WrestleMania has been synonymous with celebrities and pop culture figures since its inception on March 31, 1985. That night, figures like Liberace and Billy Martin made cameos while figures like Cyndi Lauper were involved in actual programs. In fact, Muhammed Ali appeared as a guest ref in a match involving Hulk Hogan tagging with 80s icon Mr. T at the height of his career. Ali would get involved in the match, costing the heel team of Piper and Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff to lose the match to Hogan and Mr. T.
The promotional run that Hogan and T went on during the OG road to WrestleMania helped to launch it into the extravaganza, which we know it to be today. In fact, many pundits and wrestling historians credit that promotional run as one of the key factors in launching wrestling into the mainstream. In the MTV era, establishing a brand that could connect to that audience fluidly was essential; merging muscle men mayhem with chart-topping hits was enough to move the pop culture needle for both genres.
The Name of The Game: Fame
Today, the blueprint remains, and WWE attempts to capitalize from celebrity needle movers whenever possible. There are examples in every single WrestleMania, and although the spots are usually brief or in the form of a ‘stand and wave’ cameo, major icons like Bad Bunny, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Lawrence Taylor have competed in actual matches. From Pete Rose to the current sitting president, Donald Trump, WrestleMania has pushed lines and narratives that grab the headlines and force mainstream media to provide coverage.
The most recent example of this took place at this year’s Elimination Chamber—the event that set into motion Mania’s current premier storyline of John Cena–Cody Rhodes for the world title. At the March 1 event, Cena turned heel alongside The Rock and Travis Scott. Scott has been a longtime fan of WWE and has appeared at events in the past in various roles. However, Scott was 100% part of the storyline and was not just a passenger on that ride after making himself a tangible part of the program when he slapped the taste out of Cody’s mouth—a spot many felt went too far.
As earth-shattering as it was to see the ‘perpetual good guy,’ Cena, turn heel on WWE’s current continual babyface Cody, the entire scene was enhanced by Scott’s mere presence. So, seeing him get physically involved garnered attention from every media outlet. But it wasn’t just Scott’s in-ring work that sparked news because a clip was posted following the Chamber PLE. In that clip, Scott spoke to Triple H in Gorilla while trying to come down from the moment. Scott’s adrenaline was still ramped up, and at that moment, he admitted that the feeling of being in the ring and the crowd’s reactions were ‘lowkey better than (concert) performing.’
Scott would later say that he is building rings in all of his residences, and this statement was on top of reports that he has been training. How deeply Scott is woven into the current storyline remains to be seen, as neither he nor The Rock has been seen since EC. Yet, WWE sees the writing on the wall, and after the in-ring success of artists like Bad Bunny and YouTubers like Logan Paul, there is likely a list of celebrities considering a crossover—however brief.
The Celebrity Feud List
With all the pop culture appeal that wrestling carries today and the power position TKO currently occupies, we could start seeing huge A-list celebrities making more than a cameo or single spot to fulfill a childhood dream. And in the world of music and Hollywood, there is never a shortage of celebrity feuds.
So, the following is a list of the top DREAM celebrity matches based on REAL celebrity feuds that could be turned into a work for the sake of being on the “Show of Shows.”
Top Celebrity Feuds For Next Year’s WrestleMania
5. Selena Gomez w/Benny Blanco vs. Hailey Bieber w/ Justin Bieber
There might not be a ton of adult males familiar with the current Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber feud, but it cannot be denied that these are the biggest celebrities of the current era. You might remember that Justin Bieber and Selena were the “it couple” before a very messy breakup that produced albums and media coverage at the highest level.
Today, Selena is engaged to super-producer Benny Blanco, and if you see them together, you’ll first ask: “How?” But he is incredibly talented, and unlike Justin, he appears to be a super down-to-earth guy who is not caught up in his celebrity. After the engagement announcement, Bieber posted a ‘Lord of the Rings’ meme poking fun at women that cherish their engagement rings on social media after being proposed to. It was clearly a jab at Selena and Benny’s engagement, and fans went at the Biebster hard. It doesn’t help that his wife, Hailey, has been accused of jacking Selena’s swag over the years.
