The May 8, 2026, episode of WWE SmackDown has turned the “death” of the Gingerbread Man mascot into one of the most bizarre and humorous talked-about storylines of recent weeks.
Before the show aired, WWE released a tribute video called “Remembering” along with a promotion for “The Funeral of Gingerbread Man.” The company edited the mascot into some of wrestling’s most famous moments, creating a hilarious fake memorial package.
The Gingerbread Man was edited into several classic WWE moments ahead of SmackDown
The Gingerbread Man character, who was only recently introduced during the feud between Trick Williams and Sami Zayn, was treated like he had secretly been part of WWE history for decades. The video showed the mascot celebrating alongside legendary wrestlers and appearing in iconic crowd shots from old WWE footage.
One of the funniest edits featured Stone Cold Steve Austin during the September 1997 episode of RAW. WWE added the Gingerbread Man into the crowd right after Austin attacked Vince McMahon with a Stunner. In the edited clip, the mascot could be seen cheering in an “Austin 3:16” shirt.
The original moment is one of the most famous parts of the Austin vs. McMahon rivalry. After suffering a neck injury against Bret Hart at SummerSlam 1997, Austin had been stripped of his championships. Vince McMahon tried stopping him from competing, but Austin fought back before being escorted out by police.
Another edit recreated the legendary WrestleMania 3 moment where Hulk Hogan body slammed Andre the Giant. WWE digitally inserted the Gingerbread Man into the crowd wearing Hulkamania gear.
The mascot also appeared during John Cena’s WWE Championship victory over JBL at WrestleMania 21, once again cheering from the crowd.
Later, the Gingerbread Man was also inserted in “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Elizabeth’s wedding. He was also shown cheering for DX when they invaded WCW at WWF RAW vs. WCW Nitro in 1998. The mascot was also shown to be in the audience when Brock Lesnar broke The Undertaker’s streak at WrestleMania 30.
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