The theme of celebrities in pro wrestling is not an uncommon one as hundreds have either appeared on shows or stepped into the ring themselves throughout the years. Still, the question as to whether their usage is beneficial to the wrestling business is up for debate.During a virtual signing with Signed By Superstars, ex-WWE writer Brian "Road Dogg" James and AEW star Billy Gunn, together once known as the New Age Outlaws, weighed in on the topic. For Gunn, simple outings from celebrities are fine. When it extends beyond that, though, it dips into questionable territory."I'm okay with like an appearance kind of thing," Gunn said. "I feel like now where it's like they can just come in and all of a sudden do what we do, they don't appreciate...That's wrong, because I don't know what they feel. It's like oh, they just came in and can do what you do. No, that's not it. No, they can't. They get a quick [moment of] this is only what you're doing. Sometimes, it's okay with just an appearance, but trying to work and do all that stuff, I don't get that."In the lead-up to WrestleMania 42, the celebrity presence amongst WWE television has noticeably increased, with the likes of Jelly Roll, IShowSpeed, Lil Yachty, and Pat McAfee all contributing to storylines. In Jelly's case, he even defeated former NXT Tag Team Champion Kit Wilson on "WWE SmackDown." Meanwhile, IShowSpeed is set to make his WrestleMania in-ring debut in a six-man tag bout.
From the perspective of Brian James, the subject of celebrities in wrestling comes with a mix of downsides and upsides. "Look, the negative immediately is it takes away from somebody that's been working hard all year doing their things," he said. "It's a two-part question. Is it bad for the business or is it bad for business? Because is it bad for business? Hell no. It's cross culturing, you know what I mean? It's all of the above and good [for business]. Look, Jelly Roll is committed. He lives down there at the [WWE] PC working. So you kind of meet him and you go, 'Oh, yeah, I don't hate this guy doing what I do.' And he's probably better than I was anyway."In his in-ring career, James found success in WWE and TNA, with the former company recognizing him as a Hall of Famer (as a member of DX) in 2019. In both promotions, James notably enjoyed runs with tag team championship gold.As James alluded to, Jelly Roll burst on the WWE scene with a serious drive to his sharpen in-ring training. This included an extended stay at the Performance Center, where the award-winning singer conditioned himself with the help of WWE coaches and talents. In August 2025, Jelly made his official in-ring debut in a tag bout alongside WWE veteran Randy Orton at SummerSlam. Seven months later, he scored his first singles win on "SmackDown." Looking ahead, he's now reportedly set for a tag bout opposite Orton at WWE Backlash 2026.If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Signed By Superstars with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
