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Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WrestleMania 41: The greatest celebrity matches in WrestleMania history, from Lawrence Taylor to Bad Bunny
From the very beginning, WrestleMania has been a balance of in-ring wrestling and Hollywood glitz and glamour. The excitement around the first WrestleMania was built on pop star Cyndi Lauper, who was managing women's champion Wendi Richter and television/movie star Mr. T, who was in the main event tag match. Celebrities have donned the tights many times, and while the results have been sort of hit and miss (no one is going to be looking to rediscover the greatness of Maria Menounos's WrestleMania 28 tag match), there have been some truly excellent celebrity WrestleMania matches. From WrestleMania 1 all the way to last year's Philadelphia showcase, here is a list of the best: Bunny is a huge music star and has to be given a lot of credit for how he clearly prepared for this match. He broke out a bunch of high spots, a satellite head scissors, plancha and Canadian destroyer. The match never really felt like a fight, though, a feeling significantly less polished celebrities were able to pull off. Miz and Morrison are experienced hands and certainly did their best to install some credibility, but this ended up feeling more like a handful of cool twitter gifs than a complete match. (Still some admittedly cool twitter gifs.) Taylor was one of the greatest pure athletes in football history, and that athleticism jumped off the screen in this match. You get the sense that Taylor spent less time preparing for this match than any other celebrity on this list. If he tried to do anything complicated, it didn't look good — but the match still completely worked. Most of Taylor's offense were these leaping forearm smashes where he just sprung himself through the air and landed with the kind of explosive force that terrorized quarterbacks throughout the '80s and '90s. Bigelow was a pro's pro, and you could see him moving "LT" around into positions and feeding him openings and gamely taking the potatoes that Taylor was delivering. Bam Bam was always a bit of a what-if — for whatever reason he never really reached the heights that his talent and look should have taken him to. But in his most high-profile moment, he totally delivered. An incredibly 1980s moment: Muhammed Ali as the special referee, Libarace as the time-keeper and Billy Martin sitting at ringside. A sea change in the way professional wrestling was presented. A great Piper performance — just an all-time s***-stirrer, getting in Mr. T's face, cheap-shotting, stooging for Hogan, injecting the entire match with an unhinged energy, a little grit in the gloss. Mr. T did a nice job with his role as well, hitting some nice takedowns, being a good hot tag and coming off like a tough guy. Hogan in 1985 was a master of this kind of spectacle, playing to the cheap seats with big expressive selling and moves, delivering what the crowd paid to see. While Ronda Rousey would go on to have a pair of runs as a full-time wrestler, she was fully a celebrity attraction at this point, coming into the WWE after being one of the biggest sports stars in the world as a UFC champion. This was one a great example of the excellence of structure, a classic southern tag where the catharsis is deferred and deferred to make the moment when it hits mean so much. The rules of the match only allowed men to wrestle men and women to wrestle women, so the beginning of the match was Triple H trying to keep Angle from tagging in Rousey and forcing his wife into the threshing machine. McMahon could certainly outstay her welcome as an on-air character, but this was her masterpiece, a cheap-shotting obnoxious heel, who the crowd is begging to see get her comeuppance. They actually use a lot of bells and whistles to have a competitive finish run, with Steph in full hair-pull, eye-rake mode, keeping the audience from the moment where Ronda catches her, to the point where the crowd comes unglued when Ronda finally snaps her arm with the armbar. Logan Paul has become a staple of the WWE in the past three years, but came into this match as a social media star without previous in-ring experience — and he demonstrated here what would make him such a successful wrestler. Paul just seemed to intrinsically understand the way to dig under the skin of fans. There is a moment where Paul does Eddie Guerrero's signature combos to taunt Mysterio. It's a spot that has been done hundreds of times since Eddie's death, but just watch how Paul pauses after each suplex to maximize the boos — and his absolutely contemptible little shimmy on the top rope before the frog splash. A lot of wrestling heels these days exist in a sort of meta world where fans cheer them for 'being a good bad guy.' Paul in this match channels the kind of hate which would make old ladies try to stab Tully Blanchard. Basically a live action Tom and Jerry cartoon. Knoxville did a tremendous job translating what made "Jackass" so special over the years into a wrestling match — and Sami Zayn took the kind of insane bumps necessary to pull it off. Giant hands, tables full of mousetraps, bowling balls to the privates, crazy amounts of punishment. It was like if Kevin versus the Wet Bandits happened live with no special effects or cutting. Most celebrity matches are built around how the celebrity can integrate himself into the world of wrestling. This was basically Sami Zayn dropped in an episode of "Jackass," and he fit in perfectly. One of the great pro-wrestling spectacles of all time, the ultimate glitz and glamour celebrity fight. Mayweather was the biggest boxing star since Mike Tyson and someone who was facing off with a behemoth who was 250-pound heavier and a foot and a half taller. Somehow Floyd's natural brand of hateable charisma made the crowd root for Goliath to take his revenge against David. Mayweather came equipped with an entourage to run interference and take bumps, but when he got his chances, he showed off his blinding hand speed and power, throwing maybe the nastiest body shots ever in a pro-wrestling ring. Big Show got his licks in too, stepping on Mayweather's chest and arms and chucking him around the ring — huge bumps for an active champion boxer (although Mayweather was technically in the middle of one of his many retirements.) The finish was incredible, with Floyd using distractions to wallop Big Show with a chair and then crush him with a brass-knuckle assisted right hand, which he didn't appear to pull even a little bit.
