“I hate to say anything,” Johnny Knoxville reflects on his epic WrestleMania 38 match against Sami Zayn

Johnny Knoxville and Sami Zayn competed in an Anything Goes Match at WrestleMania 38.

“I hate to say anything,” Johnny Knoxville reflects on his epic WrestleMania 38 match against Sami Zayn

Johnny Knoxville and Sami Zayn (via WWE)

WrestleMania is a stage known for unexpected moments and some sleeper matches. One match that exceeded fan expectations and ended up being a banger was a match between Sami Zayn and celebrity Johnny Knoxville at WrestleMania 38. The two stars delivered a classic, which turned out to be one of the best matches of the weekend. Recently, Knoxville reflected on his match against Zayn.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, the Jackass actor revealed that he received a standing ovation backstage for his performance. He expressed that, to him, it felt really good to be able to deliver such an incredible performance on the stage of WrestleMania. Johnny Knoxville also stated that this appreciation from the people behind the curtain at the Gorilla Position felt like a next-level acknowledgment for him.

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To walk in backstage into [the] Gorilla [position, right behind the curtain], I think they call it, they stood up and clapped–and those guys and girls have seen it all. For them to clap, I took it as a big compliment. And I hate to say anything good about Sami Zayn, but he did an amazing job in that match – an amazing job losing, I should point out.
Johnny Knoxville on his match against Sami Zayn

In 2022, Sami Zayn took his heel run to another level when he went on to challenge popular movie star Knoxville. The two stars competed in an ‘Anything Goes Match’. It was a straight-up melee between the two, involving some hilarious moments. During the closing moments, the celebrity touched on the epitome of defeating a professional wrestler at WrestleMania.

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Furthermore, this match certainly changed the overall fan perception of celebrity matches in WWE. This bout was mainly focused on the promotion of the movie Jackass Forever, featuring the celebrity himself. Since then, fans have been looking forward to more similar interactions between celebrities and WWE stars on the Grandest Stage of Them All.

Celebrities other than Johnny Knoxville who have appeared at WrestleMania

WrestleMania is the Showcase of the Immortals, known for creating extravagant achievements. It is a grand, spectacular event that has featured stars from every walk of life. From American media personality Kim Kardashian to rapper Snoop Dogg, many famous outsiders have graced the stage of the Show of Shows with their presence.

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WrestleMania (via WWE)

Apart from Johnny Knoxville, celebrities like Bad Bunny, Snoop Dogg, and Maria Menounos have all wrestled at WrestleMania. Besides, stars like KSI, Rob Gronkowski, Colin Jost, and Michael Che have all been a part of the match in some capacity. In essence, there is always curiosity among the fans regarding who is going to open the show with ‘America the Beautiful’. Therefore, stars like Tinashe, Bebe Rexha, and Becky G have opened the show with music.

As of now, no celebrity appearance has been announced for WrestleMania XL. However, the rumor mill suggests that Downstait might perform during Cody Rhodes‘ entrance at this year’s event. It is going to be interesting to see how things will go and who will show up at WrestleMania.

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