Throughout the last four decades of professional wrestling, there have been a plethora of celebrity appearances in the show. Therefore, many memorable names made an impact and pushed professional wrestling further toward the mainstream. However, we won't include them all on this list. Instead, we'll only mention those who got physical in the square circle. So, the rule of thumb is that celebrities must have somehow been involved in the story. Therefore, superstars who appeared just to be seen will not be included in this top ten list. With that said, let's see who blessed the square circle with their presence.
10. Stephen Amell
The Arrow star could fight even without his gear
This Canadian actor famous for his role as Oliver Quinn in The Arrow also declared himself a huge wrestling fan. Even though he was supposed to wrestle against Stardust after the death of Dusty Rhodes, these plans seem to fall. However, during Summerslam 2015, Stardust attacked Amell, who was in the audience.
As it turned out, Amell was gonna fight in a tag match against Stardust. While he won that match, he also became good friends with Cody Rhodes. Furthermore, he even joined the faction that included Cody. Thanks to his physicality and agility, Amell performed numerous times. Therefore, we're pretty sure we're going to see him again!
9. Mr. T
We pity the fool who entered the ring with Mr. T
During the "Rock and Wrestling" era, bringing celebrities in WWE matches was popular. Among them, Mr. T was one of the biggest, thanks to his roles in "Rocky 3" and "A-Team." Hence, he entered WWE in a big way, helping Hulk Hogan fight Roddy Piper. This major feud was the founding event of the very first WrestleMania.
Mr. T participated in a tag team match on Hulk Hogan's side and helped him win. Although he wasn't universally accepted by the other wrestlers, Mr. T reappeared numerous times as both fighter and enforcer. He was even inducted into the Hall of Fame, which he celebrated with an unforgettable speech about his mum.
8. Andy Kaufman
A comedian turned wrestler in a neck-breaking publicity stunt
Andy Kaufman was a comedian of hectic and unpredictable style who became famous after a role in a hit TV show, "Taxi." Furthermore, he was also the first celebrity to appear in a professional wrestling show. In his style, he started calling himself the "Intergender Wrestling Champion of the World" and fought women only.
He soon got into a feud with Jerry "The King" Lawler, which stirred the wrestling scene in a big way. Not only did Lawler allegedly break Kaufman's neck, but he also slapped him out of his chair on Letterman's show. Kaufman then went on a horrific tirade, which turned out to be a major scandal. Years later, Kaufman and Lawler admitted it was all planned.
7. Dennis Rodman
A basketball rivalry mirrored in the wrestling ring
In the late 90s, World Championship Wrestling became more popular than World Wrestling Entertainment. The reasons were a fresh format of the shows and the colossal star power of former WWE stars, such as Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and Randy Savage. Yet, it was a pleasant surprise to see Dennis Rodman as a celebrity guest of the New World Order faction. However, the Bulls dynasty superstar didn't appear only, but he also participated in matches, helping his buddy Hogan.
Hence, the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz rivalry transferred into the square circle in the most curious turn of events. WCW managed to get Utah Jazz's Karl Malone, and they put him against Rodman. The same year the Bulls faced against the Jazz in the NBA finals, so this feud got massive mainstream coverage.
6. Jon Stewart
That's why John Cena didn't break Rick Flair's record
The famous comedian and TV host got into a feud with Seth Rollins in 2015. They appeared in each other's shows, which got pretty heated. Fortunately, two of them made up near the end of Stewart's hosting stint, with Rollins even giving Stuart a custom belt. Soon after, WWE called Stewart to be the official host of Summerslam 2015. Turns out his role would be way more significant.
Seth Rollins and John Cena fought for the double belt in a "Winner Take All" match. If Cena won, he would break Rick Flair's championship record. To everyone's surprise, the reason he didn't was John Stewart. The TV star crashed the match and hit Cena with a chair, thus helping Rollins win. Stewart would appear several times more in WWE, but nothing would outshine his performance in the 2015 Summerslam.
