10 Most Memorable WrestleMania Celebrity Moments

3. Ronda Rousey, WrestleMania 34

Before she became a regular member of the WWE RAW roster, Ronda got physical at WrestleMania 31. She hopped the barricade to help the Rock confront both Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. That was the beginning.

Her biggest moment as an honest-to-God celebrity, however, was her in-ring debut. That took place at WrestleMania 34. Many were not keen on Ronda getting a big match on this stage. Some felt that she was taking the spot away from members of WWE’s emerging Women’s Division. She’d also had little experience. However, in a tag match with partner Kurt Angle, she faced Triple H and Stephanie, where she proved she belonged and solidified her status as a major draw in pro wrestling.

She went on to become the RAW Women’s champion, and her impact since cannot be denied. Due in part to this celebrity moment, fans got to see their first WrestleMania headlined by women.

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2. Mike Tyson, WrestleMania XIV

“The Baddest Man on the Planet,” ex-con, heavyweight boxing champion of the world, D-Generation X member, and ear biter. Mike Tyson was one of the most lethal fighters in history, and given his checkered past, people were never really sure if he was crazy or not. This demeanor fit perfectly into a period of pro wrestling you might know as ‘the Attitude Era.’

There is no denying that Mike Tyson enhanced Steve Austin’s run as the top star in the business. Considering that Austin would become the biggest draw in the history of WWE, Tyson’s impact is amplified.

In the buildup to Austin-Michaels at WrestleMania XIV, Mike Tyson got into a brawl with Stone Cold and joined DX, which was headed up by Austin’s nemesis, Shawn Michaels. When Tyson was named the special guest enforcer for the WrestleMania showdown, the deck looked to be stacked against the ‘Texas Rattlesnake’. However, in a surprise turn of events, Tyson showed no inhibitions about counting three when Austin hit the stunner on Shawn. Following the match, Tyson ‘knocked out’ Michaels, revealing he had been a Stone Cold fan the entire time.

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1. Mr. T, WrestleMania I, 2

For this, we go back to the very beginning, the first pages of WrestleMania’s history. The global phenomenon that is WWE would not be what it is today if the first WrestleManias had not succeeded. To help ensure success, Vince McMahon enlisted the help of one of television’s most recognizable stars of the 1980s, and role model to kids everywhere, Mr. T.

Mr. T was billed as the real life friend of Hulk Hogan, a man of similar values, who would team up with him in the inaugural WrestleMania main event to take on Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorf. Hogan and T teaming up was every young kid’s dream come true. To hype this contest, Mr. T appeared on WWE programming, but Hulk Hogan would also appear on the hit TV show, the A Team. The crossover appeal was a big novelty at the time.

Not Hogan, nor McMahon, nor Mr. T can take sole credit for the success of WrestleMania, but getting the celebrity rub certainly helped. The feud with Piper would live on, as Mr. T participated in a worked boxing match at WrestleMania II against the rowdy one, really contributing his celebrity to the cause of WWE. (No matter how silly it might have been.)

Would the Hulkamania era ever reach its height without the help of the 80’s TV icon? Would the first pro wrestling boom occur without his help? It is hard to say, but this is the earliest and most significant use of a celebrity with the goal of getting your own wrestlers and product over on such a scale. It is a tactic that has been used every year since, and one that is still in use today.

Did we miss any big celebrity moments? Let us know on Twitter!

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