41 years ago, Vince McMahon launched Wrestlemania as a closed circuit event from Madison Square Garden. Knowing he needed more than just the wrestlers on his rosters to sell the event, McMahon banked on some additional star power.
He'd already brought in Mr. T (The A-Team) and singer Cyndi Lauper. For the big party, he added boxing icon Muhammad Ali, who'd had a brief dalliance with the company nearly a decade earlier, Yankee legend Billy Martin, and Liberace, who got into the Rockettes' legendary kick line.
Voila! A tradition was born.
In one week's time, however, when Wrestlemania returns to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the celebrity involvement will be lacking the star power of the original.
Country singer Jelly Roll has had previous appearances with WWE. Rapper L'il Yachty? Not so much. Yachty is being positioned as a "hype man" for former NXT champ Trick Williams as he seeks the US title. Before becoming a champion in his own right, Williams was a hype man himself for former US champ Carmelo Hayes when both were in NXT.
Jelly Roll, meanwhile, is thrust into a main event feud involving current champ Cody Rhodes and former champ Randy Orton, who were stablemates 17 years ago. Instead of referencing the past, which has only been done in passing to this point, with a week to go, TKO CEO Ari Emanuel decided the Saturday main event needed some unnecessary extra juice.
Enter Pat McAfee.
Claiming mental exhaustion after a 4 1/2 month college football season kept him from returning to WWE as a commentator, McAfee made a surprise return on April 3, turning heel on Rhodes, and aligning himself with Orton.
On last night's Smackdown, Orton & McAfee stole Rhodes' title belt, adding further fuel to the fire, especially after it got out before Friday that Emanuel is also McAfee's agent.
Conflict of interest, anyone?
If I were a betting man, and I'm not, I'd say Orton's chances of leaving Vegas with his 15th world title were flushed down the drain. He & McAfee are reportedly set for a tag match vs. Rhodes & Jelly Roll at Backlash next month.
The fans would like to ask Emanuel to pass the Pepto-Bismol, this is so bad.
Last year, Emanuel brought in Travis Scott as an emissary for former champ turned TKO board member Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to screw over Rhodes. Neither Johnson nor Scott has been heard from since, and you'd think Emanuel would've learned a lesson after that debacle, but no.
Without addressing Emanuel directly, both Rhodes & CM Punk have taken shots at the TKO frontman this week, leading some to speculate that Johnson would return after all, but why bother, if he's going to skip out again after next week?
If they need a corporate stooge for Rhodes, Punk, or any other babyface to cut promos on this coming week, they already have someone available in Bruce Prichard, long McMahon's right hand man. The artist formerly known as faux evangelist Brother Love would make a good sounding board/victim.
But is Emanuel willing to take that step, as safe as it is?
Stay tuned.
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