There have been dozens upon dozens of movies featuring professional wrestlers over the years, but there have been just as many, if not more, TV shows with titans of the industry like The Rock, Hulk Hogan, and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Dating back to the early days of the TV sitcom, some of the most famous men and women who have ever entered the ring have appeared either in starring roles or in brief yet unforgettable cameos.
Some of these are iconic while others may have slipped between the cracks of our shared memories, but here are 32 TV shows featuring professional wrestlers.
That '70s Show (The Rock, Ken Shamrock, The Hardy Boyz)
That ‘70s Show premiered in the middle of the Attitude Era, so it wasn’t all that surprising when The Rock, Ken Shamrock, and The Hardy Boyz showed up very early on in the Fox sitcom’s run. During the first season, those WWE legends portrayed some very ‘70s wrestlers, with Dwayne Johnson getting much of the screen time with a character strikingly similar to his real-life father, Rocky Johnson.
The Simpsons (Bret Hart)
Dozens of celebrities have played themselves on The Simpsons, including former WWE Champion Bret “The Hitman” Hart, who popped up in “The Old Man and the Lisa” back in Season 8. In the episode, Hart is revealed to be a potential buyer of Mr. Burns’ mansion after the uber-wealthy character loses his fortune.
Thunder In Paradise (Hulk Hogan, Sting)
After leaving WWE in August 1993 and before joining WCW the following March, Hulk Hogan did what anyone with his amount of influence, power, and star power would do, he created his own TV show. Thunder in Paradise, which feels like both a spinoff and knockoff of Baywatch, lasted only one season on TNT, but it was as wild as it was short-lived. Plus, the likes of Sting, Jimmy Hart, Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, and Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake also popped up from time to time.
Boy Meets World (Mick Foley, Vader)
Boy Meets World, like other ABC sitcoms of its era, featured multiple wrestlers over the years, including Mick Foley (as Mankind) and Vader, who actually made more than one appearance on the long-running show.
Baywatch (WCW Roster)
When it comes to the biggest TV shows of the ‘90s, Baywatch is definitely on that list. Though the show didn’t earn its “iconic” status because of its wrestling cameos, the appearances by Hulk Hogan, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, and other WCW stars in “Bash at the Beach” did make for a wild crossover event. Jet skis, Ric Flair challenging Hogan to a match to decide the fate of a youth center, and so much more happens in this unforgettable episode.
Family Matters (The Bushwackers)
Some of the best Family Matters episodes were those where Carl Winslow (Reginald VelJohnson) and Steve Urkel (Jaleel White) teamed up, dressed up in costumes, and then took on some kind of goons. One of the funniest is “Psycho Twins,” which saw the unlikely duo wrestle WWE Hall of Fame tag-team The Bushwackers in a hilarious match. It’s silly and it makes no sense, but Luke and Butch made the most of it.
The Dick Van Dyke Show (Classy Freddie Blassie)
“Classy” Freddie Blassie will forever go down as one of the most fearsome and legendary wrestlers to ever enter the ring. But did you know he also made an appearance on The Dick van Dyke Show? Well, the all-time great heel showed up in “The Twizle” and twirled Rob Petrie over his head by the time the credits rolled.
The Bernie Mac Show (Triple H)
Before Paul “Triple H” Levesque became WWE’s Chief Content Officer, the 14-time world champion made quite a few movie and TV appearances. Though it’s probably not the first one that comes to mind, Triple H’s appearance on a random 2005 episode of The Bernie Mac Show is comedy gold. After Bernie’s nephew keeps calling “The Game” and pestering him, the WWE legend shows up at his house and utters his “It’s time to play the game” catchphrase wearing a turtle neck and apron.
Sabrina, The Teenage Witch (Kevin Nash)
Kevin Nash has been in movies like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, John Wick, and Magic Mike, but did you know he also showed up on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch back in 1997? Around the time he was dominating WCW as a member of the NWO, Nash portrayed “The Giant” in an episode of the beloved ‘90s sitcom.
