Remembering Ozzy Osbourne’s Impact on Pro Wrestling

Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary frontman of Black Sabbath, passed away on July 22, 2025, at the age of 76, surrounded by his family in Birmingham, England. His death came just over two weeks after he delivered a poignant farewell performance at the Back to the Beginning concert in Birmingham on July 5, a charity event that marked both his and Black Sabbath’s final live appearance - seated on a throne due to Parkinson's-related mobility issues, and raising millions for charity.

Ozzy Osbourne had a long and colorful connection to the world of professional wrestling, blending his larger-than-life rock persona with the spectacle of sports entertainment. His most iconic appearance came at WrestleMania 2 in 1986, where he accompanied The British Bulldogs to the ring and celebrated with them after they captured the WWF Tag Team Championship. He returned to WWE in 2009 as a guest host of Monday Night Raw—featuring a “Raw’s Got Talent” segment—and also performed live on Raw in 2007 to promote his single “I Don’t Wanna Stop.” Several of his songs - and classic Black Sabbath tracks - have been featured in wrestling as themes or promotional music. The Road Warriors famously used Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” as their entrance theme during their early 1980s dominance, creating one of the most iconic pairings of music and persona in wrestling history. WWE licensed “I Don’t Wanna Stop” as the official theme for Judgment Day 2007, and later used “Let Me Hear You Scream” in 2010 for SmackDown promos. “No More Tears” was featured in a video package highlighting Shawn Michaels’ career, while Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” was used as the theme for both NXT TakeOver: WarGames and Survivor Series: WarGames. Ozzy was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame’s Celebrity Wing in 2021. His music, attitude, and star power made him a recurring figure in wrestling lore - bridging generations of fans and performers.