A history of celebrities at the big event
(Part 2 Featuring Wrestlemania 3 & 4)
Part 1 is available here 
We continue our look at one of the key Wrestlemania attractions for casual fans over the years analyzing celebrities from both the entertainment and sports fields that have crossed over onto the grandest stage of all. We’re going to look back at everyone who took part, what their role was, and how effective they were. Join me now for a trip down memory lane starting with …
Wrestlemania 3
Celebrities and guest stars include:
Guest Interviewer / Commentator: Bob Uecker
Guest Interviewer: Mary Hart
America the Beautiful: Aretha Franklin
Guest Manager: Alice Cooper
Wrestlemania 1 had six celebrities who participated at the event, and then Wrestlemania 2 it ballooned to sixteen, with an additional six in the NFL battle royal to bring the total to 22. After that the then WWF settled down in it’s celebrity insanity bringing just 4 to the 3rd staging of it’s biggest event. Smartly they would never get back to 22 ever again, you live and learn I guess
Wrestlemania 2 opened with Ray Charles doing a terrific version of America the Beautiful (feedback from the microphone at the aside). It was simply amazing, and good luck topping that for Wrestlemania 3. Oh wait, you got Aretha Franklin? The woman voted by Rolling Stone magazine as the greatest singer ever in 2008? Ok, I think you actually did it. Whether Aretha Franklin actually has the greatest voice ever you may or may not agree with, but this is my favourite singing performance ever at a Wrestlemania. It’s tremendous, and she came back to perform the song again 20 years later once again in Detroit with another bone chilling performance. This kicked off the event to a great start.
Mary Hart was at the height of her celebrity around this time, with arguably the most famous and admired pair of legs in the world (renowned for being insured for 1 million dollars). The Entertainment Tonight host played role of interviewer as well as spent some time in the announce booth. A television star who you wouldn’t quite put at the height of Hollywood’s top stars, she was still a well liked and known figure who added some prestige, if likely few buys. The best part of her role at Wrestlemania 3 was her attempt to break through the possessive demeanour of Randy Savage to get an interview with the demur Miss Elizabeth. All 3 were excellent in this backstage segment.
While at 1st glance the pairing of Alice Cooper with Jake “The Snake” Roberts appears to be a natural fit, it didn’t really work. Cooper was supposedly brought in to keep Honky Tonk Man’s manager “Colonel” Jimmy Hart in line but it felt forced. Cooper himself, a major star in the 70’s with hits like I’m Eighteen and the classic School’s Out amongst others wasn’t seen as the legendary father figure of shock rock often cited as one of the most under appreciated song writers of all time as he is now. Alice Cooper had seen his once great career fall on hard times due to alcohol abuse, which nearly killed him. His hardcore fans knew he was making some interesting music and putting on possibly the best live performances of his career, but he was fighting public opinion he was a washed up has been, which he wouldn’t really overcome until the break through success of the Trash Album a couple years later. Combine that with the fact Cooper is of such a slight build that his being off his element on a concert stage exposed the seemingly demonic figure as perhaps not even being able to take the tiny Jimmy Hart in a fight, highlighted most by seeing Cooper having to lift Robert’s gigantic Python Damien into the ring during the match and appearing to have trouble lifting him. Sigh, I love Alice Cooper but…
Possibly the worst regular professional baseball player ever, Bob Uecker is also possibly the greatest baseball announcer, and I’d lean towards him being the most entertaining Wrestlemania celebrity for me. The man known as Mr. Baseball thanks to memorable Tonight Show host Johnny Carson had a natural charm and charisma that also led to a starring role in the ABC sitcom Mr. Belvedere. So when it came time for him to shine at Wrestlemania it was a natural fit, as he had the right style for the product as well as just getting it. Famously off colour when not on camera, Uecker was great at Wrestlemania 3 on camera. For just a little taste, here are some of my favourite quotes from when he joined Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse “The Body” Ventura for the Hillbilly Jim, The Haiti Kid and Little Beaver versus King Kong Bundy, Little Tokyo and Lord Littlebrook
Uecker “You know Beaver reminds me of a girl I used to go with 25 years ago. She had the same kind of hair cut”
Ventura “I’m still hoping to see Bundy put the big kibosh on one of these little guys”
Monsoon “Oh come on”
Uecker “Your kidding me?”
Monsoon “What a sadist”
Ventura “They’ll have to bring Aunt Jemina’s spatula out for them”
Uecker “Marinated Mushrooms that’s what it’ll be”
Uecker “Hey! You see what? Hey!”
