List of celebrities involved with WrestleMania

WrestleMania is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the promotion World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), formerly known as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). The events feature wrestlers from the promotion's roster competing in a variety of professional wrestling match types, performances with pre-determined outcomes between wrestlers with fictional personalities that are portrayed as real for the entertainment of the audience. The WrestleMania franchise debuted in 1985 with WrestleMania I, [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/history/wm1/factsstats/|title=WrestleMania History: WrestleMania I|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessdate=2008-08-20] and has been produced annually since then. WrestleMania XXIV is the most recent production,cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/|title=WrestleMania: WrestleMania XXIV|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessdate=2008-08-20] and WrestleMania XXV in April 2009 will celebrate the series' 25th anniversary. [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/exclusives/WMXXVTravPackLimited|title=WrestleMania XXV travel packages extremely limited|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessdate=2008-08-20|date=2008-05-30]

Aside from professional wrestling performances, celebrity involvement has been a major key in the production of WrestleMania events. WWE involves celebrities in the WrestleMania events to gain more hype and media attention for the event, in this way receiving more attraction to the event, pay-per-view buys, and ticket sales.cite web|url=http://prowrestling.about.com/od/wrestlemania/a/wmcelebrities.htm|title=WrestleMania Celebrities|last=Cohen|first=Eric|publisher=About.com (Professional Wrestling)|accessdate=2008-08-20] [cite web|url=http://www.channelguidemag.com/articles/wrestleCelebs.lasso|title=WrestleMania Celebrity Sightings|last=Acklen|first=Lori|publisher=Channel Guide Magazine|accessdate=2008-08-20] The celebrities involved with WrestleMania events have come from a range of occupations, including singing, acting, professional boxing, and modeling, and usually appear in non-wrestling roles, such as singing, promoting a subject, or managing wrestlers at ringside. There have been exceptions, however, in which celebrities have had a professional wrestling role.

One of the first celebrities to appear at the first WrestleMania was Mr. T, who wrestled in the main event in a tag team match with Hulk Hogan. Aretha Franklin also appeared at the first WrestleMania and sang a rendition of "America the Beautiful." Franklin appeared 22 years later at WrestleMania 23 and sang another rendition of the same song. At times, WWE has inducted celebrities into their Hall of Fame. For example, Chicago Bears defensive lineman William Perry wrestled in a match that involved other NFL football players, and he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a "Celebrity Inductee" in 2004. Another celebrity was Mike Tyson, who appeared at WrestleMania XIV and was originally planned to enforce the ringside area, although he was involved in a physical altercation with Shawn Michaels (Michael Hickenbottom). Pete Rose has made the most celebrity appearances at WrestleMania, with four overall appearances. Overall, there have been 95 celebrities involved at WrestleMania: 32 athletes, 26 musicians, 18 actors, and 20 others from different backgrounds.

Celebrities

Actors

Other

References

External links

* [http://www.wrestlemania.com/shows/wrestlemania Official WrestleMania website]