Nobody asked for it. Seriously. When Warner Bros. and WWE Studios first announced they were putting John Cena and a talking Great Dane in the same frame, the collective internet let out a confused "Huh?" It felt like a fever dream or a desperate marketing ploy from two brands that had absolutely nothing in common.
But then people actually watched it.
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The collaboration resulted in two full-length animated features: Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery (2014) and Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon (2016). They aren't just weird trivia notes in wrestling history; they’re actually decent movies. They captured a very specific era of the "PG Version" of WWE that relied heavily on larger-than-life personalities. If you grew up watching the Mystery Machine gang unmask guys in rubber suits, seeing them tackle a "Ghost Bear" at a WWE camp doesn't actually feel that far-fetched.
The Secret Sauce of WrestleMania Mystery
WWE and Scooby-Doo worked because both universes operate on the same logic. In Scooby’s world, the monsters are fake, but the stakes feel real to the characters. In WWE, the characters are larger-than-life personas, but the physical action is very much present.
The first film, WrestleMania Mystery, follows Shaggy and Scooby winning a trip to "WWE City." Yes, WWE has its own city in this universe. It’s a ridiculous concept. There’s a giant training camp, a massive arena, and apparently, everyone there just walks around in their wrestling gear all day.
When a phantom bear starts terrorizing the town and stealing the WWE Championship belt, the Mystery Inc. crew teams up with the roster. This wasn't just a cameo. John Cena is essentially the co-lead. He saves the gang from a boulder in the first ten minutes. It’s absurd. It’s over-the-top. And honestly? It’s exactly what a Saturday morning cartoon should be.
The voice acting helps a ton. Unlike some celebrity cameos where the athletes sound like they’re reading a grocery list, the WWE superstars actually put in the work. Santino Marella is a standout, leaning into his comedic timing, while Triple H plays the "straight man" leader role perfectly. You can tell the producers at Warner Bros. Animation understood the rhythms of a WWE show. They even included Michael Cole and Jerry "The King" Lawler on commentary to call the action when the Mystery Machine eventually enters the ring.
Why the Fans Didn't Hate It
Wrestling fans can be cynical. We’re talkin' about a group of people who will boo a literal hero if his comeback feels too forced. Yet, the WWE and Scooby-Doo movies escaped the typical "sell-out" vitriol.
Part of that is the "New Era" shift. By 2014, WWE was firmly entrenched in its PG rating. The days of Stone Cold Steve Austin drinking beers and hitting people with chairs were long gone. The company wanted to be Disney-adjacent. Partnering with Hanna-Barbera was the ultimate seal of approval for parents. It signaled that WWE was safe for kids.
The animation style also stayed true to the classic What’s New, Scooby-Doo? aesthetic. It didn't try to be "gritty" or "modern." It looked like Scooby-Doo. Seeing Kane—a literal "Big Red Machine"—interacting with a cowardly dog is a visual gag that just doesn't get old.
Also, let’s be real about the plot. The "mystery" usually involves some disgruntled person from the wrestling world's past seeking revenge. It’s basically a standard wrestling storyline, just with more dogs and snacks. The logic holds up. If you can believe that The Undertaker has supernatural powers, you can believe that Velma can figure out who is wearing a bear suit by looking at soil samples.
Curse of the Speed Demon and the Racing Pivot
By the time the second movie, Curse of the Speed Demon, rolled around in 2016, the novelty should have worn off. Usually, sequels to weird crossovers are a disaster.
Instead of just doing "WrestleMania Mystery 2," they pivoted to a racing theme. This allowed them to bring in a whole new batch of superstars like The Undertaker, Triple H, Paige, Sheamus, and even Lana and Rusev.
The plot is a riff on Wacky Races. It’s a cross-country off-road race with modified vehicles. The Undertaker drives a hearse (obviously). The Miz and Paige drive a flashy sports car. Dusty Rhodes even makes a posthumous appearance in animated form, which was a nice touch for long-time fans of the "American Dream."
This movie is arguably weirder than the first one. It’s faster, the stakes involve a demonic racer named Inferno, and the action sequences are much more complex. It proved that the WWE and Scooby-Doo partnership wasn't a one-off fluke. There was a genuine creative synergy there.
The Weirdest Details You Probably Missed
If you go back and watch these as an adult, or even as a hardcore wrestling fan, there are some deep-cut references that make no sense for a "kids' movie" but are great for the nerds.
- The Sin Cara Paradox: In the first movie, Sin Cara is a hero. For those who don't remember, the Sin Cara character was notorious in real life for "botching" moves and having a rotating cast of actors under the mask. Seeing him animated as a flawless high-flyer is a bit of an accidental inside joke.
