Greatest Celebrities In Wrestling

In this edition of The Wrestling Estate roundtable, we discuss celebrities in wrestling.

How do you feel about Ronda Rousey’s run in WWE thus far?

John Corrigan: As Miles Zielinski says, I’m underwhelmed. The mic is definitely not her strong suit, and I would have waited until Mania before she got her hands on Steph.

Evan Cross: It’s been a slow start, but it still feels like a big deal that she’s in the company. It’s probably too early to complain about it.

David Gibb: It’s been fine. Shayna Baszler’s introductory run in NXT has been much better, though. Rousey is tangling with top heel Stephanie in transparently contrived sports entertainment situations; it’s not playing to her strengths. Baszler feels like a fighter whose personality and in-ring style are two notches more real than what anybody else is doing.

Who was your favorite celebrity involvement in pro wrestling?

Corrigan: Andy Kaufman is the gold standard, but I’m a sucker for Cyndi Lauper’s entire stint in WWE. From smacking Capt. Lou with her purse to getting punted by HotRod, Cyndi was committed to the act and had a lot of fun doing it.

Cross: Shaq showing up out of nowhere at WrestleMania 32 was a great surprise. I’m also partial to Kermit and Miss Piggy facing off with Vickie Guerrero and Jack Swagger.

Gibb: When you watch the WCW footage of Kevin Greene back, he clearly “got” pro wrestling and could’ve been very good at it if he hadn’t had such a long successful football career. He brought celebrity/legitimate sport cache while also understanding wrestling well enough that the segments he was involved in never had that clunky/slow non-wrestler segment feel.

Who was the worst of the celebrities in wrestling?

Corrigan: Al Sharpton was a fish out of water who Chris Jericho has gone on the record to label the “worst guest host in Raw history.” I just don’t like celebrities who clearly view pro wrestling as beneath them.

Cross: Kathie Lee and Hoda. Even my mom wouldn’t have enjoyed that segment.

Gibb: The whole celebrity guest host era of Raw was pretty harrowing for me, but Jeremy Piven’s involvement was by far the worst. The dude couldn’t even be bothered to learn the name of the show he was helping promote. Can you imagine if the WWE had forgotten that the name of his movie was “Entourage?”

Should there be a celebrity wing in the WWE Hall of Fame?

Corrigan: Nah, it devalues the concept and has earned more scrutiny than positive publicity.

Cross: It’s not like there’s a limit to the amount of people who can get in, so there’s no harm in a celebrity wing. But it does serve as a weird reminder that this isn’t a totally wrestling-focused event.

Gibb: Using the word “wing” in respect to a non-physical “hall” is just too weird for me to process… so I’m going to say no on principle.

Which celebrity would be a perfect fit in pro wrestling, whether in a full-time role or a one-time appearance?

Corrigan: Jason Kelce is definitely a wrestling fan, which is half the battle. He’s young enough to play a few more years and then switch over to the ring, or he could be a good fit in House of Hardcore for a cameo or even a one-time match.

Cross: Discounting those who have already appeared in some manner on a wrestling program as well as any other combat sport (because they’re too similar), Russell Westbrook would be a great heel and is as athletic than anyone on the active roster.

Gibb: I think Adam DeVine (of Workaholics/Pitch Perfect fame) would make an incredible manager. His timing, body language, and way he uses his face are reminiscent of Jimmy Hart or Bobby Heenan. You could easily get people really excited to see someone give him a few bumps.