The “celebrity wing” of the WWE Hall of Fame has always been a bit controversial, with many fans wondering why a celebrity wing exists at all. The fact of the matter is that WWE owes a lot to the celebrities who helped bring pro wrestling into the mainstream, like Cyndi Lauper and Mike Tyson (although the former is oddly absent from the Hall of Fame).
Here are five of the best celebrity inductees in the WWE Hall of Fame.
5. Snoop Dogg
During a darker time in WWE’s history, Snoop Dogg served as the Master of Ceremonies for the Playboy BunnyMania Lumberjill match at WrestleMania XXIV. Thankfully, he’s done much more than that to earn his place in the Hall of Fame.
Not only did Snoop guest host Raw in 2009, but he was also a guest star in 2015. And, of course, he escorted his cousin Sasha Banks to the ring for her triple-threat match against Charlotte and Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 32.
4. Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger revolutionized the sport of bodybuilding, and that alone would be enough to get him a spot in the Hall of Fame – but his relationship with WWE goes way back.
Schwarzenegger first became involved in pro wrestling when he met WWE legend Bruno Sammartino at Mr. Olympia in the early 1970s, and the two became lifelong friends. In the 1980s, Schwarzenegger took Hollywood by storm and starred alongside Jesse “The Body” Ventura in The Running Man and Predator. He’s made several appearances in WWE throughout his long and storied career and was even presented with the “World Box Office Championship” in 1999 by Vince McMahon.
3. Donald Trump
Whether you love him or loathe him, everyone has an opinion on Donald Trump – and isn’t that the mark of a great sports entertainer?
All jokes aside, Trump has played a pretty big role in WWE’s history. He hosted both WrestleMania IV and V at Trump Plaza, and who can forget the “Battle of the Billionaires” at WrestleMania 23? Besides, I think it’s pretty darn cool that the President of the United States is a WWE Hall of Famer.
2. Mike Tyson
It can be argued that Mike Tyson helped turn the tide in WWE’s favor during the Monday Night Wars, so of course, he belongs in the WWE Hall of Fame.
In early 1998, the then-WWF was in the midst of a long losing streak in the head-to-head rating war with WCW Monday Nitro. But, starting at the Royal Rumble, Tyson inserted himself into the feud between D-Generation X and Stone Cold Steve Austin, which culminated with Tyson serving as a “special guest enforcer” during the WWF World Heavyweight Championship match between Austin and Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XIV. The shocking moment that Tyson was revealed to be a DX pawn is one that fans of the Attitude Era will never forget.
1. Mr. T
With the exception of Cyndi Lauper, perhaps no celebrity has been more integral to pro wrestling’s mainstream success than Mr. T.
As part of “The Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Connection,” Mr. T appeared at The War to Settle the Score in February 1985, the main event of which was televised on MTV. After Hulk Hogan defeated Roddy Piper by DQ, a melee ensued, and Mr. T entered the ring to help back Hogan up against Piper’s entourage. The feud continued to the very first WrestleMania, where Mr. T and Hogan teamed up to defeat Piper and Paul Orndorff in the main event. The following year at WrestleMania 2, Mr. T defeated Piper in a boxing match.
If that’s not enough, Mr. T also supported Hogan in WCW, where he defeated Kevin Sullivan in a match at Starrcade ’94.
Do you agree that these are the bets celebrity members of the WWE Hall of Fame? Who else would you add? Share your picks below!