On Sunday April 3rd, Nicole “Snooki” Pollizi will make the most important move of her career. She will participate in a fake wrestling match at the Super Bowl of professional wrestling, WWE Wrestlemania XXVII. This odd and rather disturbing event was sparked by Snooki’s recent appearance on the WWE’s weekly show RAW, in which Snooki got involved in a match between Vickie Guerrero and returning women’s champ, and fan-boy wet dream Trish Stratus. Guerrero won the match, but not without calling out Snooki, telling the Jersey Shore star that she had now entered their world. The subsequent event is now a 6 man/woman match at Wrestlemania in which Snooki, Stratus, and John Morrison will take on Guerrero’s boyfriend Dolph Ziggler, Layla, and Michelle McCool. Great…but anyway, Snooki will not be the first celebrity (term used loosely) to make her professional wrestling debut at the annual Wrestlemania. So in honor of this peculiar event, here are 10 other celebrities who have also entered the squared circle at the WWE’s feature program. Enjoy Socialites!
1. Mickey Rourke
After starring in “The Wrestler” as a pro-wrestler himself, Mickey Rourke fought perennial star Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania XXV. Mickey Rourke won the match by knocking out Jericho with a swift left hand, proving that acting as a wrestler in a movie is not much different than acting as a wrestler in an actual wrestling event.
2. Mr. T
Mr. T was featured in a tag team match at Wrestlemania I. The A-Team and Rocky 3 star teamed up with Hulk Hogan to fight Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorrf. The match was refereed by Muhammad Ali (mentioned later), and Mr. T and Hulk eventually came out victorious. Think it’s a little weird that a non-pro wins a match at the first ever Wrestlemania? Have you ever watched pro-wrestling? Not much makes sense.
3. Pamela Anderson and 4. Jenny McCarthy
The two playboy models accompanied Diesel and Shawn Michaels respectively, to their championship match at Wrestlemania XI. Not as big an involvement as celebrities usually get at wrestling events, but considering the two were at the height of their careers and not writing baby books and being roasted like they are now, this was pretty big for the WWE.
5. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Say what you want about Floyd Mayweather. He only fights old men and amateurs, he ducks big fights, he’s scared of Manny, he’s a stain on the sport of boxing and American society. Really, say anything you want. But Mayweather dropped his gloves at Wrestlemania XXIV when he stepped into the ring to defend good friend Rey Mysterio against The Big Show. Mayweather lit up The Big Show with a series of punches leaving him bloody and beaten. The Two wrestled the next night on RAW, with Show picking Floyd up and hurling him into the crowd. That’s one defeat I guess.
6. Pete Rose
In 1998, Rose appeared at Wrestlemania XIV as a special guest ring announcer, and was subsequently given a Tomb Stone Pile Driver by Kane. For the next 3 years, Rose appeared at Wrestlemania in an attempt to seek revenge. At one point he even showed up disguised as The San Diego Chicken. With each subsequent appearance, Rose was given yet another Pile Driver. Does nothing go right for Pete Rose?
7. Muhammad Ali
As mentioned before, Muhammad Ali appeared at the first Wrestlemania as a special guest referee. If you think being the ref is a small role by any means, you haven’t watched any pro-wrestling. Ali reffed the previously mentioned match involving Mr. T, and during a 4-way brawl in the middle of the ring, Ali punched Roddy Piper in the face to restore order. Order was restored, and Ali cemented his legacy as the most bad-ass dude to ever put on a pair of trunks. Much more so than that Mayweather prick.
8. Donald Trump
This is perhaps one of the weirdest celebrity related events in pro-wrestling history, but i’ll let you be the judge. After Trump called out WWE owner Vince McMahon, the two decided to each choose wrestlers to represent them in a match. The rich white dude who’s wrestler lost the match, would have to shave his head, as per the stipulations of the match. McMahon won…
9. Kim Kardashian
Not the most interesting story, but still relevant. Kim Kardashian served as a hostess at Wrestlemania XXIV, and announced to the capacity crowd that the show had set a Citrus Bowl attendance record of 74, 635. She was then choke slammed by The Undertaker, but not really. That was a dream I had once. She was naked.
10. Lawrence Taylor
After an illustrious career of smoking rock, banging hos, and sacking an occasional NFL quarterback or two, LT decided to step into the ring against Bam Bam Bigelow at Wrestlemania 11. One of the better celebrity matches in pro-wrestling history, the match was hotly contested with Taylor winning in the end (big surprise). Oh and by the way, there was also a fake Bill Clinton in attendance, who I legitimately thought, in my 10-year-old mind, was the real deal. Damn you Pro-Wrestling! My whole childhood was lies!!
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