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The greatest wrestling superstars in the world will take over Glasgow in June as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) puts on its biggest Scottish show ever.

The WWE’s Clash at the Castle show will see wrestlers such as Cody Rhodes and Bianca Belair take to the ring – alongside a hometown hero in Drew McIntyre.

But it’s not just the highly trained WWE athletes who wrestle inside the squared circle – there have also been plenty of celebrities who’ve stepped between the ropes for a grapple.

91�ȱ� Bitesize explores some of the famous faces who’ve competed in the ring.

Donald Trump

Arguably, being president of the United States makes you one of the most famous people in the world.

So the idea that a former US President would once have competed at Wrestlemania – the WWE’s biggest annual show – is almost unfathomable.

But back in April 2007 at Wrestlemania 23, that’s exactly what happened.

Donald Trump managed Bobby Lashley in a match where the losing wrestler’s manager would have their head shaved – putting that famous hairstyle at risk. WWE legend Stone Cold Steve Austin was brought in as special guest referee in order to maintain the peace

Ultimately, Lashley was victorious, and Trump even got physical during the match, delivering a clothesline (knocking down an opponent with an outstretched arm) to his opposite number. But during the post-match celebrations, the billionaire learned a valuable wrestling lesson – never trust Steve Austin.

Stone Cold turned on the future president and hit him with a Stunner (kicking his opponent in the gut, before pulling them to the ground by the neck, from behind), his finishing move – albeit Trump took the move very much like a man more used to the boardroom than the ring.

Logan Paul

While Donald Trump didn’t exactly excel as a wrestler, the same can’t be said about Logan Paul.

The social media star initially joined WWE for a few guest appearances – appearing alongside wrestlers during their matches and occasionally taking a move.

But then in 2022, he was revealed to be former WWE champion The Miz’s partner for a tag team bout at Wrestlemania 38 against the father and son duo Rey and Dominik Mysterio.

Paul and The Miz won – before The Miz turned on his teammate during the celebrations. Paul received so much praise for his performance and in-ring ability, that he signed a multi-year contract with WWE.

He’s gone on to have multiple bouts at big events, including an unsuccessful attempt to dethrone the then-WWE Champion Roman Reigns. He did capture his first title in WWE – the United States Championship – again defeating Rey Mysterio in late 2023.

Bad Bunny

Music artist Bad Bunny isn’t a regular chart-topper in the UK, but it's undeniable that the Puerto Rican is a global sensation.

He became the first-ever non-English language act to become the most streamed artist of the year and his album Un Verano Sin Ti is the most streamed of all-time on Spotify.

His association with wrestling began as a childhood fan, leading to him releasing a song called ‘Booker T’ in 2021 – named after a popular former wrestler.

He performed that track at a WWE live show – and at a later appearance, won the 24/7 Championship (a title that must be defended at any time, in any place) thanks to an assist from fellow Puerto Rican, Damian Priest.

The duo were then challenged to compete in the ring at Wrestlemania 37 against The Miz and John Morrison, with Bad Bunny and Priest picking up the win. As with Logan Paul, Bad Bunny’s commitment to performance and his in-ring ability received much praise.

Bad Bunny has wrestled twice more for WWE – at the 2022 Royal Rumble event, and at the Backlash show in 2023, held in Puerto Rico. A capacity crowd backed the rapper to victory over former friend Priest in a streetfight with all weapons allowed.

David Arquette

Just as wrestlers such as The Rock and John Cena have gone from the ring to the big screen, many actors have gone the other way as well.

Stars such as Hugh Jackman, Freddie Prinze Jr and Jon Stewart have all got physical at WWE shows. But no actor has had a wrestling career quite like David Arquette.

The Scream star appeared on multiple episodes of World Championship Wrestling (WCW) programming in 2000 – a rival wrestling promotion to WWE.

Arquette was promoting his latest film Ready to Rumble – a wrestling comedy that was a critical and commercial disaster. As part of the promotion, Arquette – a lifelong wrestling fan who had undergone basic wrestling training for the film – ending up winning the WCW World Heavyweight Title.

Arquette argued that fans would hate that decision but was told the film wouldn’t be promoted unless he agreed. He held the title for two weeks and his reign did little for the film or WCW’s legitimacy, with the wrestling promotion being purchased by WWE after being shut down the following year.

As for Arquette, he was considered one of the worst wrestling world champions of all time – something the actor struggled with. He donated his WCW fees to the families of wrestlers who had passed away or been injured in competition. After a one-match spell in WWE in 2010, Arquette returned to wrestling in 2018 for a series of matches at smaller wrestling organisations in an attempt to rewrite his wrestling legacy and was ranked in the top 500 wrestlers in the world in 2019.

This article was published in May 2024.