When the WWE began the program that saw Floyd Mayweather take on the Big Show at Wrestlemania, wrestling fans worldwide let out a collective groan.  How could this match be any good, people wondered and who did Paul Wight anger in his return to the WWE to be forced to work with a boxer who was 300 pounds less than him?  Shockingly, the match turned about to be very entertaining and though it was far from a wrestling clinic, it was damn entertaining and the Big Show looked good in the expected loss.  Mayweather took a lot of shots in the match and proved he really wanted to make the event look good.  He probably didn’t earn the major payday he reportedly received, but he was “Money” on that night.

Much like Vince McMahon, Donald Trump is a master of self promotion.  Trump and McMahon had no issues using each others resources to further their own agendas.  As such, Trump may have brought more mainstream media attention to the WWE in the last few years than any other non wrestling performer.  Throw in hosting two Wrestlemanias, and a solid working relationship with Vince, and there is a really good chance for a place for Trump in the Hall.

In what has to be the first logical celebrity inductee, “Iron” Mike Tyson was the focal point of Wrestlemania 14 as the Special Enforcer, and unlike many celebrities brought in for that role, Tyson WANTED to be there. A lifelong wrestling fan, Tyson did not just appear at Wrestlemania, he participated in two months of televised angles leading up to it and undoubtedly spiked the Pay Per View buys for the event. The joy that Tyson had when accepting his induction to the Hall of Fame was all you needed to see to know that this was a celebrity induction that made sense. 

One of the things that took the then WWF into the mainstream was its association with MTV and the “Rock and Wrestling Connection”.  The link came to them in the form of Cyndi Lauper, who in the mid 80’s was one of the biggest stars of the music world.  Her celebrity helped reach new fans and there were only a few performers who were big enough at the time who could have given them this kind of MTV exposure.  She was far more instrumental to help taking the WWF big time then she got credit for.