Donald Trump will be wrestling with more than just a muddled political philosophy soon.
The real-estate mogul/"Apprentice" host will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame during the wrestling organization's April 6 induction ceremony, joining such celebrity inductees as Drew Carey, Pete Rose, Mike Tyson and William "Refrigerator" Perry.
Trump, whose mixture of combativeness and showmanship makes him a natural fit with the WWE, has a long relationship with the wrestling-entertainment giant. He hosted WrestleMania two years running in 1988 and 1989, and participated in a WWE storyline in which he bought WWE in 2009, before selling it back to Vince McMahon for twice as much a week later.
The show-beef between Trump and McMahon culminated with a "Battle of the Billionaires" match at WrestleMania XXIII, during which Trump shaved McMahon's head and not, lamentably for all involved, the other way around.
Also read: Glenn Beck Challenged to WWE 'Raw' Appearance, Possibly Leading to the Greatest TV Moment Ever
“It was literally the thrill of a lifetime performing in front of 80,000 enthusiastic fans during the ‘Battle of the Billionaires’ match at WrestleMania XXIII,” Trump said on Monday. “I’ve always enjoyed and respected WWE’s brand of entertainment and look forward to the ceremony in my hometown at Madison Square Garden.”
“Donald is a global icon whose status brought an unmatched level of publicity and grandeur to WWE,” McMahon added.
Also read: Donald Trump to Sue Bill Maher Over Ape-Sex Claim (Video)
Last week, the WWE attempted to reach out to another outspoken public figure when it invited pundit Glenn Beck onto Monday's edition of "Raw." Beck had criticized the new WWE character Zeb Colter, a jingoistic, pro-deportation Vietnam vet whom Beck felt was "demonizing" the Tea Party. The organization had hoped that Beck would address their audience directly.
Beck declined the offer, saying, "Unfortunately, I am currently booked doing anything else." However, the WWE said on Monday that it is sending a video crew to Beck's studios in light of Beck's no-show, and will attempt to obtain comment from the commentator.
Watch a highlight reel of The Donald and WWE's very special relationship in the video.