{"id":158962,"date":"2026-04-17T08:00:33","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T12:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=158962"},"modified":"2026-04-17T05:54:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T09:54:14","slug":"every-closing-wrestlemania-main-event-involving-celebrities-ranked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2026\/04\/17\/every-closing-wrestlemania-main-event-involving-celebrities-ranked\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best (and Worst) WrestleMania Main Events Involving Celebrities"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Back then at WrestleMania, celebrities were invited as special guests, where they appeared in various roles. Some of these roles included serving as a guest interviewer, a special referee, an announcer, a commentator, or even wrestling in the ring. Celebrities were one of the key reasons WrestleMania became a huge success.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In today&#8217;s world of WWE, celebrities are making appearances more often than ever. It is now to the point where they are part of the main focal point for the fans. What some may view as entertainment, others view as a form of ruining the professional wrestling industry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This year, the<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2026\/04\/08\/wwe-wrestlemania-42-preview-match-card-4-18-26-night-1\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"> Night 1 Main Event of WrestleMania 42<\/a> will feature Cody Rhodes defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against Randy Orton. This match will have celebrity figures involved, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2026\/04\/03\/pat-mcafee-returns-to-wwe-on-smackdown-aligns-with-main-eventer\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Pat McAfee<\/a>, who will be in Orton&#8217;s corner<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are the ranked WrestleMania main-event closers featuring celebrities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>#4: Mr. T vs. &#8220;Rowdy&#8221; Roddy Piper (WrestleMania II)<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: Mr. T vs. Roddy Piper | Boxing Match: WrestleMania 2\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IVLVmj90VL0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Mr. T made his second <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2026\/04\/16\/wwe-wrestlemania-42-night-one-predictions\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">WrestleMania<\/a> appearance, fans were expecting something spectacular following the year prior. Unfortunately, there were so many discrepancies. For one, a finish involving a disqualification left the fans frustrated. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The result disappointed the fans because it took away the excitement towards a year-long worth of anticipation. The match itself was extremely underwhelming as it was hard for the fans to be fully invested. It was difficult for both men to work together in this boxing bout because Roddy Piper was never a boxer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"max-width: 610px\"><smartframe-embed class=\"smartframe_wp_element\" customer-id=\"8afcbf7a9ed3fd6bf7763b62addc7cf8\" image-id=\"3He6LUTdzJm7\" style=\"width: 100%; display: inline-flex; max-width: 1993px; aspect-ratio: 1993\/3000;\" ><\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although Piper and Mr. T were not profound professionals in the boxing field, both men gave what they could. With this event being the second WrestleMania, Vince McMahon tried to leave the fans with enjoyment, but the show itself was an ultimate failure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2><b>#3: Lawrence Taylor vs. Bam Bam Bigelow (WrestleMania XI)<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: Lawrence Taylor vs. Bam Bam Bigelow: WrestleMania XI\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fTuFC5VdZNM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After a decade in which WrestleMania was the primary event for wrestling fans, WWE decided to adopt a new approach with celebrities. This time, WWE decided to include sports athletes in the main event. During this period, WWE was in need of mainstream attention. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It seemed as if that plan was working in the 80s with the rise of Hulk Hogan, but things have changed as time went on. In an era where WWE was building its main event stars, such as Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart, the company tried the method of utilizing sports in their world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the 1995 Royal Rumble, Bam Bam Bigelow began his feud with then-NFL player<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lawrence Taylor<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by attacking him in the crowd following a loss in his match. This led to these two competing in the main event of that year&#8217;s WrestleMania. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although the match didn&#8217;t turn out as badly as fans thought, it didn&#8217;t need to close WrestleMania. This match may be regarded as one of the most decent celebrity matches, as Taylor was training to wrestle for only a few months.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2><b>#2: Hulk Hogan &amp; Mr. T vs. Roddy Piper &amp; Paul Orndorff (WrestleMania)<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: Mr. T &amp; Hulk Hogan vs. Roddy Piper &amp; Paul Orndorff: WrestleMania I\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1-B_IAb6cfs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first-ever WrestleMania will always be one to remember. It was the show that was make or break for the WWE. Vince McMahon himself admitted that WrestleMania was the biggest gamble of his life. Everyone who was part of the card helped make that show a success. The main event may have been the greatest contribution to drawing more fans.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For WrestleMania I, the closing bout was Hulk Hogan teaming up with Mr. T against Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff. Looking back, it wasn&#8217;t the best celebrity match, but there was so much ambiance built around it. What could&#8217;ve been a one-on-one between Piper and Hogan was instead turned into something greater in the eyes of McMahon. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There definitely was a vision where celebrities would bring such a huge attraction. When<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Muhammad Ali<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> made his presence known, the crowd went wild. Overall, the match was overwhelmingly fun in the entertainment aspect. Everyone involved fulfilled their roles.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2><b>#1: Shawn Michaels vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin for the WWF Championship (WrestleMania XIV)<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: Shawn Michaels vs. \u201cStone Cold\u201d Steve Austin \u2013 WWE Title Match: WrestleMania XIV\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TTArBJAVZog?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to celebrities taking part in WrestleMania main events, the 14th annual event takes the cake for having the top moment. Unlike the other matches mentioned, this one had a celebrity involved in a non-wrestling capacity. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shawn Michaels was defending the WWE Championship against Stone Cold Steve Austin, where Mike Tyson was serving as the special enforcer. The build for this match was spectacular, as there was significant improvement shown in the mainstream aspect. The clash between Austin and Tyson on RAW was peak television.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"max-width: 610px\"><smartframe-embed class=\"smartframe_wp_element\" customer-id=\"6dfbdbe8ed6ff2eb8f8e8ee3c2cef8f4\" image-id=\"wennYqsLuqQq\" style=\"width: 100%; display: inline-flex; max-width: 2840px; aspect-ratio: 2840\/1970;\" ><\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A lot of seeds were planted in this feud. It was the trigger of the Attitude Era officially starting, and it was the slow beginning of WWE&#8217;s biggest heel, Mr. McMahon. What appeared to be an alliance between Michaels and Tyson turned out to be a setup against Michaels. When Austin had Michaels pinned in the middle of the ring, Tyson immediately counted to three, thus crowning Austin the champion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tyson&#8217;s work wasn&#8217;t done yet as he hit his signature knockout punch on Michaels. The celebration between Austin and Tyson closed the show and also marked the start of The Austin Era. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Back then at WrestleMania, celebrities were invited as special guests, where they appeared in various roles. Some of these roles included serving as a guest interviewer, a special referee, an announcer, a commentator, or even wrestling in the ring. Celebrities were one of the key reasons WrestleMania became a huge success. In today&#8217;s world of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5615,"featured_media":159001,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7205,2192,4,3],"tags":[629,587,1102,395,396],"class_list":["post-158962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history","category-wrestling","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-stone-cold-steve-austin","tag-hulk-hogan","tag-roddy-piper","tag-shawn-michaels","tag-wrestlemania"],"modified_by":"Michael Joseph Sugue, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5615"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=158962"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158962\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":159005,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158962\/revisions\/159005"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/159001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=158962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=158962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=158962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}