WWE WrestleMania 2015: Greatest Celebrity Moments in the History of Event

Celebrity involvement has been a staple of WrestleMania dating back to the inaugural event in 1985, which was sold to the audience as a sports and entertainment extravaganza that would bring together the larger-than-life Superstars of World Wrestling Entertainment and celebrities from the worlds of Hollywood and professional sports.

Since March 31, 1985, Vince McMahon has created a number of enduring moments involving some of the most recognizable faces in mainstream pop culture. 

Whether it was Cyndi Lauper standing by the side of Wendi Richter in her war with Leilani Kai and Fabulous Moolah over the WWE Women's Championship, Lawrence Taylor stepping inside the squared circle to battle Bam Bam Bigelow or Mike Tyson helping to launch the Attitude Era as the special guest enforcer for the 1998 heavyweight title bout between Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels, certain moments are etched in the annals of time—the perfect example of what WrestleMania can be at its best.

As important to the show's success over the last three decades as the actual in-ring action and storyline development, celebrity involvement helps set the event apart from every other broadcast that WWE presents throughout the calendar year. 

With multi-platinum recording artists Skylar Grey, Kid Ink and Travis Barker officially announced for this year's show, and the likelihood of numerous other recognizable stars attending the show with their families and friends, take this stroll down memory lane and relive the greatest celebrity moments in the 30-year history of WrestleMania.

10. Bob Uecker Interviews Andre the Giant at WrestleMania IV

Few performers understood the performance side of professional wrestling the way former Major League Baseball player and commentator Bob Uecker did.

Appearing at both WrestleMania III and IV, he handled backstage interviews and ring announcing. In both cases, the star of Major League brought a charm and likability to his performance that made him a joy to watch.

No greater example exists of Uecker's ability to have fun and entertain than his interview with Andre the Giant from WrestleMania IV.

Everything from Uecker's facial expressions to his body language indicated that he was intimidated by the giant. Then, his trademark sarcasm got the best of him, leading Andre to grab him around the neck and shake him. So goofy were Uecker's facials that the Eighth Wonder of the World himself could not help but crack a smile as he walked off set.

In 2010, Uecker's contributions to the 1987 and 1988 shows were honored as he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

His speech from that night remains one of the night's very best.

9. The Best vs. the Biggest at WrestleMania XXIV

The 2008 battle between the Big Show and professional boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. ranks, to this day, as the best celebrity wrestling match in the long history of WrestleMania.

Mayweather was a natural heel, someone capable of playing to the crowd and eliciting a heated response. He was cocky and arrogant, and fans wanted nothing more than to see him tossed around by the World's Largest Athlete.

They got their wish, watching as the giant Superstar pummeled him with open-hand chops to the chest and a nasty sidewalk slam.

Interference from Mayweather's crew allowed the championship fighter to slip on a pair of brass knuckles and knock him unconscious.

The undefeated boxer picked up the victory, much to the dismay of the fans in attendance at Orlando's Citrus Bowl.

Still, despite the outcome, fans could not help but applaud Mayweather's performance and Big Show's willingness to do what was best for business by putting over the mainstream sports celebrity.

8. The Rock Hosts WrestleMania XXVII

While he may have gotten his start in professional wrestling, becoming one of the greatest Superstars in the history of the industry and a legitimate icon of sports entertainment, there was no denying the fact that when he returned in 2011 to host WrestleMania XXVII, The Rock had transcended the business and became one of the biggest celebrities on the planet.

A bona fide movie star and franchise savior, Dwayne Johnson came back to the industry that made him a star in order to give back and create new moments for a new generation of fans to tell their kids about.

At WrestleMania XXVII, he warmed the crowd up with a 14-minute promo to kick this off and then engaged in a face-to-face with longtime rival "Stone Cold" Steve Austin during a backstage segment. He ended the night by involving himself in the night's main event, delivering a Rock Bottom to John Cena and helping The Miz retain the WWE Championship as revenge for an Attitude Adjustment he suffered six days earlier on Raw.

