MVP has never been shy about speaking his mind, and his latest comments on celebrity and influencer crossovers in professional wrestling show just how much he values the authenticity of the craft.
During his conversation with betideas.com, MVP was asked about his opinion on athletes or celebrities crossing over into wrestling. While he acknowledged that these appearances bring eyes to the product, he made it clear that he isn’t a fan of most celebrity involvement, especially when it diminishes the credibility of trained wrestlers. MVP pointed out that he respects legitimate athletes but isn’t fond of casual celebrity appearances that lack the same commitment.
“I’m not particularly a big fan of the crossovers. I know it puts a lot of eyes on it. But I’ve never been a big fan of the crossover stuff.”
However, MVP made an exception for one very special crossover — music superstar Bad Bunny. MVP praised the star for putting in the work to make his wrestling appearances feel genuine and earned his respect.
“I will tell you this, I was incredibly impressed with Bad Bunny. And for the work that he put in to turn in those performances. And for him to be one of the biggest stars on the planet!”
MVP continued by sharing a story about his interaction with Bad Bunny after WrestleMania, where he told the musician that he had earned his respect.
“After WrestleMania, I remember going to his locker room and telling him, ‘Hey, I want to be honest with you. I’ve never been a fan of other people coming into my world doing this, because I just didn’t have any respect for them. This was my craft, this was my career. This is what I do. And for you, this is just a fun weekend.’”
But MVP’s opinion shifted on Bad Bunny, adding that his respect for him grew after seeing him perform at a concert.
“But in his case, I went and shook his hand and told him, ‘not that you need to hear this, but you’ve earned my respect,’ and we hugged each other and I was like, ‘Yo, you’re the man.’”
“And then afterwards, having been a guest of his at a Bad Bunny concert, I was blown away. This man is an incredible showman. I was off my feet, man. Afterwards, I went to the back and he confidently said, ‘welcome to my world.’ I said, bro, my respect for you has gone up even more.”
While MVP gives credit where it’s due, he wasn’t shy about calling out influencer appearances he felt went too far. Specifically, he mentioned the infamous moment when Austin Theory was choke-slammed by Jelly Roll, pointing out the unrealistic booking and how it harms the credibility of trained athletes.
“So, there are some cases where people make that crossover and they do exceptionally well. But generally speaking, I’m not a fan of the influencers and whatnot coming into the world of wrestling and doing their thing.”
MVP continued by slamming the booking decision, which he felt was out of line:
“Austin Theory gets choke-slammed by Jelly Roll? Jelly Roll can barely lift a Jelly Roll!”
He expressed his frustration over how untrained celebrities often overshadow the hard work and dedication of wrestlers who have spent their lives training for the ring.
“I just hate when they bring in an actor or a singer or an influencer, and now here you have trained athletes who put their bodies through the ringer day in, day out, and then all of a sudden, Austin Theory gets choke-slammed by Jelly Roll.”
MVP explained that he and other wrestlers in the locker room have had similar conversations about how they’re expected to put celebrities over.
“I’ve always hated it, and the guys in the locker room would talk about how you bring in these stars or actors who don’t have an athletic bone in their body, but we always have to put them over!”
However, MVP did offer praise for legitimate athletes like Evander Holyfield, whose crossover felt more natural and relevant to the storyline.
“But when you get an Evander Holyfield come in, and from a wrestling angle he’s coming in to box, well that makes sense. And that’s a cool thing.”
MVP’s comments about the world of celebrity and influencer crossovers in wrestling definitely give fans something to chew on. While some may enjoy the excitement and star power that these appearances bring, MVP’s frustration with unrealistic bookings and the lack of respect for trained wrestlers is understandable.
What do you think about MVP’s take on celebrity and influencer involvement in wrestling? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
