WWE is no stranger to having celebrities on their shows. Many have been spotlighted in the crowd. Some have performed entrance music for WrestleMania and SummerSlam. Others were a part of the infamous Guest Host era of Monday Night Raw. But over the past few years, more and more celebrities have stepped into the ring actually to participate in matches. We’ve seen both Bad Bunny and Johnny Knoxville wrestle multiple times, along with Logan Paul turning into a talented full-time wrestler for the company.
Most recently, the country music artist Jelly Roll teamed up with Randy Orton in a losing effort to Paul and Drew McIntyre last Saturday at SummerSlam. All four of them have exceeded expectations with their performances in the ring being memorable. There are a few essential reasons as to why celebrities have stepped up their game in WWE.
The WWE Performance Center is a Major Help
Established in 2013, the WWE Performance Center is where up-and-coming wrestlers go to learn WWE’s style of wrestling. Every year, multiple groups of trainees arrive in Orlando in hopes of one day going to the main roster. WWE’s developmental shows, NXT, Evolve, and WWE LFG, are all broadcast from there, featuring Performance Center talent.
With coaches spanning decades of experience both in WWE and with other companies, they do a great job of molding them into successful wrestlers. They also help celebrities succeed. Bad Bunny and Jelly Roll both trained there in preparation for their first matches.
Their training paid off, with Bad Bunny making multiple appearances since, and Jelly Roll open to returning to the company. The WWE Performance Center plays a significant role in celebrities delivering great matches on PLEs.
Celebrities That Care Make the Company Look Good
When celebrities are involved with WWE, no one knows how things are going to go. They can either have a great time, or things can rapidly fall apart, like with Travis Scott. The past couple of years have brought celebrities who take things seriously and deliver for the fans. Johnny Knoxville had a great feud with Sami Zayn and, as of last year, wants to return for another match.
Logan Paul could’ve just had his tag match with The Miz against Dominik and Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania 38 and just left it at that. After all, he has millions of followers across social media and boxing experience, so he doesn’t necessarily need wrestling.
But he committed to WWE, and three years later, he is a legitimate star with a United States Championship run. Having celebrities who want to be there guarantees their success in WWE.
They Deserve Respect from the Fans
It wasn’t too long ago that celebrities in WWE had a certain stigma attached to them. Some of them made it evident that either they didn’t want to be there, or they didn’t know much about wrestling. If they did have a match, it was short with minimal damage given to them. However, the past couple of years have changed everything regarding celebrity participation in WWE. We’ve had four men come into the company with very low expectations.
Many people laughed them off, calling them time-wasters and people who didn’t deserve a match. However, those four have had great matches with their opponents. They had a previous background in wrestling, trained hard in preparation for their matches, and took the entire business seriously. Bad Bunny, Jelly Roll, Johnny Knoxville, and Logan Paul have shown that celebrities can be a benefit to WWE as a whole.
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