When WWE superstars go head-to-head with celebrities, the end product can go one of two ways – it can either be the most entertaining part of the show, or it can develop into something so awkward, it makes you reach for the remote.
Over the years, celebrities from all walks of life have given wrestling a go, with varying levels of success.
Here, we take a closer look at six of our favourite WWE matches involving celebrities, as well as three of the very worst.
Floyd Mayweather vs Big Show (WrestleMania 24)
The original plan for WrestleMania 24 was to have a tag team match featuring boxing royalty Floyd Mayweather.
Due to injuries, WWE had to change plans and decided to build an angle between the 159-pound boxer and the 441-pound giant, The Big Show.
The two-month build-up was a tad more interesting than the final product, but it was still a fascinating match which ended with Mayweather using brass knuckles to knock out his opponent.
WrestleMania drew over one million PPV buys that year, with Mayweather’s involvement drawing a lot of mainstream attention.
Bad Bunny vs Damian Priest (Backlash, 2023)
Award-winning artist Bad Bunny has been involved with the WWE on numerous occasions, but his finest moment came in front of his home fans in Puerto Rico.
The 2023 edition of Backlash marked WWE’s first major show in the country for nearly two decades, and the capacity crowd was electric throughout the whole night.
The audience was particularly hyped to see one of their own battle Damian Priest in a San Juan Street Fight, and they certainly had their expectations met.
With weapons in use and lots of interruptions from other wrestlers, this was certainly one of the most exciting celebrity matches of all time.
Pat McAfee vs Austin Theory, and later vs Mr McMahon (WrestleMania 38)
Speaking of excitement, former NFL star Pat McAfee was involved in arguably one of the craziest spectacles in recent WrestleMania history.
The former American Football star defeated Austin Theory in what was a technically sound contest, but before he could celebrate, McAfee was quickly forced into an impromptu match with WWE chairman Mr McMahon.
The wrestling chief was victorious thanks to Theory’s interference, though all three men finished the segment on their backs as Stone Cold Steve Austin made a shock appearance and delivered a memorable set of Stunners.
This was peak WWE viewing.
Mr. T & Hulk Hogan vs Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff (WrestleMania I)
Desperate to make WrestleMania a success, Vince McMahon threw everything he had at the inaugural event – including the star power of celebrities.
This was underlined by the main event, which showcased a blend of sports and entertainment as WWF champion Hulk Hogan joined forces with film and television star Mr. T.
The pair took on Rowdy Roddy Piper and Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff at Madison Square Garden, with a host of other wrestling stars making ringside appearances.
Hogan and Mr. T picked up the victory in what was an entertaining spectacle – one which would set the template for future celebrity matches.
Johnny Knoxville vs Sami Zayn (WrestleMania 38)
During the 2022 edition of the Royal Rumble, an unlikely rivalry ignited between Sami Zayn and Johnny Knoxville after the wrestler eliminated the Jackass actor from the match.
Things escalated when Zayn crashed the red-carpet premiere of Jackass Forever, leading to security taking him away.
Knoxville got back at the WWE wrestler by flying a plane over Los Angeles, displaying Zayn’s phone number.
Their match at WrestleMania 38 was everything you would expect – total chaos. Appearances from ‘Party Boy’ Chris Pontius and ‘Wee-Man’ added to the fun, while an array of stunts and weapons made for a hilarious match.
Shaquille O’Neal vs The Big Show (WrestleMania 32 – André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal)
This one is more of a celebrity moment than a match, but the image of former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal and The Big Show standing face to face at WrestleMania certainly went global.
The moment didn’t last long as the WWE giant was able to eliminate the basketball legend from the Battle Royal, but as far as spectacles go, this was a seriously entertaining piece of WrestleMania history.
Now that we got the good ones out of the way, it’s time to look at some of the worst celebrity matches…
Akebono vs The Big Show sumo match (WrestleMania 21)
A match that nobody asked for but got anyway. The Big Show and sumo superstar Akebono squared off at WrestleMania 21 in one of the weirdest spectacles of all time.
The two men engaged in a pretend sumo match which officially lasted for a minute – a minute of our lives which we never got back.
Perhaps the match was all part of Vince McMahon’s weird sense of humour, as seeing The Big Show wearing a mawashi is something that would have undoubtedly tickled him behind the scenes.
Snooki, Trish Stratus & John Morrison vs Dolph Ziggler & LayCool (WrestleMania 27)
Jersey Shore star Snooki gave wrestling a go in 2011 when she teamed up with Trish Stratus and John Morrison to take on the team of Dolph Ziggler and LayCool.
While Snooki did showcase a lot of impressive athleticism, this match was neither entertaining nor memorable.
This felt like a match that was put on the card in order to give the fans time to go to the concession stand or relieve their bladders.
Cain Velasquez vs Brock Lesnar (WWE Crown Jewel)
Cain Velasquez and Brock Lesnar first clashed in a competitive environment back in 2010 over in the UFC.
Velasquez famously defeated Lesnar to win the heavyweight championship, though few would have ever predicted that nine years later they would square off in the WWE ring.
Considering their immense history, expectations were high for their wrestling match at Crown Jewel.
Unfortunately, the end product was very disappointing, as Lesnar picked up the victory in a match that lasted 130 seconds. How deflating.
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