Dennis Rodman entering the wrestling business added a fun dynamic of WCW having a mainstream celebrity appearing. The star power of Rodman came from his time in the NBA as a controversial player. Many of the hostile moments on the court and his fascinating social life made him a household name.
Rodman playing on the same team with Michael Jordan on the Chicago Bulls added another layer of excitement to his appearances. WCW was the biggest promotion Rodman worked for, but he did try his luck in a few places after. Find out more about what sparked his interest and how things played out.
10 Hulk Hogan's Friendship Brought Him In
Many fans forget that Dennis Rodman’s first wrestling appearance came before he joined the New World Order. Hulk Hogan’s friendship with Rodman benefited WCW when Rodman appeared at Bash at the Beach 1995.
The main event match of Hogan vs Vader saw Rodman using a chair to fend off The Zodiac and Kevin Sullivan from interfering. WCW got their first glimpse of Rodman’s passion for wrestling due to his friendship with Hogan.
9 First Celebrity in nWo
Dennis Rodman appearing as a member of the New World Order completely changed the pre-established rules of wrestling. Only wrestlers were joining the faction as it grew in size until a pre-recorded video aired inducting Rodman as the first celebrity.
Hulk Hogan and Rodman filmed the video together that informed fans that Rodman was officially part of the nWo family. The following months would see Rodman appearing on WCW television whenever he had free time.
8 Wrestled Tag Matches to Hide Weaknesses
The first couple of matches for Dennis Rodman came in tag team action to help make it an easier task for him. Rodman was clearly athletic based on his NBA success, but the lack of wrestling training made it a tougher sell.
Hulk Hogan teamed with Rodman for tag matches against Lex Luger and The Giant at both Nitro and the Bash at the Beach 1997 PPV. Rodman did basic wrestling moves that stood out more since no one expected him to do it. Lex Luger putting Rodman in the Torture Rack submission saw him experience more pain than expected.
7 Spray Painted WCW Championship
The Road Wild 1997 PPV featured a rematch of Lex Luger defending the WCW Championship against Hulk Hogan a week after he won it on Nitro. Hogan cheated with a fake Sting helping him defeat Luger in front of the bikers dominated audience.
Dennis Rodman was backstage to celebrate by being the one to spray paint the WCW Championship this time. Hogan winning back the title regained power for the New World Order with Luger having such a short title reign.
6 Convinced Karl Malone to Join Him in WCW
Karl Malone and Dennis Rodman took their basketball rivalry to the wrestling ring for a huge attraction match booked by WCW. Malone was a friend of Diamond Dallas Page who came up with the idea of wrestling since Rodman was doing it already.
The discussion between the two power forwards who faced off in back to back NBA Finals allowed Malone the comfort to move forward with the idea. Malone trained harder than Rodman and took it more seriously, but it likely doesn’t happen if Rodman isn’t involved.
5 Skipped NBA Finals Practice for Nitro
One of the most controversial aspects of Dennis Rodman’s time in WCW came in 1998 during the NBA Finals. Rodman’s Chicago Bulls were facing the Utah Jazz looking to win their third NBA Championship in a row.
The decision of Rodman to skip practice saw him appearing on Nitro with Hulk Hogan and the New World Order. ESPN’s highly-acclaimed The Last Dance series focused on this with footage showing Bulls coaches and players upset at Rodman.
4 Created Fake Scuffle with Karl Malone in NBA Finals to Sell WCW PPV
The 1998 NBA Finals took place just one month before Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone had their big tag match in WCW. Rodman instigated a scuffle with Malone by tripping him during a loose ball dive. Both men stopped before things grew violent, but it sparked interest in their match.
The drama helped add appeal to Bash at the Beach 1998 where Rodman and Hulk Hogan defeated Malone and Diamond Dallas Page. WCW received one of the best buy rates in company history thanks to Rodman taking the storyline to the basketball court.
3 Returned For Strange Feud with Randy Savage
The return of Dennis Rodman to WCW in 1999 came when the New World Order no longer existed. WCW had to find a new way to utilize Rodman at a time when the company was struggling, and Rodman no longer had the same appeal away from the Chicago Bulls in the NBA.
Road Wild 1999 featured Rodman having a big match against Randy Savage. The storyline focused on Rodman trying to make a pass at Savage’s girlfriend Gorgeous George. Fans were confused at the segments since both guys came off as heels, but Savage won the brawl after fighting all over the venue.
2 Wrestled Curt Hennig in Australia
Dennis Rodman tried to continue wrestling at least one more time after WCW went out of business. I-Generation Superstars of Wrestling was the promotion to run a major show in Australia using Rodman’s popularity as a selling point.
The show was even titled Rodman Down Under to add extra interest for fans of the NBA legend. Rodman faced Curt Hennig in the main event with a disappointing DQ finish. Hennig won the match thanks to Rodman breaking the rules and getting caught.
1 Appeared on Hulk Hogan's Reality Wrestling Series
The final attempt of Dennis Rodman in the wrestling industry saw him working with Hulk Hogan in a new capacity. Hogan received his own reality show called Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling where Hulk tried to train celebrities into wrestlers.
Rodman clearly had the advantage over the likes of Dustin Diamond, Todd Bridges, Frank Stallone, and the rest of the cast who never main evented PPVs like him. The contest was won by Rodman, but he never wrestled another match after the project.