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Professional athletes are celebrities, but they are a unique kind of famous person. Professional wrestlers are even more distinctive in the kind and style of their celebrity, in that they generally don’t engage with other famous other people outside in their box. This hasn’t stopped them from now and again doing so, and now and again they’ve even wound up as just right pals. Wrestling lovers have been verbal about their distaste for many celebrities appearing on display screen, however there’s completely nothing they can do about who their favorite wrestlers make a decision to hang out with as soon as cameras prevent rolling.
The precise definition of friendship is loose, vague, and steadily personal, so we’ll clarify we merely mean two or more individuals who spend their free time together via selection, and seem to enjoy doing so. We can’t inform you an excessive amount of about these peoples’ non-public lives or what in particular it was once they bonded over, however we know they have been observed in combination an entire lot, and it made fans of the wrestler and the fame do a double take virtually each time. Read on to be told about 10 wrestlers who were friends with major celebrities you never would’ve anticipated.
12. Hulk Hogan and Dennis Rodman
In 1997, WCW gave the look to be beating WWE in absolutely every manner imaginable, and that prolonged to their best famous person having a very public friendship with one of the vital well-known athletes on this planet. Hulk Hogan was the WCW World Champion, and as was mentioned constantly on Nitro, he was pretty just right friends with NBA unhealthy boy Dennis Rodman. Rodman incessantly lent his strengthen to Hogan and his friends in the new World order, showing with a baseball bat and a can of spray paint on plenty of pronounces, able to assault at the Hulkster’s call.
Rodman and Hogan have it sounds as if maintained their friendship for years once they gave the impression in combination in the ring. Following the leak of debatable and racist statements made via Hulk Hogan, Rodman took to Twitter, defending his friend and saying he knew he wasn’t a racist. Rodman additionally seemed as a contestant and the eventual winner of Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling in 2008.
11. Vampiro and The Insane Clown Posse
In a sense, this access is cheating, for the reason that Insane Clown Posse are in fact wrestlers themselves, and they competed for each WWE and WCW during the height of the Attitude Era. That’s not to point out the truth they even started their own wrestling promotion, Juggalo Championship Wrestling, which nonetheless exists to at the present time. Still, it could be lovely sudden to lovers of Lucha Underground to realize the extent to which Vampiro is down with the clowns.
Given their connection to the trade, the Insane Clown Posse are or were actually buddies with fairly wrestlers, including Raven, Terry Funk, Sabu, and Eddie Guerrero, however Vampiro earns the spot on the record for reputedly being their absolute best bud within the industry. Along with Raven, the crowd even teamed up in WCW, in a stable known as The Dead Pool. That workforce didn’t closing long, but Vampiro and the others make uncommon appearances at ICP concert events and the Gathering of the Juggalos when known as upon to do so. The Insane Clown Posse aren’t even essentially the most well-known band to get fascinated by wrestling, regardless that…
10. Dixie Carter and Billy Corgan
Billy Corgan is the lead singer and songwriter for the extraordinarily a hit choice rock band the Smashing Pumpkins. The band launched their latest album in December of 2014, and because then, Corgan has accepted a position as Senior Producer of Creative and Talent Development for Total Nonstop Action. Corgan has always been a huge wrestling fan, and appeared on ECW television 15 years before joining TNA, but the move has been highly criticized since he really doesn’t have any background that makes him deserving of the process outdoor of the reality he really wanted it, and is known.
Many other people point to a friendship with TNA President Dixie Carter. Corgan is also friends with WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross, and it's possible they have been all ready to bond as a result of Corgan had some nice ideas about wrestling that he can give a contribution to the corporate. Unfortunately, it’s inconceivable to disclaim he were given a job he had 0 qualifications for, so it is smart persons are pointing towards behind the scenes friendships to explain what came about. Dixie’s no longer the only wrestling mogul with pals in prime places…
9. Vince McMahon and Donald Trump
Donald Trump is a WWE Hall of Famer. He’s a member of the celebrity wing, and he in reality has made a couple of contributions to wrestling, by way of providing his arenas for a number of WrestleManias and regularly showing in a significant role on Monday Night Raw in 2009. He was additionally the point of interest of the Battle of the Billionaires at Strive againstMania 23, the place he and Vince made a raffle on a wrestling match the place the loser would have their head shaved. Trump’s charge received the wager, and McMahon was once shaved bald.
