WWE WrestleMania 32: Greatest Celebrity Moments in the Event's History

As important to the history of WWE's WrestleMania as the actual in-ring work of its top Superstars is the heavy presence of celebrities who come out of the woodwork to appear on sports entertainment's biggest broadcast.

For 32 years, The Showcase of the Immortals has been home to as many classic wrestling matches as it has moments involving celebrities from other forms of entertainment.

Whether they were television stars, movie actors or sports icons, celebrities have bolstered the show's presence in the mainstream media with their appearances on the card.

In recent years, the most notable celebrity to appear on The Grandest Stage of Them All has been one of wrestling's own: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. A bona fide movie star who regularly appears in the biggest franchises in film, he returns to the company that helped him achieve notoriety on a yearly basis, giving back by increasing the visibility of the event.

He will do so again on April 3 in Arlington, Texas, as WWE hopes to attract 100,000 fans to AT&T Stadium for its latest spectacle.

In preparation for The Great One's return, let's relive these past WrestleManias and the celebrities that have lent their names and star power to them.

8. Regis Philbin Interviews Undertaker (WrestleMania VII)

It really is no surprise that Regis Philbin stole the show as one of the celebrity guests at WrestleMania VII in Los Angeles. A self-professed wrestling fan who had several of the most notable Superstars ever on his morning talk show, he was eager to do the best he could with the opportunity Vince McMahon gave him to perform on the show.

While he was part of some very fun interviews, the one that stands out most was his encounter with The Undertaker.

Airing after The Deadman's victory over "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka but obviously pre-taped, it saw Philbin asking the imposing star a few lighthearted questions. Instead of answering them, Undertaker was far more interested with measuring the TV personality for his casket.

A disturbed Philbin was brilliant, playing the increasingly scared little man while Undertaker stayed completely in character.

Though brief, the segment was a perfect example of a celebrity understanding his role and playing it to perfection without ever coming off as unnatural.

7. Alice Cooper and Jake "The Snake" Haunt WWE (WrestleMania III)

Alice Cooper is a rock 'n' roll legend. His face paint, theatrical stage show and dark lyrics made him the complete opposite of a parental favorite, but he was deemed cool, a favorite to a generation of music fans.

His personality meshed well with that of Jake "The Snake" Roberts, an enigmatic yet cold and calculating Superstar whose babyface turn had resulted in a wealth of fan support.

At WrestleMania III in suburban Detroit, nicknamed "Rock City" for its love of all things rock 'n' roll, Cooper accompanied Roberts to the ring for his match with Honky Tonk Man. Though the hated villain won via nefarious means, Roberts and Cooper got the last laugh when they introduced manager Jimmy Hart to python Damien.

It was a crowd-pleasing moment that is more memorable now than the match itself.

6. Floyd Mayweather Defeats Big Show (WrestleMania XXIV)

Undertaker vs. Edge may have been the last match of WrestleMania XXIV, but the real main event of the show was "The Biggest vs. The Best," as Big Show battled boxing great Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

It was a match weeks in the making, the result of a rapid succession of punches that left the giant's nose splattered all over his face.

On the grandest stage known to professional wrestling, Mayweather proved no moment was too big. He was cocky and flamboyant during his entrance, then sold the punishment from Big Show to perfection when the time called for it. Finally, he exploded across the ring with a hard right assisted by a pair of brass knuckles that knocked the former WWE champion out cold and netted the boxing star his sole 'Mania win.

It was a successful appearance, one that drew the eyes of the boxing world to the show and created genuine interest in the show. While the bout was hardly the best of the night, it was unarguably the most important, which had a lot to do with the name value of Mayweather.

5. The Battle of the Billionaires (WrestleMania 23)

Speaking of name value, current Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was key to the record-breaking success of WrestleMania 23.

On the strength of his Battle of the Billionaires with Vince McMahon, the show set a new pay-per-view record, as fans from across the globe tuned in to the event to witness one of the two egotistical businessmen have their heads shaved.

Trump recruited Bobby Lashley for the match, while McMahon tapped "Samoan Bulldozer" Umaga. The two self-important business icons spent weeks talking trash to hype the match, then got physical in front of 80,000-plus fans inside Detroit's Ford Field.

And in the end, it was McMahon getting his head shaved by Trump, Lashey and special referee "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

Then, in the most glorious moment of all, Trump ate a Stone Cold Stunner, much to the delight of the fans.

Trump was extremely effective in his role. As the star of the brand-new The Apprentice, he was back in the national spotlight and relevant again. He attracted viewers, and more importantly, his relationship with NBC helped get WrestleMania some airtime on The Today Show and other NBC-owned platforms.