In the three years that followed, Rock would engage Cena in a rivalry that resulted in two epic main events and numerous promos that split the fans and created some truly heated television.

His win over Cena at WrestleMania XXVIII capped off a successful comeback for the Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment.

7. Refrigerator Perry Outsmarts Big John Studd at WrestleMania II

The original WrestleMania was a smash success, so it was only natural that Vince McMahon would look to produce a sequel that was bigger and better than the original.

To do so, he would split the event up, broadcasting it from three separate locations. Long Island, Chicago and Los Angeles were home to the festivities in 1986. The Windy City's portion of the event would feature a massive Battle Royal starring the Superstars of WWE and some of the National Football League's biggest and brightest.

One, in particular, was William "Refrigerator" Perry, a defensive lineman for the hometown Bears.

Throughout the Battle Royal, he waged war with Big John Studd, the giant whose relationship with Bobby "The Brain" Heenan made him one of the most hated stars in the company.

After being eliminated by Studd, Perry could have easily walked dejectedly to the back. Instead, he feigned a handshake and then proceeded to pull Studd over the top rope and to the arena floor. The crowd in Chicago erupted, and Perry's place in WrestleMania history was cemented.

In 2006, Perry would be forever immortalized when he was inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame. His moment with Studd earned him the tremendous honor.

6. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun at WrestleMania I

Few pop stars were bigger or more popular than Cyndi Lauper in 1984, so when Vince McMahon recruited her to be the centerpiece of his Rock and Wrestling movement, it was a huge coup for his promotion.

Lauper, singer of the smash hit "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," found herself involved in the rivalry between Wendi Richter and Leilani Kai over the WWE Women's Championship. Accompanying Richter to the squared circle, she would oftentimes get in dustups with the legendary Fabulous Moolah at ringside, popping the audience and creating buzzworthy moments that only added to the attention the company was thriving on from outside media.

At WrestleMania I, in one of the night's highest-profile matches, Lauper accompanied Richter to the squared circle for her match against Kai. It was the popular babyface's opportunity to regain the title that was stolen from her by the heels.

Richter defeated Kai, while Lauper held Moolah at bay, preventing the devious future Hall of Famer from interfering in the contest.

The images of Lauper and Richter dancing around the ring, celebrating the new champion's victory, remains some of the most enduring in event history.

5. Kane Tombstones Pete Rose at WrestleMania XIV

Former Cincinnati Red and Philadelphia Phillie Pete Rose was one of a number of controversial celebrities involved in WrestleMania XIV, a show that Vince McMahon very much looked at as the launching pad for his company's Attitude movement. 

The disgraced former player and manager, banned from his sport for gambling, entered Boston's Fleet Center and proceeded to talk trash to the fans in attendance. He even brought up the infamous moment in which Bill Buckner failed to field a ground ball, essentially costing the Red Sox the World Series.

When the lights dimmed, pyrotechnics exploded at the top of the aisle and Kane made his way to the squared circle, those passionate Boston fans hoped the Big Red Monster would shut the mouth of their tormentor.

He did, delivering a huge Tombstone piledriver that left Jim Ross to exclaim, "That's Pete Rose!"

The moment drew more mainstream media attention, especially from ESPN, which replayed the moment on SportsCenter.

Over the next two years, Rose would attempt to avenge the attack but failed miserably in both instances, further enduring punishment at the hands of the Devil's Favorite Demon, much to the delight of the audience, who appreciated Rose's willingness to be the butt of the joke.

In 2004, the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame was created solely to induct Rose.

4. The Battle of the Billionaires at WrestleMania 23

Donald Trump's involvement in WrestleMania dates all the way back to 1988 and '89, when he partnered with Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Entertainment to promote the Showcase of the Immortals at Trump Plaza in Atlantic City.

In 2007, he and McMahon did business once more, coming together for a match that would attract the attention of mainstream media and become the talk of the pop culture world.

Trump would recruit Bobby Lashley, and McMahon would handpick Umaga to represent him in a match dubbed the "Battle of the Billionaires." The stipulation was simple: The losing businessman would have his head shaved bald in front of the entire viewing audience—the ultimate humiliation for two such proud men.

