WrestleMania is indeed the biggest spectacle in professional wrestling. The pageantry and enormous venues are a part of what makes the event so big. The surprise appearances from celebrities and athletes and the huge returns from inactive or previously unsigned stars are perhaps the biggest draws.
Much of the WrestleMania 33 card has been fairly predictable, but we could still get a surprise or two that winds up trending big time during the event. This is a list of 10 people who would break the internet if they appeared in Orlando.
They're ranked from most to least probable.
The Rock
The Great One and WrestleMania seems almost like an annual date you can pencil in. He actually had an impromptu match against Erick Rowan at WrestleMania 31 before being joined by John Cena when the Wyatt Family tried to jump The Brahma Bull.
The Rock is from Florida, so that makes an appearance all the more practical. Still, The Rock is so universally popular with WWE fans and within pop culture, his presence at WrestleMania would still register in a major way on social media.
Shinsuke Nakamura
The King of Strong Style's main roster arrival is seemingly imminent. He's had a run as the NXT champion and developed a strong American following in the process. He's coming to Raw or Smackdown sometime this year, and his official arrival could be at The Showcase of the Immortals.
If you wonder how big of a star Nakamura has become, take a listen to the crowd at Sun Life Field if his music hits.
Asuka
Like Nakamura, Asuka has shown off her brilliance under the NXT banner. There's no doubt she's ready for the WWE as it pertains to in-ring prowess, but there could be questions about her charisma transferring well.
Nonetheless, she can't be stuck in NXT for too much longer. She too could make a splash at WrestleMania. It won't register quite as big of a thud as a Nakamura appearance, but don't sell Asuka's stardom too short.
Matt and Jeff Hardy
When the Hardy Boys' contracts with Impact Wrestling ended in February there were rumors about the duo coming back to the WWE. That didn't materialize as they would instead wind up with Ring of Honor defeating The Young Bucks for that promotion's tag team titles.
That doesn't mean the Hardys can't still find their way back to the WWE in the very near future. Per Jeff, the ROH contracts are very flexible, and they will allow the brothers to work elsewhere. He didn't mention the WWE in that context, but he did say he'd like to come back to the promotion and even end his career there where it started.
Kurt Angle
I believe Angle is coming back to wrestle at least one program, but there's been no confirmation. He and the WWE are finally on good terms and he is one of the members of this year's Hall of Fame class.
Angle is one of the last great WWE Superstars who has left the company but hasn't come back to have one final in-ring run. If it happens at WrestleMania, the wrestling world will go bananas.
Shaquille O'Neal
At one point, it seemed Shaq vs. The Big Show was a done deal for WM 33, but those plans appeared to have been at least altered. Show is set to be one of the participants in the Andre the Giant Battle Royal, which would tie him up for the evening.
However, Shaq was a surprise entrant into that same match last year. That's where the buildup to his match with Show began. I wouldn't rule out The Diesel making some sort of appearance.
Hulk Hogan
The Hulkster's unfortunate situation with Gawker and the recording that captured him using racist language derailed his feel-good return to the promotion. Hogan sued Gawker and wound up with a $31 million settlement.
Slowly but surely, Hogan is seemingly being worked back into the consciousness of WWE fans,
When the controversy first took place, the WWE wouldn't mention his name. Over the past few months, there references to the Hall of Famer sprinkled about and collections on the WWE Network including him are being pushed.
Hogan has apologized and at some point, he'll be allowed back into the WWE family. Will his welcome back take place at WrestleMania" I don't know or mind – as long as we're not force fed Hogan in some sort of program with The New Day, as if to say: "see, Hulk likes black guys."
That would be nauseating, but it would still break the internet – just not in a positive way.
Conor McGregor
Here's where things get crazy. We've all heard rumors about The Notorious One working with the WWE in some capacity, but nothing has come to fruition. Right now, he and Floyd Mayweather Jr. appear to be inching toward a blockbuster, cross-discipline boxing match.
While we wait on final word about that bout, how insane would it be to see McGregor at WrestleMania? Fans would get a chance to see just how small the UFC lightweight champion really is, but the sound at Sun Life Stadium would still be deafening.
Media outlets and fans of MMA, professional wrestling and pop culture would be discussing McGregor's appearance to the wee hours of the night.
Ronda Rousey
While Rousey has already made an in-ring appearance at WrestleMania and made her love for professional wrestling known, her appearance at WrestleMania would still be a little more surprising than McGregor.
The last time most people saw Rousey she was being demolished in less than 50 seconds in the Octagon by Amanda Nunes. It would be a shock if Rousey's next major public appearance took place at a spectacle like WrestleMania.
That's all the more reason it would be a huge deal on social media.
CM Punk
Those annoying CM Punk chants would actually mean something if the self-proclaimed "Best in the World" showed up at WrestleMania 33. We last saw him being demolished by Mickey Gall in Punk's only professional MMA bout at UFC 203 in 2016.
He and the WWE broke on nasty terms, which is part of the reason a WrestleMania appearance would be so shocking.
The other reason this would send social media into an uproar is because Punk appears to be committed to MMA. Unless that was all a ruse – which it could be – Punk is the last one fans should expect to see.
That said, most of us would love to hear Cult of Personality blaring through the stadium's loud speakers.