Washington Post
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
WWE's WrestleMania continues to bulk up, providing a dayslong extravaganza for fans
As wrestling fans prepare to descend upon Las Vegas for WWE's WrestleMania 41, demand has steadily grown so much over the years that it's now bulked up into a dayslong event. While WrestleMania matches will be held on April 19 and 20, a flurry of activities will take place in the days before and after, including meet and greets with wrestlers, a WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, matches for weekly television shows including 'Smackdown,' 'Raw,' and 'NXT' and a Roast of WrestleMania hosted by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe. The build-out of activities is similar to what the NFL does for the Super Bowl, which hosts meet and greets with current and former football players, flag football clinics, food experiences and other events. WrestleMania has come a long way since its start in March 1985. Back then it was a one-night event that focused primarily on the wrestling matches, with celebrities like Mr. T, Liberace and Muhammad Ali sprinkled in. By 2016 there were more than 100,000 fans in attendance for WrestleMania 32 in Arlington, Texas. The annual event was expanded in 2020 to two days of wrestling matches with WrestleMania 36. WrestleMania 41 is being held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the same location where the Super Bowl was held last year. Similarly, WrestleMania 42 will be held at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans in 2026. That's where this year's Super Bowl was held. Jason Cieslak, global president of global brand consultancy Siegel+Gale, said that WWE has managed to find a way to continue to have WrestleMania successfully pay dividends for the company over time. 'There is a considerable benefit to treating WrestleMania like the Super Bowl or the World Cup,' he said. 'WWE has been masterful at looping in celebrities for participation and leveraging social channels to build excitement for the event.' WrestleMania's expansion to several days worth of activities and events is a benefit to the brand. 'From a brand perspective, it makes what once was a narrow social event into something more mainstream and entertaining,' Cieslak said. 'This is a major accomplishment when you consider the brand's origins.' Sports entertainment company WWE , which is part of TKO Group Holdings , has previously said that WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble have a combined economic impact of more than $300 million. Live events are a significant component of TKO's business. The New York company, which also owns UFC , hosted more than 300 live events worldwide last year. Jefferies' Randal Konik said in a recent client note that he anticipates the momentum that TKO's live events have to continue throughout this year. 'We believe TKO will continue to have multiple levers to drive live event expansion from increased ticket pricing to greater implementation of site fees,' he wrote.