Ventura: “What happened there”
Uecker “Little Beaver just gave Bundy a shot in the boiler”
Uecker (on Bundy) “That guy started as a single family unit and turned into a condominium. Look at the size of that guy whew”
Ventura “Now you know, I think that if Little Beaver’s out there smacking Bundy Bundy’s got every right to return it. What do you think Ueck?”
Uecker “I think there’s a lot of beaver all over this place”
Ventura “Hey that little guy ran in there and interfered he ought to take what’s coming to him. What do you think Ueck?
Uecker “I think he belongs… he’s ready for the tipi”
Uecker “Boy I mean this guy’s out”
Monsoon “Wouldn’t you be out Bob if they dropped on you like that?”
Uecker “I might have… I might have went for a step over toe hold when he dropped on me and come around the other side and then hooked his nostril with the big toe and then go to rip him and that’ll get him right out of there”
Ventura “Tell me Bob is your mom and dad doing the laundry after all this is over”
Uecker “Not any more but they uh, that’s how I got interested in wrestling uh…”
Wrestlemania 4
Celebrities and guest stars include:
America the Beautiful: Gladys Knight
Event Host: Donald Trump
Guest Interviewer / Timekeeper: Vanna White
Guest Interviewer / Commentator: Bob Uecker
Guest Ring Announcer: Robin Leach
Special Guest: Sugar Ray Leonard
Ray Charles was great, and then Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul sings America the Beautiful. So now where do you go from there? How about the Empress of Soul, Gladys Knight, who gave a fine A Capella version of the song
Donald Trump is on the shortlist of most important celebrities ever for his role in the Battle of the Billionaires match at Wrestlemania 23, but here he was only on camera for a moment. His most important role at Wrestlemania 4 was to broker the deal which led to WWF holding the event at a smaller venue instead of at another larger stadium as they had the year before in Detroit. Trump paid the WWF handsomely to hold their event at Boardwalk Hall aka Trump Plaza in Atlantic City. This combined with holding other sporting events at the building such as Mike Tyson defending his heavyweight championship there numerous times helped establish Atlantic City and Trump’s investment there as a true alternative to Las Vegas. Having mania 4 as well as 5 at Trump Plaza also helped lay the groundwork for the Wrestlemania 23 match all those years later.
Bob Uecker was so well liked by both the WWE audience and the people working in WWF that he was invited back for a rare 2nd appearance. Not only rare for WWf to have someone back but also for Uecker, who joked upon his onscreen 
return that this was a new experience for him as it was the only time he ever had his contract renewed. Ueck had a little storyline that he was searching for Vanna White backstage, since she would want to be with him while making Ventura jealous, as he conducted several short interviews. My personal favourite was with Honky Tonk Man, who was terrific in his role, but the most iconic moment was with Andre The Giant choking Uecker after Ueck, whom Andre had put his hand on during the interview, asked Andre if he would get his foot off his shoulder. These two Wrestlemania gigs landed Bob Uecker a well deserved spot in the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2010, where he gave an absolutely classic speech
Speaking of Vanna White, in 1988 when the event was held she had massive pop culture appeal, and was considered by many to be the most beautiful woman in the world at the time. She largely played the same role as Mary Hart the year before, adding a little glamour and prestige if likely not much in terms of actual buys.
Now you often see the camera cut to celebrities when sitting ringside at an event for WWE, UfC, etc. It wasn’t as common in 1988 when they showed Sugar Ray Leonard sitting ringside with his family I guess, but that is the only thing of note here. Not much to say, Leonard got tickets because he often had his boxing matches at the event stadium
Robin Leach was also extremely famous in 1988, as Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous was another surprise cultural phenomenon. Leach here also really was just giving a little more glitz to the event by being there, and the McMahon was glad to have him so they could foster a relationship which would allow many of there wrestlers (they weren’t superstars yet) a chance to get on the show for publicity which he loved. It was mutually beneficial to Lifestyles as well, since the wrestlers drew good numbers for years. Here Leach read the rules of the WWF Championship Tournament as well as presented the belt to the eventual winner Randy “Macho Man” Savage. Leach had no real discernable talent in any way except a real cool and classy speaking voice, so in using him this was just fine
So that’s Wrestlemania 3 & 4 from a celebrity stand point, and they are really a template of how to do it. Add a little fame to the event with people who largely wanted to be there, and who added to the enjoyment of what was happening while not over shadowing the true stars of the event which are your own performers. A nice recovery after letting that not happen all the time at the first 2 Wrestlemanias.
Be on the lookout for part 3 coming soon, and your feedback is welcome to mo@wetalkpodcasts.com
