Donald Trump and WWE seem to go hand-in-hand.
The 45th president of the United States is a larger-than-life personality who also happens to be the leader of the free world, and WWE has always centered on putting those types of characters into televisions and venues around the globe.
While Trump has appeared on WWE television, his association with the pro wrestling giant is most remembered for his guest appearances at its most significant event, WrestleMania, which takes place Sunday from Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
Trump has done it all at WrestleMania. Sporting News looks at what he has done at the "Showcase of the Immortals."
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Host of WrestleMania 4 and 5
The first three WrestleManias were hugely successful, capped by a reported crowd of more than 93,000 inside the Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan for Wrestlemania 3. The event featured the long-awaited showdown between Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant for the WWE championship. Hogan won the match that was highlighted by the megastar body-slamming Andre to the roar of the crowd. What could WWE do for an encore?
Seeing the success of those events and pro wrestling being in the midst of a boom period in the United States, Trump wanted in.
"I just wanted a piece of it," Trump said on The True Story of WrestleMania. "Everybody in the country wanted this event, and we were able to get it."
WRESTLEMANIA 35
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Trump got more than a piece of it. Both Wrestlemania 4 and 5 were advertised to take at the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City but occurred across the road at the Atlantic City Convention Hall with Trump sponsoring the cards. Those are the only two WrestleManias to be held in the same building.
In front of an announced crowd of 19,199 at Wrestlemania 4, Trump was only shown in the crowd with a couple of people. For the event the following year, with a crowd of 20,369, Trump interviewed with Sean Mooney to discuss bringing the event back to the venue and about how his casino was doing.
Attending WrestleMania 7
This was a rare event where Trump wasn't the center of attention. The billionaire had a ringside seat for the show in Los Angeles alongside his then-girlfriend and future wife Marla Maples, who was a guest timekeeper and interviewer. During the show, Trump and actor Chuck Norris interviewed with "Mean" Gene Okerland.
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Doing an awkward interview at WrestleMania 20
Another event that Trump attended as a fan with his son, but maybe wishes he didn't, was Wrestlemania 20. In the middle of the event inside Madison Square Garden, Trump was interviewed by WWE Hall of Famer and politician Jesse "The Body" Ventura.
Ventura was in the middle of the ring when he found Trump, who was booed by the crowd. Trump was asked what WrestleMania means to him since he had been a vital part in the history of the wrestling spectacle. Then it got strange.
Being cocky about it and having a clear agenda, Ventura, who had been a former mayor and then governor of Minnesota, asked Trump if he would support him if he decided to get back into politics and run for president in the 2008 election.
Right when Ventura brought up the question, you could see the grin on Trump's face and his mind spinning, wondering why he was being asked this type of question at a wrestling event.
Still smiling, Trump said he would support Ventura. You could tell it was one of those answers that was meant to appease somebody. Who knew that a little more than a decade after the conversation, Trump would be running for the Oval Office?
The 'Battle of the Billionaires'
When you associate Donald Trump with the WWE, this is the event everyone talks about.
It all began in January 2007 when WWE chairman Vince McMahon promoted a match on “Monday Night Raw” between Trump, who was the host of the hit reality show "The Apprentice," and comedian Rosie O'Donnell, who was hosting a talk show at the time.
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The two were embroiled in a bitter feud and McMahon wanted to take advantage of the publicity it was garnering.
Trump and O'Donnell didn't show up, but McMahon had two imposters wrestle, and the crowd loved it. A couple of weeks later, Trump did show up on the big screen during "Raw's" Fan Appreciation Night, when McMahon unveiled a magazine cover of himself on Muscle and Fitness.
Trump called McMahon selfish for gloating about being on a magazine when the evening was supposed to be about the fans, so Trump did it for it him when he had thousands of dollars drop into the arena. From that segment, you could see something was going to be happening at WrestleMania 23 at Ford Field in Detroit between the two tycoons.
Something would go down at the show, but with the caveat of Trump and McMahon not competing in the ring. Each guy would pick a wrestler of his choosing, with Trump and McMahon being on the outside and the legendary "Stone Cold" Steve Austin being the special guest referee.
Trump picked then-ECW champion Bobby Lashley and McMahon chose Umaga. The stipulation of the match was that whichever wrestler lost, the person who selected him would have to have his head shaved bald.
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In front of a stadium-record crowd of 80,103 and a record WWE pay-per-view audience at the time (later broken at WrestleMania 28) of 1.2 million buys, Lashley pinned Umaga, meaning McMahon would have to go bald. During the match, Trump speared McMahon on the outside
Despite significant resistance, Trump, Lashley, and Austin were able to get McMahon into a barber's chair and had his head shaved. All wasn't well for Trump, though, as Austin hit his patented Stone Cold Stunner to end the segment.
The involvement of Trump made WrestleMania 23 a huge success. He was extremely popular at the time due to the success of his TV show, and his personality is tailor-made for pro wrestling.
WWE Hall of Famer
The day before WrestleMania 29 in 2013, Trump became the sixth celebrity to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Trump, entering the celebrity wing, lauded his longtime relationship with McMahon.
Then Trump went into bragging mode when he brought up the financial success of WrestleMania 23 and hinted it was due to him. Trump ended his speech as only he could, with another challenge to McMahon.
"I will challenge @VinceMcMahon to a fight next year and I will kick his ass... Kick. His. Ass." - @RealDonaldTrump #WWEHOF
— WWE WrestleMania (@WrestleMania) April 7, 2013