The Independent
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
WWE's WrestleMania continues to bulk up, providing a dayslong extravaganza for fans
As wrestling fans prepare to descend upon Las Vegas for WWE 's WrestleMania 41, demand has steadily grown so much over the years that it's now bulked up into a dayslong event. While WrestleMania matches will be held on April 19 and 20, a flurry of activities will take place in the days before and after, including meet and greets with wrestlers, a WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, matches for weekly television shows including 'Smackdown,' 'Raw,' and 'NXT' and a Roast of WrestleMania hosted by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe. The build-out of activities is similar to what the NFL does for the Super Bowl, which hosts meet and greets with current and former football players, flag football clinics, food experiences and other events. WrestleMania has come a long way since its start in March 1985. Back then it was a one-night event that focused primarily on the wrestling matches, with celebrities like Mr. T, Liberace and Muhammad Ali sprinkled in. By 2016 there were more than 100,000 fans in attendance for WrestleMania 32 in Arlington, Texas. The annual event was expanded in 2020 to two days of wrestling matches with WrestleMania 36. WrestleMania 41 is being held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the same location where the Super Bowl was held last year. Similarly, WrestleMania 42 will be held at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans in 2026. That's where this year's Super Bowl was held. Jason Cieslak, global president of global brand consultancy Siegel+Gale, said that WWE has managed to find a way to continue to have WrestleMania successfully pay dividends for the company over time. 'There is a considerable benefit to treating WrestleMania like the Super Bowl or the World Cup,' he said. 'WWE has been masterful at looping in celebrities for participation and leveraging social channels to build excitement for the event.' WrestleMania's expansion to several days worth of activities and events is a benefit to the brand. 'From a brand perspective, it makes what once was a narrow social event into something more mainstream and entertaining,' Cieslak said. 'This is a major accomplishment when you consider the brand's origins.' Sports entertainment company WWE, which is part of TKO Group Holdings, has previously said that WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble have a combined economic impact of more than $300 million. Live events are a significant component of TKO's business. The New York company, which also owns UFC, hosted more than 300 live events worldwide last year. Jefferies' Randal Konik said in a recent client note that he anticipates the momentum that TKO's live events have to continue throughout this year. 'We believe TKO will continue to have multiple levers to drive live event expansion from increased ticket pricing to greater implementation of site fees,' he wrote.
Associated Press
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
WWE's WrestleMania continues to bulk up, providing a dayslong extravaganza for fans
As wrestling fans prepare to descend upon Las Vegas for WWE's WrestleMania 41, demand has steadily grown so much over the years that it's now bulked up into a dayslong event. While WrestleMania matches will be held on April 19 and 20, a flurry of activities will take place in the days before and after, including meet and greets with wrestlers, a WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, matches for weekly television shows including 'Smackdown,' 'Raw,' and 'NXT' and a Roast of WrestleMania hosted by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe. The build-out of activities is similar to what the NFL does for the Super Bowl, which hosts meet and greets with current and former football players, flag football clinics, food experiences and other events. WrestleMania has come a long way since its start in March 1985. Back then it was a one-night event that focused primarily on the wrestling matches, with celebrities like Mr. T, Liberace and Muhammad Ali sprinkled in. By 2016 there were more than 100,000 fans in attendance for WrestleMania 32 in Arlington, Texas. The annual event was expanded in 2020 to two days of wrestling matches with WrestleMania 36. WrestleMania 41 is being held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the same location where the Super Bowl was held last year. Similarly, WrestleMania 42 will be held at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans in 2026. That's where this year's Super Bowl was held. Jason Cieslak, global president of global brand consultancy Siegel+Gale, said that WWE has managed to find a way to continue to have WrestleMania successfully pay dividends for the company over time. 'There is a considerable benefit to treating WrestleMania like the Super Bowl or the World Cup,' he said. 'WWE has been masterful at looping in celebrities for participation and leveraging social channels to build excitement for the event.' WrestleMania's expansion to several days worth of activities and events is a benefit to the brand. 'From a brand perspective, it makes what once was a narrow social event into something more mainstream and entertaining,' Cieslak said. 'This is a major accomplishment when you consider the brand's origins.' Sports entertainment company WWE, which is part of TKO Group Holdings, has previously said that WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble have a combined economic impact of more than $300 million. Live events are a significant component of TKO's business. The New York company, which also owns UFC, hosted more than 300 live events worldwide last year. Jefferies' Randal Konik said in a recent client note that he anticipates the momentum that TKO's live events have to continue throughout this year. 'We believe TKO will continue to have multiple levers to drive live event expansion from increased ticket pricing to greater implementation of site fees,' he wrote.
