Complete with his unyielding, assertive demeanor, over inflated ego, and signature comb over hair style, “The Donald” was in the house this past Monday on Monday Night Raw. The star of NBC’s “The Apprentice”, Donald Trump, made his presence felt this past week as “the owner” of what many consider to be WWE’s flagship program. I’m sure each and every one of us realized that Donald Trump was not in actuality the owner of the Raw brand, or of anything World Wrestling Entertainment related. WWE ownership did not really transfer to anyone else in recent weeks. But that was a moot point. Donald Trump is just one of the numerous celebrities who have been featured on WWE programming in the last few decades. Stars such as the eighties pop icon Mr. T, football legend “The Refrigerator” William Perry, and former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson, and seemingly countless other famous individuals have temporarily experienced WWE’s limelight.
However, as I’m certain many long time professional wrestling fans have realized over the years, the method of bringing celebrities into the wrestling world does not always turn out to be a full proof plan. The room for error is not always non-existent, nor even only of diminutive size. Bringing stars from the Hollywood Walk of Fame can hurt the business if not executed properly.
Having celebrities actually take part in wrestling matches can, if not done properly, have some negative repercussions on the hosting wrestling company. Lawrence Taylor, a.k.a. L.T., is one of the greatest sportsmen to ever step foot inside of a wrestling ring. A former MVP and a true NFL legend, L.T. by many accounts carried out an outstanding wrestling performance for someone who was only in his first match. He wasn’t a Shawn Michaels or a Chris Benoit, but no one realistically expected him to be. From what we can gather through video and interviews (specifically Gerald Brisco), L.T. displayed a great amount of respect for the wrestling business, and obviously worked diligently on his successful role. He trained hard in preparation, and did well for a first-timer. Never the less, Bam Bam Bigelow, the long time veteran, was utterly embarrassed by coming out on the losing end of that match.
L.T. could have worked like a horse (which he supposedly did) to show respect for the wrestling business. He could have treated the WWE locker room as being on the same level as his football teammates. But the fact of the matter is he did not show the ultimate display of respect he should have. That being, he was figuratively obligated to put over Bam Bam Bigelow on that evening. Bam Bam Bigelow wasn’t exactly a tremendous draw (despite being a great big man), but was still solid performer. The very next day, Bam Bam had to go back to the same job he had for years, while L.T. enjoyed his retirement from professional football. Bam Bam, with his tattooed head and his flame embellished body suit, was forced to go back to the day in, day out, underrated and somewhat under appreciated grind that sports entertainment can offer, while L.T. could lounge around in his home and reflect on his once and done wrestling performance.
Never the less, big time wrestling promoters will often times savor the chance to bring a celebrity into their wrestling company. They will leap at the opportunity to invite a star into their fold, for the obvious reason of bringing in the new viewers from that celebrity’s fan following.
Mike Tyson, the man dubbed “the baddest man on the planet”, played one of the most successful celebrity roles in WWE history, if not the best of any mainstream star to step foot into the squared circle. Mike Tyson, who seemed to be having a lot of fun with his involvement, was given the position as special enforcer at Wrestlemania 14 in the main event between “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and champion Shawn Michaels. Unlike at Wrestlemania 1, where fellow boxing legend Muhammad Ali was the guest referee in the main event, Tyson simply had a less demanding role in the show. I personally feel that Tyson was viewed by Vince McMahon as being too unintelligent for outright being the guest referee, but that’s a moot point.
Tyson was seen as an out of control person with a wild side, and fit the rebellious image that went well with the nature of professional wrestling. The difference between Tyson’s role and Lawrence Taylor’s role was, obviously, that L.T. was actually participating in a match as a competitor, while Tyson was on the outside of things. Mike knocked out Shawn Michaels in the aftermath, but he did not humiliate him by beating him in a wrestling match as Taylor did with Bam Bam. This was a special case, where Shawn Michaels took a few years off from wrestling directly following that match, but never the less, Tyson did not take too much away from the wrestling business even if Shawn had remained a regular part of things afterwards.
Professional wrestling is viewed by many celebrities as the black sheep of the wrestling world, and thus don’t have to pay their dues within the wrestling business. Apart from Kevin Federline and a few others, celebrities usually pay their dues to their own separate profession. Lawrence Taylor fought and clawed his way on the football field to become a star. Tyson defeated opponent after opponent to become a star. Donald Trump has worked many hours to become a big player in the corporate world. They view the wrestling world as a profession below their own, and thus feel they do not need to pay their dues. It was Vince McMahon getting his head shaved at Wrestlemania 23, and certainly not the prestigious Donald Trump.
While it is far fetched to think that every celebrity who WWE brings in should have an experience as successful as Mike Tyson’s, celebrities can have a very beneficial role in the whole scheme of things. A special performance by Kid Rock, while some feel it was given too much time, and other musicians can elevate the status of that professional wrestling company in the perception of most other wrestling fans. Fans of Kid Rock may be more willing to check out the product, just as on a higher level Mike Tyson drew in a bigger audience, many of which were introduced to Stone Cold Steve Austin for the first time, and thus helped WWE gain all around momentum when they needed it most.
Celebrities in wrestling are like a double edged sword, and the way they are used can determine how that sword is used. Lawrence Taylor, through no fault of his own, actually took away from the business, as he, with no prior wrestling experience, defeated one of WWE’s regular performers. However, some instances, such as Mike Tyson’s involvement at Wrestlemania 14, took very little away from sports entertainment, and gave a significant amount back in a positive way. Donald Trump has taken little away from wrestling, but because he has paid his dues successfully in a profession that is more esteemed than professional wrestling, he will never, in his mind, lower himself to having to pay dues in sports entertainment.