5. Shaquille O'Neal
The big guy waited long to fight in the wrestling ring
Shaquille O'Neal is one of the biggest fans of professional wrestling. Therefore, he has appeared in the show several times since 1994. His first arrival was during the WCW "Bash at the Beach" event to award the winner with the World Championship belt. He returned in 2009 at RAW as a guest host and even had an altercation with Hogan backstage.
However, O'Neill's biggest wish was to participate in an event as a performer. Thus, for years there were rumors about Shaq versus Big Show match. They eventually met during the Battle Royale event before getting eliminated. Unfortunately, Shaq's schedule was too tight for a singles match between the two. Finally, O'Neill got his long-awaited headline match in 2021 during an AEW event.
4. Mike Tyson
Scary boxer turned the tide in favor of WWE
Fans of professional wrestling agreed that Mike Tyson's appearance turned the tide in favor of WWE. Despite being way past his prime, Tyson was still the most recognizable figure in boxing. Consequently, his presence in WWE events gave the organization much-needed gravitas. Tyson appeared as the special enforcer for the championship match between Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels.
In his first stint, Tyson had a conflict with Steve Austin, which resulted in a brawl. Therefore, fans thought Tyson sided with Michaels and D-Generation X. Yet, that turned out to be wrong. During the match, Tyson knocked out Michaels and counted the pinfall, allowing Stone Cold to win the championship title. Tyson appeared in a ring once again in 2010 as a guest host, uniting then feuding with Chris Jericho. After 2020, Tyson came several times into AEW events, and we'll probably see him more.
3. Arnold Schwarzenegger
He appeared once, and then he was back
Despite his appearance seeming a bit random, Arnold Schwarzenegger was a huge draw, and many of his fans were also wrestling fans. Initially, he appeared in WWE only to promote his movie and even got his own custom belt, simply for being himself. Schwarzenegger became friends with Stone Cold and The Rock, making Triple H pretty unhappy.
Schwarzenegger appeared ringside for the main event of WrestleMania and even helped Stone Cold in the fight against Triple H. That didn't sit well with the latter, not at all. Triple H confronted the famous actor, only to get clobbered soon after. Schwarzenegger would be back (pun intended) in 2014 for the Raw segment with Hulk Hogan and The Miz. It sounds random, but Schwarzenegger was even inducted into the WWE hall of fame in 2015.
2. Muhammad Ali
Watch for those kicks, champ!
Muhammad Ali was an actor in one of the most infamous wrestling matches of all time. In 1976 he was still a fearsome boxer, despite past his prime. On the other hand, Antonio Inoki was a massive wrestling star who proposed a challenge to Ali to showcase the superiority of professional wrestling. When Ali arrived in Japan, he soon realized they would fight for real.
Ali's team changed some of the rules to save their man, so Inoki could kick only if one of his knees was on the ground. You can guess what happened in the match. Yes, Inoki spent the entire match on the ground, kicking Ali's legs! It's safe to say that their fight went the way nobody expected. However, that wasn't only Ali's appearance in professional wrestling. He was a special guest referee in the first WrestleMania but also appeared in a Korea-based event, in which he shared the hall with Inoki again.
1. Donald Trump
The future president graced the ring several times
The friendship between Donald Trump and Vince McMahon dates back to the late 80s when WWE hosted WrestleMania 4 and 5 in Trump Plaza. The future former president was often a guest of WWE's shows, appearing ringside and being interviewed. However, in 2007 he got into a feud with Vince McMahon himself. That resulted in "The Battle of the Billionaires" event, in which both Trump and McMahon had to choose a fighter to represent them.
The catch was the billionaire losing would have his head shaved. Eventually, Trump's representative Bobby Lashley won over Umaga, and Vince McMahon was publicly sheared. In 2009, Trump would even return as the alleged buyer of Monday Night Raw. Four years later, he solidified his legacy with WWE Hall of Fame induction.
During its long broadcast, professional wrestling has seen many celebrities appearing in the shows. The majority of these were just for show, but not all. Instead, some celebrities actively participated in the events as judges or wrestlers. You could see various famous people, from actors and sportsmen to an American president.
What's your favorite celebrity appearance in pro wrestling? Who would you like to see in the square circle?