Parks And Recreation (John Cena)
While it’s not on one of the best Parks and Recreation episodes, John Cena did show up during the hit NBC comedy series’ seventh and final season. Playing himself, the “Doctor of Thugonomics” popped up on “The Johnny Karate Super Awesome Musical Explosion Show,” where he had a classic scene with Chris Pratt’s character.
I Think You Should Leave (Aron Stevens)
Tim Robinson has to be one of the biggest wrestling fans in the entertainment industry because he is constantly bringing wrestlers onto his various shows. This includes the most recent season of his I Think You Should Leave sketch comedy show which features Aron Stevens, formerly known as Damien Sandow in WWE, in the instantly iconic bit where Robinson tries to start a “pay it forward” chain in a drive-thru.
Nash Bridges (Stone Cold Steve Austin)
Remember Nash Bridges, the CBS action-comedy series starring Don Johnson and Cheech Marin from the ‘90s? Well, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin got in on the fun back in 1999 when he showed up as Jake Cage, a tough-as-nails cop who stole just every scene he was in throughout his six appearances on the series.
Peacemaker (John Cena)
The DC streaming series, Peacemaker isn’t really a wrestling show, but with John Cena taking the lead role, we had to include it. This hilarious, violent, and charming comic book show sees one of the most detestable and annoying characters from The Suicide Squad and turns him into an American treasure.
It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia ('Rowdy' Roddy Piper)
The Late “Rowdy” Roddy Piper was one of the first and most successful wrestlers-turned-actors, appearing in movies like They Live, Hell Comes to Frogtown, and countless others. He also had a recurring role as Da’ Maniac on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, where he quickly became one of the best side characters the show ever created.
Ballers (The Rock)
The HBO sports drama series, Ballers, spends more time focusing on professional sports than pro wrestling, but with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson taking up a lot of screen time, it has to be included. It has always felt like Johnson’s Spencer Strassmore was a version of The Rock that got into being a sports agent instead of the Peoples’ Champion.
Smallville (Kane)
Throughout the 2000s, if a TV show needed big strong men who could also act a little, they’d call upon WWE to fill the void. And Kane did just that in an episode of Smallville where he goes toe-to-toe with Tom Welling’s Clark Kent in an unforgettable and painful fight.
Married... with Children (King Kong Bundy)
Married… with Children was a show that pushed the limits of broadcast TV censors during its run, and some would consider low-brow humor. That being said, it was only fitting that the beloved Fox sitcom would feature a wrestling episode that saw WWE legend King Kong Bundy step into the ring with Bud Bundy (David Faustino), who was dressed up like a bumblebee for extra dramatic effect.
Psych (The Miz)
Monday Night Raw has been on USA Network for most of its 31-year run, and Psych called the channel home throughout its eight seasons, so it’s only fitting that there would have been some crossover. Well, we got just that in a 2012 episode where The Miz popped up as a contestant on a dating show who has a big secret. He got to yell, he got to smash things, and have a ton of fun.
Charmed (Booker T, Scott Steiner)
During the final years of WCW, you’d see wrestlers show up in movies like Ready to Rumble and shows like Charmed for some reason. In the episode “Wrestling with My Demons,” five-time WCW Champion Booker T, Scott Steiner, and Buff Bagwell all appeared and showed off their skills in a demonic ring.
GLOW (Multiple WWE, TNA And AEW Wrestlers)
Netflix’s GLOW is one of those shows that was canceled too soon. Despite not being around all that long before it lost a “loser leaves the streaming platform” match, the semi-autobiographical series about the Glorious Ladies of Wrestling promotion featured multiple WWE, TNA, and AEW wrestlers, including John Morrison, who has wrestled for all three of those promotions.
3rd Rock From The Sun (Chyna)
Years before her untimely passing, Chyna, aka, the “Ninth Wonder of the World,” had a recurring role on 3rd Rock from the Sun as Janice, a very muscular rookie cop who later became Harry Solomon’s (French Stewart) girlfriend.