- AJ Lee’s Appearance: She’s in the first movie, but by the time it was released, the relationship between WWE and her husband (CM Punk) had souled significantly. It’s a weird time capsule of a specific roster moment.
- The Food Gags: Shaggy and Scooby eating a "Vince McMahon" sized sandwich? Classic.
- Brodus Clay: He has a whole dance sequence. It’s 2026 now, and looking back at the "Funkasaurus" era through the lens of a Scooby-Doo cartoon is perhaps the only way that character actually makes sense.
Ranking the Superstars as Voice Actors
Not everyone transitioned to the recording booth with ease. Here is the unofficial breakdown of how the roster handled the Scooby-Doo universe:
The Naturals:
John Cena is basically a cartoon character anyway, so he crushed it. The Miz is another one who was born for this. His arrogance translates perfectly to animation. You love to hate him, even when he's being chased by a ghost.
The "Why Are They Here?":
Goldust. Don't get me wrong, Goldust is a legend. But seeing his bizarre, painted face in a Scooby-Doo cartoon is genuinely unsettling. It’s great, but it’s a choice.
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The Heavy Hitters:
The Undertaker voicing himself is a trip. He keeps the "Deadman" persona completely intact. He doesn't make jokes. He doesn't wink at the camera. He treats the mystery of the Speed Demon with the same gravity he treated a Hell in a Cell match. That commitment is what makes it work.
Breaking Down the "WWE City" Mythology
We have to talk about WWE City. It’s the most fascinating part of the world-building. In these movies, WWE isn't just a traveling circus; it's a destination. It’s like a mix between Disney World and a high-performance sports institute.
The city is filled with easter eggs. You’ll see posters for old pay-per-views and statues of legends. It creates a sense of history. For a kid who doesn't know who Bruno Sammartino is, it doesn't matter. But for the parent watching along, those background details provide a layer of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) to the production. The creators clearly respected the source material of professional wrestling.
The Business Impact of the Crossover
From a business perspective, this was a masterclass in "synergy." WWE Studios has a spotty record. For every The Marine, there are five movies nobody remembers. However, their foray into animation was a goldmine.
By partnering with an established IP like Scooby-Doo, WWE was able to:
- Sell Merchandise: A whole line of Mattel toys featured WWE superstars with Scooby-Doo accessories.
- Cross-Pollinate Audiences: Kids who liked Scooby-Doo were introduced to the WWE roster in a non-violent, heroic context.
- Longevity: These movies still play on Cartoon Network and streaming platforms today. They have a much longer shelf life than a random episode of Monday Night Raw.
It opened the door for more. After Scooby, we got The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age SmackDown! and the Surf's Up 2: WaveMania movie featuring John Cena and The Undertaker as penguins. Yes, penguins. But the Scooby-Doo entries remain the gold standard for this weird sub-genre.
Common Misconceptions About the Movies
A lot of people think these were just 22-minute TV specials. They weren't. They were full, 75-80 minute direct-to-video features.
Another misconception is that the wrestlers didn't actually voice themselves. With very few exceptions (due to scheduling or legends no longer being with us), the vast majority of the superstars did their own voice work. That’s why the dialogue feels authentic to their characters. When Triple H talks about "The Game" or his "Legacy," it sounds like him because it is him.
What You Should Do Next
If you’re a wrestling fan who skipped these because they looked "too childish," or a Scooby-Doo fan who doesn't get the hype, it’s time to give them a shot.
- Start with WrestleMania Mystery. It’s the tighter of the two films and handles the introduction of the WWE world more naturally.
- Watch for the cameos. There are dozens of background wrestlers who don't have lines but are drawn into the crowd or training scenes. It’s a fun game for hardcore fans.
- Check out the "making of" clips. Seeing Big Show and Triple H in the recording studio wearing giant headphones and trying to scream like they’re being chased by a ghost is arguably more entertaining than the movie itself.
The WWE and Scooby-Doo crossover shouldn't have worked. It was a collision of two completely different worlds. But because both brands embraced the absurdity of their own premises, they created something that is genuinely fun, endlessly rewatchable, and a weirdly important piece of WWE’s PG-era history.
Grab some Scooby Snacks, put on your favorite wrestling mask, and enjoy the chaos. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the most nonsensical ideas turn out to be the most memorable. The mystery of why this worked is solved: it didn't take itself too seriously, and it let the characters be exactly who they are—even if one of them is a talking dog.