Nothing is better than a wrestling wedding, and the tension between these celebrities would make a Randy Savage-Miss Elizabeth wedding feel like a ‘city hall’ marriage. While it is difficult to book Blanco-Bieber, the entire world would be waiting for the moment Selena finally ‘puts her hands on’ Justin.
4. Bhad Bhabie vs. Alabama Barker
Unless you’re a grade-schooler, you probably are unaware of either of these two ‘celebrities.’ This is a Gen-Z feud capable of bringing a gaggle of children into the WWE fold. You might remember Bhad Bahbie of internet fame after an appearance on Dr. Phil sparked her now world-famous catchphrase: ‘Cache meh oww-side, how bout dat,’ (or something like that). As for Barker, she is the child of Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker.
The pair already have diss tracks against each other, but they are not recommended for adults who are squeamish hearing children rap such explicit lyrics (of the sexual variety). The music might not be worth it, but keeping it in the realm of WWE prevents them from doing something stupid. This is not a serious rap beef like Pac and Biggie, so it is perfect for the WWE arena.
3. Britney Spears In A ‘Spears Family’ Money In The Bank
If you have followed the story of Britney Spears’ conservatorship over the years, then you are very aware of how contentious her family relationship is in its current state. That kind of family drama is nothing to play with, but a ladder match could be a therapeutic way of working through issues. The story goes after Spears’ many viral videos of odd behavior started to flood the internet. Her father pursued guardianship, and that led to a very strict conservatorship.
So, sticking a bunch of money in a case and allowing the Spears family to battle over it is a fitting booking. The finale would be Britney’s hero moment as her father climbs the ladder and wins the briefcase. With just him and his daughter in the ring, they hug it out, and we think we’re getting the happy ending.
NOPE. Britney tells Pops to open the case that is supposed to be filled with money, and instead, a ‘jack in the box’ pops out with a sign that says: “I got this money from John Cena, that’s why you can’t see it.” What a crowd pop.
2. The Streamer Battle Royal
From iShowSpeed being speared into the mat at the Royal Rumble to Kai Cenat showing off his moves on stream, this new era of celebrity has a power hold on audiences. While many fans were initially bothered by Speed taking an actual wrestler’s spot in the Rumble, it all worked out when he was “shown the ropes.”
If these streamers continue infiltrating the WWE, they should show us what they have. Of course, nobody will be Logan, but that’s not what we need in a Rumble. We need Kai, Speed, Neon, and Druski pulling out hilarious comedy spots and stunts that no other celebrity would take. After years of these guys bothering the public for content, this would be an epic watch that hopefully ends when an actual WWE streamer/podcaster enters to destroy them all. Who wouldn’t watch that?
1. Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar
The rap battle of the summer took all the headlines last year and continues to dominate media outlets today in a story that continues to escalate. These two rappers have beefed forever, but it all spilled out when Drake and J.Cole put out a track that referred to them, along with Kendrick, as the rap game’s “Big 3,” a reference to the Miami Heat team with LeBron, Bosh, and D-Wade.
K-Dot officially won the battle after his “Not Like Us” track scored the number one spot on the charts, produced a Grammy win, and culminated in a Super Bowl performance that put the dagger in Drake’s rap heart. Since the beef, Drake has tried to lean into the narrative that he could lose and still be Drake—a philosophy most fans aren’t buying.
What better way to put this to bed than to get in the ring? Nobody wants to see two unskilled rappers wear boxing gloves or enter the ring. Let’s face it: hip hop is another version of Hollywood, and the lyrics and personas never match the actual artists.
What is the best way to settle this long-standing beef? An Iron Man match, of course, makes sense when you consider rap beef to be a series of wins and losses where totality determines the winner. K-Dot is the shorter guy, but if he can get a training camp with Rey Mysterio Jr, Kofi, and Chad Gable, then he could utilize his speed against today’s overly bulky Drake. This match would be for the ‘soul of hip hop,’ and we have a clear face (Kendrick) and a clear heel (Drake). You have long-term storytelling at its finest.
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