Hannah Montana (John Cena)
Years before he was leading Peacemaker or killing it in the Fast & Furious franchise, John Cena appeared on all manners of kids shows, including Hannah Montana. During the show’s fourth season, the future WWE Hall of Famer gave Jackson Stewart (Jason Earles) a personal, and physical, lesson in the importance of reading.
Star Trek: Voyager (The Rock)
The Rock didn’t immediately become the biggest thing in Hollywood. Instead, he worked on various TV shows and film projects throughout the late ‘90s and early 2000s, including Star Trek: Voyager where he played the Pendari Champion who fought Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) in an unforgettable contest.
The Flash (Edge)
In addition to being one of the most decorated wrestlers of the 21st century, Edge has also spent the past few decades appearing on all kinds of TV shows, including The Flash. In Season 2 of The Flash, the Rated-R Superstar took on the role of the villainous Atom-Smasher.
The Cleveland Show (Ric Flair)
The Cleveland Show is another animated series to feature a wrestling legend. In the Season 3 episode titled “BFFs,” the “Nature Boy” Ric Flair hosts a camping trip that quickly goes from being a bad time to an all-time terrible experience for all involved. But hey, Flair seems to be having a great time.
Law & Order: SVU (Goldberg)
Former WCW and WWE Champion Bill Goldberg made his presence known on the 2007 episode of Law & Order: SVU with his portrayal of Cupid. Though he’s not around all that long, the former NFLer’s time on screen is absolutely insane and sees him get hit in the head with a fire extinguisher, through a bench, and slam someone through a window.
Billions (Becky Lynch)
Becky Lynch, who has been one of the most impactful female wrestlers on the planet for the better part of the past decade, has made her fair share of TV appearances during that time. That includes a 2020 episode of Billions where “The Man” dropped by to give a motivational speech to Axe Capital. It was brief but it was very exciting, to say the least.
The X-Files (Rob Van Dam)
Rob Van Dam, aka, “Mr. Monday Night,” is one of the most legendary ECW champions of all time, and the former WWE Champion even took his exciting in-ring abilities to The X-Files back in the day. Though he was not around all that long, and he was wearing a mask for a portion of that time, Van Dam had a key role in the “Fight Club” episode where he took on Randall “Tex” Cobb’s Bert Zupanic in a fun wrestling match.
Arrow (Cody Rhodes)
Cody Rhodes and Stephen Amell have had quite the history over the years, and part of that includes the “American Nightmare” showing up on Arrow. Rhodes’ Derek Sampson appeared in a total of seven episodes split between Seasons 5 and 7. And yeah, he did get to finish his story this time.
Cousins For Life (Roman Reigns)
Roman Reigns may be the feared Tribal Chief and Head of the Table in the Bloodline, but before he became the dominant Undisputed WWE Champion on his historic title reign, the wrestler appeared on an episode of Cousins for Life. In the 2019 episode “Farewell to Arthur?” Reigns gave a brief yet hilarious performance that has us begging for a face-turn.
G.I. Joe (Sgt. Slaughter)
The G.I Joe: A Real American Hero animated series is one of the most beloved cartoons of the ‘80s, and perhaps one of the reasons for this is Sgt. Slaughter’s unforgettable run portraying a fictionalized version of himself. The cartoon and toys based on the show made Slaughter an even bigger name in wrestling, even if he turned his back on Hulk Hogan and America at the start of Desert Storm.
Detroiters (Kevin Nash)
Sam Richardson and Tim Robinson are from Detroit, and former WWE Champion Kevin Nash is from Detroit, so it only made sense for the iconic wrestler to have a recurring role on the comedy duo’s Detroiters. On the show, Nash played “Big Hank” Cramblin, Robinson’s on-screen father who had quite a presence.
These are just a couple of dozen TV shows that have featured wrestlers in one way or another over the years. Though some are more memorable than others, each of these shows featured some of history’s best wrestlers having a grand ole time on the small screen.
