Does WWE Need Celebrity Guest Stars?

Does the presence of celebrity guest stars help or hurt WWE?

Celebrity guests have been a staple of the WWE since the first WrestleMania. From Liberace to Lauper, rock stars, athletes, and actors have wanted to be part of the pop culture sensation that is professional wrestling. Some of these appearances have worked well (Mike Tyson) and others left us hoping someone got fired (Kevin Federline).

It makes sense that celebrities would want to be part of the WWE. Famous people are unique creatures, crafted from equal parts creativity, insecurity, and narcissism. In order to maintain their fame, they must be relevant. They must be seen by as many people as possible as often as possible, if even for the most pedestrian of accomplishments. This is known as the “Kardashian Imperative”.

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On the premiere episode of the Wrestling Compadres podcast, guest Stephanie McMahon was asked if the WWE was interested in having former MMA women’s champion and Hollywood crossover star Ronda Rousey back in the ring.

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"“I’ve been chomping at the bit for a long time to have Ronda as a part of WWE but she’s got a few other things on her road map, I think. But I was really excited, actually, to be in the same company as Ronda.”"

Rousey’s appearance at WrestleMania 31 led many at the time to speculate that she may have been laying the groundwork for a match against the Billion Dollar Princess at WrestleMania 32 which, mercifully, didn’t happen. Whether this match was never actually planned or simply didn’t come to fruition due to Rousey’s MMA commitments may never be known but it’s clear that WWE could continue to benefit from her star power. Brock Lesnar’s upcoming match at UFC 200 may be opening the door a little wider for Rousey to make another cameo, but a full-blown match seems unlikely.

Walking beer pong table Rob Gronkowski recently expressed interest in showcasing his physical attributes inside the squared circle:

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"“I don’t know. I feel like it would be perfect. My body already takes a beating, I know those wrestlers take a beating, so I might want to take off my body a little bit. But my friend [NXT’s Mojo Rawley] is in wrestling and if they ever want to do a cameo with me and him where I can bodyslam him, I got no problem doing that.”"

I’m sure the WWE would have no problem involving an athlete of Gronk’s size and a cameo by him would play well with the New England crowd who already worships him as a deity. The question comes down to a matter of value added. Gronk may want the WWE, but does WWE need Gronk? Every Sunday from August to January, American living rooms will be filled with images of football players inflicting actual violence on one another so seeing one the most dominant players in the game involved in simulated violence may be a tad confusing for some but would create positive buzz for WWE.

As the saying goes, we all die twice; once, when we stop breathing, and again when someone speaks our name for the last time. So long as the WWE keeps calling, you can expect celebrities from across the media spectrum to answer in an attempt to avoid the second death.

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