A common reason for wrestling's success in the 80s and 90s was the involvement of mainstream celebrities. The first ever WrestleMania was partially built on the appearances of Cyndi Lauper and Mr. T, while Hulk Hogan was already a recognisable figure due to his cameo role in Rocky III. Wisely, the industry continued to involve stars of film, TV and professional sports in the 90s, with predictably attention-grabbing results. Although WCW's use of NBA players Karl Malone and Dennis Rodman can be seen as questionable, it achieved their aim of garnering further attention. For their part, the WWF pulled off a massive coup in convincing Mike Tyson to involve himself in the Austin/Michaels clash at WrestleMania 14. A celebrity actually headlined 'Mania three years prior, as NFL star Lawrence Taylor defeated Bam Bam Bigelow in a ten minute match - turning in a passable performance in the process.