Fox News
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Celebrities and athletes you didn't know appeared at WrestleMania
WWE's WrestleMania is the biggest spectacle in sports and it has only gotten bigger as the company's reach has grown exorbitantly over the last two decades. Saturday night will be the start of WrestleMania 41 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas with sold-out crowds expected to flock the home of the Las Vegas Raiders both nights. Not to mention the city itself turning to a haven of pro wrestling throughout the entire week leading up to the event. If there's one thing fans can bet on, it's that celebrities and famous athletes of all kinds will be in town for the event. "Monday Night Raw's" first episode on Netflix in January was a good indication of who will be at WrestleMania as Travis Scott, Vanessa Hudgens, Macaulay Culkin and Danielle Fishel were just some of the celebrities who appeared in the crowd. Sports fans who don't usually follow pro wrestling may not know that WrestleMania has featured celebrities and athletes since the event's inception in 1985. Read below for a list of celebrities you may not have known participated at WrestleMania. Cyndi Lauper was having all the fun in the 1980s, and she ingrained herself in the pro wrestling world after her hit song "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" debuted in 1983. She appeared at the very first WrestleMania as Wendi Richter's manager. Richter went on to defeat Leilani Kai for the then-World Wrestling Federation Women's Championship. Muhammad Ali was a bad man during the height of his boxing career and even made an impact on pro wrestling. He got into a confrontation with Gorilla Monsoon in 1976 and then reappeared for WrestleMania I as a special guest referee for Hulk Hogan's tag-team match with Mr. T against Paul Orndorff and Roddy Piper. Hogan and Mr. T won the match, helping catapult pro wrestling to new heights. NFL players have a history of making appearances at WrestleMania. William "The Refrigerator" Perry was at WrestleMania 2 in Chicago and took part in the WWF vs. NFL Battle Royal. He was among the last NFL players eliminated in the competition, which was won by Andre the Giants. Jimbo Covert, Ernie Holmes, Harvey Martin, Bill Fralic and Russ Francis also participated on the NFL's side. Alice Cooper rocked the Pontiac Silverdome in Detroit for WrestleMania III as he escorted Jake "The Snake" Roberts to the ring for his match against The Honky Tonk Man. The Honky Tonk Man won the match, but it was the start of Roberts gaining favor with fans. New York Giants legend Lawrence Taylor had a major role in WrestleMania than just participating in a battle royal. He went 1-on-1 in the main event of WrestleMania XI in 1995, going head-to-head against Bam Bam Bigelow. Taylor was praised for his performance as he defeated Bigelow. Regis Philbin served as a guest commentator at WrestleMania VII with late "Jeopardy" host as the in-ring announcer for the main event. Hulk Hogan defeated Sgt. Slaughter to win the WWF Championship. Mike Tyson was the baddest man on the planet in the 1990s and his celebrity took him through a storyline involving "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels in 1998. Tyson had been partnered with Michaels and Paul "Triple H" Levesque in the D-Generation X stable. He was named as the special enforcer for Austin and Michaels' match at WrestleMania XIV. He ended up turning on Michaels and helping Austin win the WWF Championship. Before he was president, Donald Trump had a huge storyline in WWE that tied into his popularity from "The Apprentice." He was in the Battle of the Billionaires at WrestleMania 23 against Vince McMahon and backed Bobby Lashley in a match against McMahon's competitor Umaga. If Lashley lost the match, McMahon would have had to shave Trump's hair and vice versa. Lashley won and Trump helped Steve Austin shave McMahon's hair. Trump is a WWE Hall of Famer. The legendary West Coast rapper has appeared at multiple WrestleMania events during his career. He was the master of ceremonies for WrestleMania XXIV for a tag-team match between Maria and Ashley Massaro and Beth Phoenix and Melina. He accompanied Sasha Banks to the ring for WrestleMania 32 and was thrust into an impromptu match against The Miz at WrestleMania 39. Kim Kardashian was the hostess for WrestleMania XXIV in 2008 as her popularity in pop culture soared. Reality TV star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi took the world by storm as one of the key members of the hit show "Jersey Shore." She competed at WrestleMania XXVII in 2011 as part of a mixed six-person tag-team match. The team of "Snooki," John Morrison and Trish Stratus defeated Dolph Ziggler, Michelle McCool and Layla. New England Patriots legend Rob Gronkowski made an appearance at WrestleMania 33 in 2017 to help his friend Mojo Rawley win the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. He was the host of WrestleMania 36 in 2020 and won the WWE 24/7 Championship. Comedian Johnny Knoxville had a rivalry with Sami Zayn in 2022, and it culminated in a match at WrestleMania 38. He defeated Zayn in an Anything Goes Match with the help of the "Jackass" crew.