Throughout the many appearances, it became transparent that Trump and McMahon had been if truth be told pals off display screen, which might not be too sudden. Both males are billionaires who inherited companies from their fathers, but pretend they did all of it on their own. Both males had been accused of racism and megalomania. Both have nearly tried to brainwash their audiences through loudly insulting their opponents and spreading lies about individuals who defeat them…we’re getting off observe right here, so let’s transfer on.
8. Eric Bischoff and Jason Hervey
While Vince and Dixie went with some beautiful giant names for their famous person entourage, Eric Bischoff went a unique path and sparked up a lifelong partnership with Jason Hervey. It isn’t truly fair to define who he changed into as an grownup by way of what he did as a kid, however information are facts, and the fact is, Jason Hervey is very best recognized for taking part in Wayne Arnold on The Wonder Years. Like most of the celebs in this checklist, he used to be additionally an enormous wrestling fan, which was how he started getting involved in WCW in 1991.
Quickly rumors unfold that the younger TV big name used to be in a courting with Missy Hyatt, and whether or not or no longer that’s true, he did in the end spark up a friendship with WCW manufacturer and later Vice President, Eric Bischoff. The pair not best turned into friends, but additionally started a trade together, known as Bischoff/Hervey Entertainment. In addition to producing events for each WCW and TNA, the corporate has also produced successful truth TV presentations for VH1, most particularly Scott Baio is 45…and Single.
7. Ric Flair and Jim Harbaugh
Jim Harbaugh is the top coach of the Michigan Wolverines, the soccer crew of the University of Michigan. He prior to now played quarterback for the Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens, and San Francisco 49ers prior to retiring to train for plenty of highly revered faculty groups. He’s also a large wrestling fan, particularly supporting three of his absolute best buddies: Ric Flair and the Steiner Brothers. Harbaugh knew the Steiner Brothers when they all attended college together, however his friendship with Flair is newer and public.
On a couple of instance, Harbaugh has employed his WWE Hall of Famer buddy to hype up his teams and his crowds prior to large video games and big moments. Harbaugh first hired Flair to give the 49ers a pep talk in 2014 when he used to be coaching the workforce. Later on, Flair saved the friendship going through reaching out to Harbaugh through Twitter and congratulating his team on a big win. Shortly after the tweet, Harbaugh had Flair seem at Michigan’s Signing Day Party in 2016 to once more pump up the group and lay some trash communicate on team competitors Ohio State.
6. Mark Henry and Michael Clarke Duncan
Not an entire lot is understood about the friendship between “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry and Oscar-nominated actor Michael Clarke Duncan, and sadly it’s not going any of that knowledge will develop into public because of the instances in which the arena came upon about it. (*10*), however fanatics discovered simply how deep the friendship will have to were after Duncan’s sudden and tragic loss of life in 2012. Photos from Duncan’s funeral published that numerous celebrities had been in attendance to say good-bye to their good friend, including Mark Henry, who was even close enough to Duncan to act as one of his pallbearers.
Media coverage of the funeral focused on the presence of Jay Leno, Tom Hanks, Stevie Wonder, and others, however Henry retaining the casket and main the best way shows there should were a real friendship between the 2. Actor and part-time wrestler Tiny Lister, recognized to WWE enthusiasts as Zeus, used to be additionally a pallbearer at the carrier.
5. Andre The Giant and Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger was once inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015, 22 years after it was established to honor Andre the Giant. Years before either of those occasions, Arnold and Andre have been buddies, and if you heard about any of the friendships in this checklist so far it was more than likely this one, because it comes with an attractive famous tale. As Arnold has told plenty of times, he as soon as went to a restaurant with Andre and NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain, and Andre very extremely pushy about the fact that he alone would pay for the meal. Due to Arnold’s insistence on splitting the bill, Andre and Chamberlain lifted up the long run Governor off the ground and carried him out of doors, leaving him there while Andre went again inside of and took care of the debt by way of himself.
Years earlier than he even met Andre, Schwarzenegger was also friends with WWE Hall of Famers “Superstar” Billy Graham and Bruno Sammartino. During the filming of Predator and The Running Man, Arnold additionally changed into shut with co-star Jesse Ventura. He has made numerous appearances on both Raw and SmackDown, but the WWE Universe will at all times have in mind him for the relationships he made in the back of the scenes.
