The Best Celebrity Wrestling Appearances of All Time

Professional wrestling may go through purple patches from time to time, but the enduring appeal of this great sport makes it one of the most widely watched in America to this day.

The spellbinding blend of athletic ability, great storytelling and outright drama make pro wrestling a guaranteed dose of pure entertainment.

For this reason, it can be no surprise that over the years many celebrities, from tycoons to bodybuilders to professional sportsmen, have made appearances in the ring or, at the very least, close to it. When the worlds of celebrity and pro wrestling combine, there are sure to be fireworks and thrills. However, some appearances have simply gone down in history more than others and in this article, we will provide a rundown of the creme de la creme of celebrity wrestling cameos.

So, without further ado, here is our selection of the best celebrity wrestling appearances of all time…

Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Way back in back in 2008 at WrestleMania 24, self-proclaimed boxing great, Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather took on The Big Show in a No Disqualification match. The fight proved to be a huge draw for fans, with WrestleMania 24 one of the most purchased pay per view events in professional wrestling history to this day. The unbeaten Mayweather eventually managed to get the better of his gigantic adversary with the help of some nifty knuckledusters, ensuring that his wrestling record is just as pristine as his unbeaten boxing resumé. The bout has since gone down as one of the most bizarre match-ups ever conceived in sport.

Mike Tyson

The second inclusion on our list of celebrity appearances in pro wrestling is yet another boxer, with ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson making a series of legendary appearances in the late 90’s.

Not only did the heavyweight boxing legend’s face bring back many of the punters to WWF after a brief spell of WCW dominance, it also provided some truly memorable moments of drama. From Tyson’s white-knuckle WrestleMania main event involvement to his 2012 induction into the WWE hall of fame’s celebrity wing, there is no denying the star power that the former world champion holds wherever he shows his face.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

The founding father of modern bodybuilding, box-office actor, politician, there seems no limit to the talents of Mr Arnold Schwarzenegger. Wrestling enthusiasts will remember yet another role that Arnie managed to turn his hand to in the form of numerous wrestling cameos in the late 1990s, as well as his hall of fame induction back in 2015. Famously knocking out Triple H, Arnold took to his appearance on SmackDown! like a duck to water and used his still-bulging biceps to wow the throngs in attendance. They don’t come much bigger than Arnie and for this reason, he makes it onto our list of the great celebrity appearances in professional wrestling.

Mr. T

The legendary A-Team actor, Mr. T (real name Lawrence Tureaud) made an extremely memorable appearance in professional wrestling, as he was part of the first-ever main event at the inaugural WrestleMania back in 1985. The following year, the Rocky actor came back to WrestleMania 2 in a boxing match against ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper. Almost thirty years later, in 2014, Mr. T was deservedly inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame’s celebrity wing. If anybody deserves a mention in this list of the best celebrity wrestling appearances it is veteran of the game, Mr. T, who has been involved with the spot from the earliest days of its development.

Cyndi Lauper

Back in 1985, Lauper made an appearance at the inaugural WrestleMania as she accompanied Wendi Richter to the ring. Richter would go on to win the WWF Women’s Championship and Lauper’s association with the sport continued as many WWF famous faces would appear in a number of her music videos. In fact, Lauper contributed heavily to the promotion of the WWF back in the mid-1980s, exposing the competition to a whole new demographic.