10 Most Memorable WrestleMania Celebrity Moments

7. Donald Trump, WrestleMania 23

Oh, Mr. President, can it be true?

Donald Trump’s appearance at WrestleMania 23 blew all of his other ‘Mania cameos out of the water. Donald Trump had sponsored both WrestleMania IV and V, which were held in Atlantic City, NJ, but many years later, he would really get involved in the action.

It was a match billed as ‘The Battle of the Billionaires,’ and, along with Trump, it featured the late Umaga, Bobby Lashley, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Vince McMahon. Umaga represented McMahon in this contest, and Lashley fought for Trump. Steve Austin was named the special guest referee. Also, just to up the ante, this insane bout was also a hair match. Trump’s hair vs Vince’s hair that is. Wouldn’t be much of a point for Lashley.

During the encounter, Trump went so far as to clothesline Vince and, after Lashley was victorious, helped to shave Vince’s head bald. The cherry on top was Steve Austin hitting the stunner on Trump in the post-match celebration.

Remember, folks, the U.S. President is in the WWE Hall of Fame for a reason.

---

6. Lawrence Taylor, WrestleMania XI

During one of WWE’s worst periods, they put on WrestleMania XI, which was headlined by American football player Lawrence Taylor and Bam Bam Bigelow. It was heavily promoted, and even in the world of sports entertainment, it was rare for a celebrity to headline in a singles match. But, WWE both needed and wanted mainstream publicity.

“No pads, no helmets, just me and you,” said Bam Bam when he issued the challenge to Taylor. L.T. accepted, and the two squared off in a lumberjack match with both pro wrestlers and footballers encircling the ring. Names included Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Reggie White and future Four Horseman Steve ‘Mongo’ McMichael. Iconic 90’s band Salt N’ Peppa performed live for Taylor’s entrance.

The two had a decent, hard-hitting battle, and following in the best traditions of WWE, the celebrity went over. Was it the best main event WWE could have put on at the time? Probably not. Was it a big-time celebrity moment? You bet.

---

5. Ken Shamrock, WrestleMania 13

In the 1990s, Ken Shamrock was a feared and widely respected mixed martial artist. Remember that Mike Tyson was ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet,’ Ronda is the ‘Baddest Woman on the Planet,’ but Ken was the ‘World’s Most Dangerous Man.’ Shamrock played a key role in what is arguably the greatest WrestleMania match in history.

Before becoming a fulltime member of the WWE roster himself, Shamrock served as the special guest referee for Bret Hart versus Steve Austin at WrestleMania XXIII. This was the legendary submission match where, rather than give up or tap out, Austin passed out in a pool of his own blood while in the sharpshooter. Shamrock declared Bret the winner, but something in ‘The Hitman’ had snapped.

When Hart continued to attack Austin after the bell, Ken had to step in, and pulled Bret off with a waist lock takeover. Shamrock did his part to give this match an edge, and helped illustrate what was really going on that night: the Attitude Era’s famous ‘double turn.’

---

4. The Rock, WrestleMania XXVIII

Let’s get one thing clear. The Rock was one of WWE’s biggest stars. Since leaving the ring, he has become one of Hollywood’s biggest stars ever. And once upon a time, he returned to WWE for WrestleMania after having made it in Hollywood. So, this counts.

At WrestleMania XXVIII, the Rock was WWE’s major attraction, joining John Cena in one of the most hyped matches of all time. Although this would turn out to be an outright lie, it was billed as “Once in a Lifetime.” The main event match helped WrestleMania XXVIII break pay-per-view records with 1.3 million buys. Strictly for the amount it was able to earn, this celebrity moment must be considered among the biggest ever.

It is what many people imagine when they think ‘dream match.’ However, it is worth noting that the sheer length of the Rock-Cena feud (it lasted for three WrestleMania cycles) drew the ire of hardcore fans.

• lists
• Celebrity
• WrestleMania
• wwe

Share this article with friends