In front of 80,000 fans in Detroit, Trump watched Lashley defeat Umaga and then joined the winner and special referee Steve Austin in sheering the silver locks off the WWE chairman.

The moment was played all over television the next day, including NBC's Today, something made possible by the attention being paid to Trump and his The Apprentice reality show.

In 2013, Trump was enshrined in the Hall of Fame, as his contributions to the history of WrestleMania are undeniable.

3. Lawrence Taylor vs. Bam Bam Bigelow at WrestleMania XI

The 1995 main event between the massive Bam Bam Bigelow and former New York Giants great Lawrence Taylor was the product of a frustrated Bigelow shoving Taylor at the Royal Rumble, setting in motion massive promotion for the marquee match of WrestleMania XI.

The eyes of the wrestling industry were on Hartford, Connecticut, for the huge bout.

Rappers Salt-N-Pepa played their hit "Whatta Man" prior to Taylor's entrance, and stars from the National Football League (including future WCW star Steve McMichael) served as lumberjacks, surrounding the ring to keep the action inside and the members of the hated Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar Corporation from interfering.

Taylor exceeded any and all expectations, turning in the finest performance from a celebrity to date.

He sold Bigelow's beating with great conviction and used his considerable athleticism to help create a match that both he and his opponent could be proud of.

A top-rope forearm smash to the face put Bigelow down and allowed Taylor to leave with his head held high, his arm raised in victory and his legacy as an in-ring performer forever etched in the annals of WrestleMania.

2. Mike Tyson Knocks out Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XIV

Mike Tyson's involvement in WrestleMania XIV was essential to bringing eyes to Vince McMahon's product.

In the midst of an 83-week butt kicking at the hands of WCW and Eric Bischoff, McMahon recognized that, while bringing Tyson into the fold would cost him a pretty penny, it was essential if he were to get eyes on "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, The Rock, The Undertaker and Kane—stars he was counting on to help bring about the next great wrestling boom period.

It worked, and Tyson brought tremendous media attention to WWE and the WrestleMania pay-per-view.

In the weeks leading into the event, Tyson got into a shoving match with Austin, was named the enforcer for the WWE Championship match between the Texas Rattlesnake and Shawn Michaels and joined D-Generation X.

By the time he delivered a fast count that awarded Austin the title, it was clear that he had double-crossed Michaels. Confused, the former champion got in the face of Tyson and then made the mistake of poking the former heavyweight boxing champion.

Tyson delivered a knockout shot, punching Michaels' lights out and leaving with Austin in a moment that ushered in the Attitude Era.

The man known as the "Baddest Man on the Planet" would take his rightful place among the all-time greats when he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012.

1. Mr. T and the WrestleMania I Main Event

Without the involvement of Mr. T in the main event of WrestleMania, the spectacle might not have produced as much mainstream media and attention as it did. A major television star with the reputation of a tough guy, he was the perfect choice to bring on board.

As Hulk Hogan's tag team partner, he not only brought attention to the event itself but brought eyes to the charismatic star of Vince McMahon's promotion. More fans were able to witness the larger-than-life Hogan and his antics and become swept up in the fervor that was Hulkamania.

The inaugural WrestleMania was home to a tag team spectacular pitting Hogan and Mr. T against the hated "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and associate "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff.

With Billy Martin as guest ring announcer, Liberace as special timekeeper and the great Muhammad Ali as ringside enforcer, Mr. T's first venture into the squared circle was a star-studded affair.

When the star of The A-Team lifted Piper onto his shoulders and delivered an airplane spin, it not only paid off months and months of hype, but it also proved that McMahon and his advisers knew exactly how to get the most out of celebrity involvement without killing the heat of his full-time workers.

The babyfaces won the match, and Mr. T stood tall in the center of the ring, celebrating the victory with the Hulkster and "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka, who was at ringside to prevent interference from Piper's best friend, "Cowboy" Bob Orton.

McMahon had delivered the moments that fans had hoped to see from his sports entertainment spectacular, ensuring the future and growth of the events in the years to come.