Just three nights before The Biggest Party of the Summer, Superstars, Divas and celebrities from all corners of Hollywood gathered in support of Make-A-Wish at the WWE Superstars for Hope VIP Party. Luminaries such as actress Vanessa Hudgens, CNN talk show host Piers Morgan and rocker Travis Barker were among the celebs who mingled with the likes of WWE Champion John Cena, CM Punk and Daniel Bryan at the swank Beverly Hills Hotel.
Check out red carpet and VIP party photos | Natalya on the red carpet
“We’re partnering up with E! Entertainment Television and Beats by Dre to raise money for Make-A-Wish,” said CM Punk, who at SummerSlam will face The Beast, Brock Lesnar, in a highly anticipated battle. “To me, this is honestly the most important thing we do.”
Holding court at the end of the red carpet, The Queen of Harts and star of E!'s "Total Divas," Natalya, gave the WWE Universe a close-up look at all of the glitz and glamour of the charitable City of Angels soiree, which even brought a smile to the face of The Texas Rattlesnake himself, WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
“WWE is all about entertainment, and any time you can put a smile on someone’s face during a bad time is a good thing,” Austin told WWE.com. “You’ve gotta give back in everything you do.”
The first-ever Superstars for Hope initiative offers generous Make-A-Wish supporters opportunities to win once-in-a-lifetime experiences, courtesy of WWE and E!, including a VIP trip to WrestleMania XXX in New Orleans, a behind-the-scenes peek at an E! Network show, and even a shopping spree with The Bella Twins.
“I’m humbled by the scope of it,” said Daniel Bryan, who challenges John Cena for the WWE Title at SummerSlam. “Before [coming to WWE], I would volunteer at the animal shelter. But this, there’s so much reach. WWE has such a good platform to do this kind of thing.”
Equally impressed by the scope of WWE’s charitable endeavors was Travel Channel’s Adam Richman, a lifelong WWE fan who, appropriately, hosts a series called “Fandemonium.”
“It’s not just about bodyslams and suplexes,” Richman said, looking out at the crowd. “There is that larger-than-life aspect of sports-entertainment, and when you have this larger-than-life persona, it might be easy for a lot of these attractive, very talented and very athletic [people] here to lose sight of life. And I honestly think it’s kind of remarkable that despite this age in which some stars are all about themselves, [WWE Superstars] still care about their fellow man.”
Indeed, in the spirit of the evening, Superstars put aside in-ring rivalries to share the jam-packed, poolside dance floor with a veritable “who’s who” of Hollywood, many of whom could be spotted chatting it up in WWE’s social media cabana, sampling Beats by Dre headphones or playfully donning luchador masks and replica WWE Titles for wacky photo shoots. While the music eventually subsided as SummerSlam week rolled on, the efforts of WWE and Make-A-Wish will ensure that the smiles never stop.
Not always known for brevity, The Miz nevertheless found a way to succinctly sum up this truly awesome night.
“In WWE, we win titles and we get to perform in front of thousands of people,” the SummerSlam Host said. “But whenever you get to raise money and celebrate a great cause, that’s what being a Superstar is all about.”
To learn more about Superstars for Hope, or to find out how to donate, visit Omaze.com/WWE and Omaze.com/E!.