4. Bob Backlund and Maria Menounos
As model, actress, and TV presenter Maria Menounos regularly ingratiated herself into the WWE Universe, two things was obvious—she’s in fact a big fan of wrestling, and the man that result in her becoming one used to be Bob Backlund. Menounos got here from a Greek family who didn’t talk much English, and this result in her favorite TV methods as a child being wrestling, since she didn’t wish to speak the language to know what was going down. Her favorite wrestler was Bob Backlund, and years later when she started her leisure profession, she met her former hero whilst shooting a film and began a friendship that lasts to nowadays.
Menounos has been excited by wrestling with and with out Backlund, beginning in 2009 with a guest hosting stint on Raw that even lead to her wrestling in a chain of fits. Her most top profile match got here CombatMania XVIII in 2012, but based on her phrases, we think she may have reveled in the honor of inducting Backlund into the Hall of Fame on an even better stage. By her personal admission, Menounos knows other folks view Backlund as crazy, but that has apparently handiest added to her admiration of him both in and out of the hoop.
3. Brock Lesnar and Eric Stonestreet
It is sensible rock stars, athletes, and bodybuilders can be pals with wrestlers, however comedians? Well, apparently that was the case when Eric Stonestreet started posting videos to Vine that includes himself striking out with WWE famous person and former UFC Champion, Brock Lesnar. Stonestreet is a 2-time Emmy Award winner for his paintings as Cameron Tucker at the sitcom Modern Family. In August of 2013, WWE used to be in Los Angeles for SummerSlam, and quite a lot of wrestlers and celebrities have been interacting in anticipation for the development.
In the movies, Stonestreet claims to be extremely angry and looking to fight the first person he sees, only to immediately transfer gears as soon as Brock walks into body to just accept the problem. Lesnar is known as a non-public one who doesn’t precisely play around with celebrities, so it used to be a big surprise and a treat for enthusiasts to see him obviously having fun with a well-liked funnyman.
2. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Rob McElhenney
“Rowdy” Roddy Piper will without end be remembered as perhaps the best heel in skilled wrestling historical past, however as soon as cameras became off, he was once by means of all accounts an intensely cute, hilarious, full-hearted entertainer who cherished making other folks smile. This is why after he briefly left wrestling within the Eighties, he took up a second profession as an actor, appearing in Hollywood movies including They Live and Hell Comes to Frogtown. While filming They Live, Piper became good friends with director John Carpenter, and he would best continue to construct friendships with celebrities as his appearing profession improved.
Near the tip of his occupation, considered one of Piper’s more endearing acting roles used to be enjoying The Maniac on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Piper become pals with the solid of the display after the illusion. He further endeared himself to the mainstream comedy neighborhood with common appearances at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles. After his tragic dying in 2015, The Comedy Store held one of many tribute services for Piper, with several of his pals from the comedy world in attendance.
1. Jerry Lawler and Andy Kaufman
Jerry Lawler and Andy Kaufman engaged in arguably the greatest feud in the history of wrestling. If one was to name it the greatest celebrity feud within the historical past of wrestling, there wouldn’t even be an issue. Today, we all know that pro wrestling is scripted, and no person even does anything to hide it, however that wasn’t all the time the case. This is why it may well be a marvel to those that the 2 men who have been apparently the most sour of rivals were in truth close friends.
We’ve referred to as many of the celebrities on this record wrestling enthusiasts, and indisputably they're, but none in reality examine to Kaufman, who even in his groundbreaking comedy obviously simply wanted to be the world’s greatest heel. Lawler was merely extremely joyful by the enthusiasm and mainstream enchantment Kaufman was once keen to give him, and the 2 moderately laid out their each and every public appearance in combination with the intention to make lovers suppose they in reality hated every other, whilst secretly guffawing all of the method to the bank together once the show was once over. On several events, Lawler has been requested who the most important snub is within the WWE Hall of Fame, and the 50-year veteran of the industry at all times given the same resolution. Not some nice forgotten wrestler from his youth. Not anyone he idolized. Not anyone he feuded with and respected for years. His pal, the comic and actor, Andy Kaufman.
Sources: WWE
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