5 most talked about athlete cameos in WWE history

Throughout its existence, the WWE has shown that it's a company which prides itself on mainstream attention. Anything that’s through the form of headline-grabbing events or celebrity appearances catches the attention of this company. After all, they need attention to survive & stay relevant.

Over the years, some of the sport’s most iconic names have made their way into a WWE ring. These cameos have come in the form of guest enforcers, special guest referees and at times, even wrestlers. All those moments have done what they were intended to, create headlines and fuse the best of both worlds together.

Here are the 5 most talked about athlete cameos in WWE history.

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#4 Floyd Mayweather

Wrestlemania 23 drew 1,2m PPV buys

Money Mayweather did exactly what his name suggests when he came to the WWE, make money. In the lead up to Wrestlemania 23, Floyd Mayweather sent shockwaves around the sporting world by making Big Show bleed by from the mouth and nose. The following night, Big Show challenged to Mayweather to a fight at Wrestlemania. Mayweather accepted and with that, Wrestlemania 23 turned into a box office bonanza.

Floyd went on to knock out the Big Show at Wrestlemania, creating a moment generations will remember for a lifetime to come. WWE has a knack for acquiring the services of the biggest boxers on the planet and Floyd Mayweather may have been the biggest coup of them all. This cameo is etched in history and the bout will go down as one of the unique matchups ever.

#4 Shaquille O’Neal

Shaquille O'Neal was meant to fight the Big Show at WM33

In front of a WWE record crowd at Wrestlemania 32, Shaquille O’Neal made a surprise appearance in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, engaging in a ginormous stare down with the Big Show. For those who may not know, Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most famous basketball players ever. His accomplishments are relatively unmatched, but his unique physical presence has made him a global icon.

His Wrestlemania appearance went down so well that the WWE Universe was buzzed with rumours over the former Lakers’ player having a match at Wrestlemania 33 with the Big Show. The rumours came to nothing in the end and the WWE universe is still waiting in awe for that dream match.

#3 Ronda Rousey

Ronda Rousey is a huge WWE fan

At Wrestlemania 31 in front of a 76,976-strong crowd, The Rock made his return to the WWE to rain on The Authority’s parade. The Great One went on to make fun of the power couple, resulting in a slap from Stephanie McMahon. So, what did the Brahma Bull do? He called upon reinforcements in epic fashion.

Conveniently the most famous female MMA fighter in the world was sitting ringside and The Rock conveniently found her. As soon as she stepped in the ring, the crowd erupted and The Authority began to tremble in their boots.

What followed was an iconic physical exchange between the four superstars. The interaction has only left the WWE universe further wanting Ronda Rousey to wrestle in a WWE ring.

#2 Muhammed Ali

Muhammad Ali appeared at the first ever Wrestlemania

Every trend needs a trendsetter. And the man to pave the way for famous athletes to appear in a WWE ring was Muhammad Ali. Back at Wrestlemania 1, Muhammad Ali made his presence known by being the special guest referee in the main event. It was the main event existing of stars such as; Hulk Hogan (Ch.), Mr T., Jimmy Snuka, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Paul Orndoff & Bob Orton.

Not only did he add star power to the bout, Ali showcased his sporting skills too. The professional boxer gave Rowdy Roddy Piper a quick one-two combo to restore order in the match. With that punch, Ali opened the door for celebrity guest appearances in the realm of wrestling.

#1 Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson is a WWE Hall of Famer

"The baddest man on the planet" came face to face with the 'baddest' dude on the planet in the run-up to Wrestlemania 14. In 1998, Mike Tyson was one of the biggest sporting stars around. His boxing matches were the talk of the sporting world and when he appeared one night on Monday Night Raw, the fans lost their minds.

Not only did he appear on Raw, he had a physical altercation with Stone Cold Steve Austin, the most popular wrestler of that era. Ratings soared and interest in the WWE peaked to new heights.

In the end, Mike Tyson was deployed as a special guest enforcer in the main event of Wrestlemania 14. He also had a memorable scuffle with Shawn Michaels at ringside. This cameo appearance will forever go down as one of the greatest moments in WWE history, typically defining the popularity of the attitude era.