Via youtube.com
Over her decades in the entertainment business, Betty White did it all, from producing sitcoms, hosting game shows, starring in movies, and, of course, stealing America's heart as the naive Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls. Yet the then-92-year-old comedian was as game as ever to appear as a "Guest Host" of Raw in 2014, interacting with the beloved tag team The New Age Outlaws and delivering a rousing battle cry at the top of the show that the crowd ate up like a slice of delicious cheesecake.
