There has been an influx of celebrities getting involved in wrestling over recent years to varying degrees of success, with the general quality of their in-ring performances actually being pretty good. This has certainly been a feature of WWE in recent times, as they have welcomed the extra exposure that booking famous people from other industries brings.
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The likes of Bad Bunny, Johnny Knoxville, and, of course, Logan Paul have all been involved with WWE at big events such as WrestleMania, which have often been some of the best parts of the card. However, there is an argument to be had that Triple H has gone too far with certain people, particularly the streaming celebrities who have become involved with the company over the past year or so.
WWE Has Always Used Celebrities
WrestleMania Has Been A Hotbed For Celebrity Involvement
- WWE has historically used celebrities to help promote their biggest events, particularly WrestleMania.
- The first WrestleMania found mainstream success through its use of high-profile celebrity appearances.
- Other WrestleMania’s have also had celebrity involvement, including Floyd Mayweather and Donald Trump.
WWE has always seen the value of having celebrities involved with its content, stemming back to the first WrestleMania when Mr. T competed alongside Hulk Hogan against Roddy Piper and Paul Orndoff in the main event. There were also a host of other celebrities at the inaugural ‘Show of Shows,’ such as Cyndi Lauper and Ozzy Osbourne, who helped make the event a major cultural turning point for wrestling as an industry.
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Throughout the years, WWE continued to feature celebs in limited roles, whether it was through the special guest Raw General Manager period, or the ‘Battle of the Billionaires,’ which saw the future U.S. President Donald Trump’s involvement at WrestleMania 23. The company has even had non-wrestlers compete in matches throughout the years to great effect, such as Floyd Mayweather’s exhibition against Big Show at WrestleMania 24.
Overall, the use of celebrities in big spots, particularly on Premium Live Events, was limited, but that has changed in more recent times. Now, it is strange for a WrestleMania to go by without there being a celebrity match on the card, as more outsiders have entered into WWE during this decade than ever before.
Today’s Celebrities Are Better Inside The Ring
Bad Bunny, Pat McAfee, And Logan Paul Have Raised Expectations For Outsiders
- The 2020s has seen an influx of celebrity performers who can do more inside the ring.
- This includes artists from other industries, like Bad Bunny and Johnny Knoxville, who have over-delivered in matches.
- It also means that ‘athletes’ like Pat McAfee and Logan Paul can transition to WWE through better in-ring work.
The 2020s have seen a huge shift in how celebrity involvement in WWE is expected to go, as the likes of Pat McAfee, Bad Bunny, and Logan Paul have raised expectations about what non-wrestlers can do inside the ring. Beforehand, celebrities were not expected to do much from an in-ring standpoint, but more recent examples have shown how meticulously planned matches and preparation can make anybody look good as a wrestler, so long as they are athletically able to do so.
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Pat McAfee kicked things off with the big cultural shift around celebrities in WWE during his work in NXT opposite Adam Cole and the Undisputed Era in 2020. McAfee’s background as a sportsperson no doubt helped him acclimatize to the rigors of the wrestling ring, as he looked improbably good in those matches.
He was followed by Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny, who had a shockingly good showing alongside Damian Priest against The Miz and John Morrison at WrestleMania 37. The Grammy Award-winning artist would then have an even better match opposite Priest in 2023, defeating the future World Champion in a ‘San Juan Street Fight.’
Then there is Logan Paul, who has surpassed the ‘celebrity wrestler’ expectations to become a fully-fledged member of the WWE roster, winning the United States Champion in his eighth match. Paul has undoubtedly shown a higher quality not usually expected of celebrities inside the ring, but there is an argument to be made that the novelty around him has worn off as he continues to be given a spotlight in WWE that he may not deserve.
The 2025 Royal Rumble Showed Both Sides Of The Celebrity Debate
- This year’s Royal Rumble match saw streamer IShowSpeed receive a huge spear from Bron Breakker.
- Logan Paul also appeared in the Rumble at the #30 spot, eliminating CM Punk in the match.
- Ultimately, these celebrity streamers give WWE valuable exposure, meaning they will continue to be used.
At the turn of the decade, WWE was a complete shambles, which meant that celebrity involvement was welcomed because there were very few full-time performers who were over. This has changed significantly under Triple H since he took over creative control in 2022, with there now being many performers who arguably deserve a greater spotlight than they are currently afforded.
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Logan Paul’s entire WWE career intersects with Triple H’s slow rebuild of the roster, meaning that his celebrity star power has diminished alongside the rise in popularity of so many other stars. Seeing the streamer get the #30 spot in the 2025 Royal Rumble, where he would eliminate CM Punk no less, felt like a moment of clarity where maybe Paul should no longer be positioned as a top star alongside tenured wrestlers who deserve their spotlight.
The Rumble also offered up the funny, but questionable, IShowSpeed involvement, as he took Akira Tozawa’s spot before getting speared to death by Bron Breakker. The spot was amusing, and no doubt appealed to a younger demographic that WWE wants to appeal to by using these streaming celebrities, but he did also take a spot from a full-time performer.
WWE does not seem to be slowing down on its usage of these internet celebrities either, as it is likely that Logan Paul will qualify for the Elimination Chamber and have some kind of involvement at WrestleMania 41. Fans will debate whether this is a good idea, but ultimately it does make all the sense in the world from a business perspective.
The reality is that the likes of Logan Paul and IShowSpeed have far more of a global audience than most wrestlers do, so Triple H would be foolish not to use them in some capacity going forward. The United States Championship and #30 spot in the rumble may be a step too far for Paul, who still has his limitations as a performer, but he has not done much damage to the product thus far.