Without him, the likelihood that WrestleMania 23 would have set the records it ultimately did would have been significantly lower.

4. Lawrence Taylor Defeats Bam Bam Bigelow (WrestleMania XI)

What began as a shoving match at the 1995 Royal Rumble escalated to the point that Lawrence Taylor, former NFL great and future Hall of Famer, set foot inside the squared circle for the main event of WrestleMania XI.

His opponent?

The massive Bam Bam Bigelow.

At a time when WWE was desperately in need of mainstream attention to remind fans that it did in fact exist, the match brought them that. Taylor was still pro football royalty, and his venture into the squared circle generated a strong amount of buzz.

His in-ring performance generated even more, especially among wrestling fans. 

Taylor was devoted to his work between the ropes. He was crisp, sold Bigelow's offense and clearly had put in the work necessary to ensure the best showing possible. His flying forearm that felled The Beast from the East looked ultra-convincing, something not typical of celebrities.

LT won the match and basked in the glory of the WWE faithful, and rightfully so. He succeeded in his role, delivering an admirable performance and holding up his end of the deal with Vince McMahon's company.

3. Mike Tyson Knocks Out Shawn Michaels

Who knows where World Wrestling Entertainment would be today had it not been for Mike Tyson, the notorious boxer whose involvement in WrestleMania XIV generated considerable interest in the event and was essential to the turning of the tide in the Monday Night Wars with WCW.

Tyson was a megastar, for reasons both right and wrong. He was infamous for his boxing exploits and even more so for his rap sheet. Everyone knew who Tyson was, and he fit the edgy, attitude-fueled direction in which WWE was taking its product at that point.

That he was a lifelong fan of the sport only ensured that he would do whatever was necessary to deliver the best performance imaginable. And he did.

Tyson appeared on Raw numerous times leading up to the event, even swerving fans by joining D-Generation X. He appeared to be in collusion with Shawn Michaels ahead of his WWE title defense against Steve Austin, but as history tells us, that was not exactly the case.

After counting Michaels' shoulders to the mat, Tyson stood toe-to-toe with ol' HBK. The second the former champion put his hands on him, Tyson floored Michaels with a single right hand in a moment that paid off his entire involvement.

Tyson left with Austin, raising the new champion's arm in victory in a moment that guided the company into a new era.

2. Kane Tombstones Pete Rose...and Again...and Again (WrestleManias XIV-2000)

Pete Rose is the greatest celebrity to ever be involved in WrestleMania, his appearances at three consecutive shows setting the bar for fun and harmless entertainment.

At WrestleMania XIV, Rose's browbeating of the Boston fans earned him a Tombstone, courtesy of wrestling's version of the Big Red Machine. One year later, in Philadelphia, he donned the suit of the world-famous San Diego Chicken and sneak-attacked Kane.

The outcome? Another Tombstone.

With two attempts at vengeance unsuccessful, Rose tried one last time, only to endure another piledriver and the ultimate humiliation: a Stink Face from Rikishi.

It was a rare instance in which a celebrity enjoyed his experience, agreed to return on multiple occasions and delivered a satisfying payoff to his appearances. He was selfless, showed no ego in taking the punishment he did and was inducted into the 2004 Hall of Fame class, becoming the first member of the celebrity wing.

And rightfully so.

Rose has returned on a few other occasions, including during a commercial shoot for 2002's No Mercy pay-per-view (in which he was visited by his longtime foe) and a stint as guest host of Monday Night Raw.

Again, he caught up with Kane in the least pleasurable of circumstances.

1. WrestleMania I

The inaugural WrestleMania's success was as much about the involvement of recognizable celebrities as it was the latest chapter in the Hulk Hogan-Roddy Piper program.

Mr. T, who competed in the main event, was an enormous television star who remains as big a part of pop culture today as The Hulkster. Then there was special timekeeper Librace, ring announcer (and New York Yankees manager) Billy Martin and guest ringside enforcer, the great Muhammad Ali.

As important, if not more so, was pop sensation Cyndi Lauper, whose involvement with the company sparked the Rock 'n' Wrestling Era that would be so immensely successful for Vince McMahon. Her presence in the corner of Wendi Richter for the Women's Championship match against Leilani Kai helped hoist the popularity of women's wrestling to a new level.

The show was a monumental success, with fans from all over the country hitting up their local movie theaters to witness it on closed-circuit television.

With so many interesting and compelling celebrities intertwining with the captivating Superstars of WWE, fans could not deny their anticipation for the show.

And the world of professional wrestling would never be the same again.