(NEXSTAR) – From Muhammad Ali to Kim Kardashian to Donald Trump, WWE’s flagship event, WrestleMania, has always showcased the best of professional wrestling sprinkled with some of entertainment’s top celebrities. The 2022 edition of WWE’s two-day, Super Bowl-style event continues that tradition with “Jackass” stuntman Johnny Knoxville, YouTube star Logan Paul and sports host Pat McAfee stepping into the ring and going head-to-head on wrestling’s biggest stage .
The three celebrities have limited experience in WWE. Both engaged in physical altercations, but only McAfee had a substantial wrestling match. When the trio step into the ring in front of a crowd of 60,000 in their respective matches this weekend at WrestleMania 38, it will be a very different experience.
In 2021, music superstar Bad Bunny set the bar for celebrity performances, hosting what is considered the best celebrity wrestling match in WrestleMania history. He did so against WWE mainstay and former champion The Miz. In the 2022 edition of WrestleMania, The Miz will wrestle alongside Paul against legendary competitor Rey Mysterio and his son Dominik.
Arguably the most successful celebrity appearance came at WrestleMania 23 in Detroit, Michigan, when then-TV host Donald Trump and WWE owner Vince McMahon took center stage in a hair-to-hair competition. The 2007 event ended with record pay-per-view buys and McMahon shaved his head. One of wrestling’s top acts, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin served as the special guest referee. Austin will also return to the ring for an appearance in Texas this weekend.
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Here’s what to expect from this year’s celebrity matches at WrestleMania:
Johnny Knoxville
Johnny Knoxville will face off against wrestler Sami Zayn in what is known as an “anything goes match” during Sunday night’s WrestleMania show.
During the promotion of “Jackass Forever,” Knoxville appeared on WWE television and briefly competed in the 2022 Royal Rumble match. Zayn took offense at Knoxville being in the spotlight and regularly reminded him that he didn’t belong in the wrestling world.
After Zayn crashed the rep carpet premiere of Knoxville’s film, the stuntman and actor retaliated by costing Zayn his Intercontinental Championship in a match on SmackDown against Ricochet. This prompted Zayn to accept the challenge for a match at WrestleMania.
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A hoax war began between the two, which resulted in Knoxville sending Zayn’s phone number flying across the Los Angeles skies. After receiving thousands of calls and messages, Zayn has said he’s ready to put an end to Knoxville’s wild ways and send him out of the wrestling world.
On an “anything goes” basis, you can see some of Knoxville’s friends from the “Jackass” world ringside.
LoganPaul
After losing in a match against Bad Bunny and Damian Priest at last year’s WrestleMania, The Miz vowed to be victorious at this year’s event with a celebrity partner. He will be doing it with YouTuber and celebrity boxer Logan Paul.
Paul made his WWE debut in 2021, where he was initially positioned as a crowd pleaser. It quickly became clear that audiences didn’t see him as the traditional “good guy,” leading to Kevin Owens giving him a thunderous ovation at Wrestlemania 37 in Tampa.
Paul returned alongside The Miz prior to WrestleMania 38 to spark a feud with the Mysterios. Alongside vicious attacks, Paul stole Rey Mysterio’s mask and carried it to the ring as his own. The Miz has positioned Paul as one of the greatest luchadores in the world – a blow to the Mysterio’s legacy and legacy.
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Paul may surprise some people with his athleticism at WrestleMania. During practice sessions before the big show, The Miz called him a “natural” and said few people got into wrestling as quickly as his tag team partner.
Could we see another Bad Bunny-style performance from Paul? We’ll find out at WrestleMania on Saturday.
Pat McAfee
Former NFL player and sports podcaster Pat McAfee is no stranger to the wrestling ring. McAfee has had a handful of standout wrestling matches on WWE’s NXT program in recent years. However, this will be his biggest match yet as he takes on cocky newcomer Austin Theory.
McAfee, who is a commentator for Smackdown on FOX, recently had WWE owner Vince McMahon on his podcast for a rare interview. During the segment, McMahon offered McAfee the opportunity to fulfill a dream and face off against a partner of his choice at WrestleMania.
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Days later, Theory attacked McAfee and announced that he would be facing him at Arlington.
Based on McAfee’s training and previous matches, you’d think this will be the Stars’ best WrestleMania match. In a 2020 loss to Adam Cole, McAfee proved he knows what he’s doing in a wrestling ring and has the ability to produce an exceptional performance.
McAfee vs. Theory takes place in the Sunday edition of WrestleMania.
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When does WrestleMania start? How can I watch?
WrestleMania will be held over two nights: Saturday, April 2nd and Sunday, April 3rd. The event starts at 8:00 p.m. ET and typically lasts 3-4 hours.
The event is available exclusively on NBC’s streaming platform Peacock.
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