The Complete A-Z Of WrestleMania
11. P - Pete Rose
A surprise hit during his first WrestleMania appearance, Pete Rose was one of several controversial celebrities during the 14th incarnation of the show, picked intentionally to ruffle feathers as the company espoused a rebellious new attitude.
Rose was a baseball icon, but was frozen out of the Hall of Fame due to controversially gambling on games, including some that featured his own team, the Cincinnati Reds.
The contentious side of his career made Rose a polarising figure in the baseball community, but he masterfully played up to the persona ahead of introducing Kane to a partisan Boston, Massachusetts crowd. Mocking the Boston Red Sox' cursed inability to win baseball's World Series (focussing particularly on an infamous 1986 Game 6 error by first basemen Bill Buckner), Rose made himself the most hated heel in the building.
Shockingly receiving a Tombstone from a malevolent Kane, Rose's entire performance was a major talking point following the loaded show. Becoming a running joke, Rose would return at WrestleMania 15 and 16 to unsuccessfully attempt to gain revenge against 'The Big Red Machine'.
His endearing performances earned him a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame's 'celebrity wing' when the company reintroduced the Hall in 2004.