Ranking WWE's Greatest Celebrity Matches of All Time Ahead of Lil Yachty vs. Baron Corbin
Rapper Lil Yachty will become the latest celebrity to compete in a WWE ring this weekend at Sunday Night's Main Event, when he squares off with United States Champion Baron Corbin.
Rapper Lil Yachty will become the latest celebrity to compete in a WWE ring this weekend at Sunday Night's Main Event, when he squares off with United States Champion Baron Corbin.
A win and Trick Williams will receive a rematch for the title. A loss and Corbin will continue his run with the gold, without threat of the former champion chasing him.
In preparation for the recording artist's squared circle debut, relive the greatest celebrity matches in WWE history with this countdown.
10. Mr. T and Hulk Hogan vs. Paul Orndorff and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper (WrestleMania I)
The inaugural WrestleMania would not have been the success it was had Mr. T from TV's The A-Team rolled into Madison Square Garden and failed spectacularly. Thankfully, he did not, sparring with Piper and delivering an airplane spin to the Hall of Famer that captivated the fans in New York City and kept them invested in the star-studded main event. While tame compared to what we see from celebrities today, this was an unforgettable introduction to WWE's use of celebrity in an in-ring capacity.
9. Stephen Amell and Adrian Neville vs. Stardust and King Barrett (SummerSlam 2015)
A somewhat forgotten gem in the annals of celebrity in-ring performances, the tag team match pitting TV's Arrow and Neville against Barrett and Stardust was a fun, inoffensive match that showcased Amell's passion for the business and fearless approach to the in-ring game. It would not be his final match, either, as he would compete at the inaugural All In in 2018, squaring off with Christopher Daniels.
8. Bad Bunny and Damian Priest vs. The Miz and John Morrison (WrestleMania 37)
The first of two appearances from the most streamed artist in the world on this list, Bad Bunny made his in-ring debut on wrestling's biggest stage and wasted no time staking his claim to the title of "best celebrity Superstar" as he sailed through the air to wipe out his opponents, sold a beatdown when necessary, and ultimately won the match for his team by pinning former WWE Champion The Miz.
7. Jelly Roll and Randy Orton vs. Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul (SummerSlam 2025)
Platinum recording artist Jelly Roll had no business being as successful as he was inside the squared circle, but having lost weight and devoted himself to training for the match-up, he was just that. Though he ate the loss for his team, the singer took a big bump through the announce table, showed great fire in his comeback, and had fans inside MetLife Stadium rooting for him to pull out the victory.
6. Pat McAfee vs. Adam Cole (NXT TakeOver XXX)
Before he became a multimedia megastar and was annoyingly shoehorned into a WrestleMania main event that didn't need him, McAfee was a humble former NFL punter, happy to be invited to compete in the squared circle. He showed great determination and dedication to his role, and the result was a shockingly good match with the centerpiece of the NXT brand, Undisputed Era's Adam Cole. The heel won the match, but McAfee endeared himself to the audience and management, strengthening a relationship with the company that would lead to an expanded role.
5. Johnny Knoxville vs. Sami Zayn (WrestleMania 38)
The comedy match pitting Jackass star Johnny Knoxville against Sami Zayn had no business working as well as it did. The fact that it succeeded and kept fans in Dallas at AT&T Stadium invested and laughing along with the performers is a testament to the performance of the celebrity and the greatness of the professional wrestler.
Zayn understood the assignment and went along with the hilarity, slapstick, and hijinks. He sold every practical joke perfectly and took what could have been a career lowlight and turned it into a legitimate highlight.
Knoxville did everything he had to, took some bumps along the way, and used his natural charisma to keep the fans into everything he did.
A match infinitely better than it had any right to be, it is a shining example of playing to the strengths of the celebrity and producing a match that satisfies the audience, not to mention one of Zayn's greatest one-night performances.
4. Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. The Big Show
Dubbed "The Biggest vs. The Best," the 2008 match between the boxing megastar and the returning Big Show was the marquee match of the WrestleMania 24 card and the selling point for the show. Had it failed, it would have adversely affected the overall quality of the event.
Mayweather bumped around the squared circle, selling the larger opponent's offense. In turn, WWE protected Big Show when it was time for the finish, with him forced to overcome some of Mayweather's backup and bodyguards, only to fall to the boxer's devastating, brass-knuckle-wrapped right hand.
The match played perfectly to the strengths of the performers involved, the fans in Orlando were hugely into it, and the result was a match that exceeded expectations, awarded the celebrity the win, but also managed to protect the wrestler, even in defeat.
3. Lawrence Taylor vs. Bam Bam Bigelow (WrestleMania XI)
Frustrated after a big championship loss at the 1995 Royal Rumble, Bam Bam Bigelow shoved Lawrence Taylor and set in motion the events that would lead to a collision course at WrestleMania XI.
Not one to be disrespected Taylor agreed to set foot inside the squared circle, battling the trusted big man in singles competition. The contest carried with it pomp and circumstance, but it was once the bell rang that fans sat up and took notice.
Taylor did not reinvent the wheel with his performance, but he did play to his athletic background to wow the audience, showed an underrated knack for selling a beatdown, and finally put Bigelow down with a devastating top rope forearm strike.
It was a triumphant night for Taylor and a career highlight for Bigelow. That it took place on the grandest stage in pro wrestling and is still remembered today only serves to elevate its stock and earn it the No. 3 spot on this countdown, even if there are technically better matches elsewhere on it.
2. Logan Paul vs. Roman Reigns (Crown Jewel 2022)
Just two matches into his in-ring career, Logan Paul entered Saudi Arabia for his November 2022 match-up with Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, still a largely unproven entity.
He had shown flashes of brilliance in his tag team debut months earlier at WrestleMania, then defeated The Miz at SummerSlam, but wrestling the biggest star in the company on an international stage, for the industry's top title, was a whole other beast.
Unfazed by the moment, Paul showed up and showed out, delivering arguably the best performance of his career and taking The Tribal Chief to the limit. Paul sold, showed great explosion, and had the fans around the world thinking he might pull off an inconceivable upset by besting Reigns.
That did not happen, thanks to the involvement of The Bloodline, but there was no doubt by the end of the match that Paul could excel between the ropes and be a legitimate professional wrestler.
1. Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest (Backlash 2023)
The atmosphere. The star power. The ascension of Damian Priest.
The San Juan Street Fight between Priest and megastar Bad Bunny, in Puerto Rico, remains one of the most unforgettable experiences in modern wrestling history. Treated like the cultural icon he was as he set foot in the arena, Bad Bunny hit the squared circle amid one of the most electric atmospheres pro wrestling had ever seen.
From there, he proceeded to have a five-star affair with Priest in a match that had the fans biting on every near-fall and big bump. Together, they created magic, culminating in the musician delivering a Bunny Destroyer to earn the grueling victory.
Some big bumps from both men, run-ins from The Judgment Day, Carlito, and Savio Vega, and a molten-hot audience helped elevate the overall quality of a match that would have been great even without them.
Easily and without doubt, the greatest celebrity in-ring performance in WWE history and one that set the bar impossibly high for Corbin and Lil Yachty to clear Sunday night in Atlanta.
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