Is Bad Bunny the greatest celebrity performer in WWE history?
Bad Bunny defeated Damian Priest in an unforgettable San Juan Street Fight at WWE Backlash 2023. The record-setting megastar artiste and the Judgment Day's Punisher lit up the San Juan Coliseum with a wild 20+ minute brawl, with the former eventually picking up the win.
The match was a spectacle, from the wild crowd to interferences from not just LWO, Dominik Mysterio and Finn Balor but also Puerto Rican legends Carlito and Savio Vega. After such a performance and the success that Bunny has brought for WWE Backlash in his home state, it's safe to say he is already one of the greatest celebrity performers in history.
Is he THE greatest, though?
Here are three reasons why Bad Bunny is the greatest celebrity performer in WWE history and two why he isn't
#3: He IS: Bad Bunny has performed multiple roles in WWE
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Wrestler. Guest musical performer. Announcer. Champion (albeit with the much-maligned 24/7 title). You name it, Bad Bunny has done it. Being the most-streamed musician in the world, he shows up only occasionally, but when he does, he fully immerses himself into the product.
Bunny has worn more hats within the WWE product than any other celebrity, making him arguably the most dedicated of the lot. This, at the very least, makes him many fans' sentimental favorite out of all the famous guest stars to walk through the curtain.
#2: He IS NOT: Bad Bunny has not had a full-time run in WWE
By the nature of their fame in other disciplines, celebrity performers rarely work full-time schedules. Bad Bunny is no different, which is understandable since he's a world-famous musician. However, celebrities like Pat McAfee have managed to commit for an extended period (at least, more than Bunny).
Thus, on sheer volume of appearances alone, the rapper is NOT the greatest celebrity to perform in the company.
#2: YES: Bad Bunny introduced a culture of celebrities putting in the work to excel in the ring
Before Bad Bunny came to WWE, celebrities mostly appeared in the company just to promote their upcoming projects. Barring that, they made one-off or sporadic appearances, mainly sticking to the sidelines. When they did compete in the ring, they usually kept it short and sweet due to lack of training. It felt more like a formality than an event to be genuinely excited for.
Bunny was arguably the first celebrity to take the time to do the work behind the scenes to be able to perform a wide range of moves. His performances at WrestleMania 37, Royal Rumble 2022 and Backlash 2023 set the standard, with Michinoku drivers, Canadian Destroyers and hurricanranas galore. Since then, the likes of Pat McAfee and Logan Paul have taken the ball and absolutely run with it.
Granted, McAfee was tearing it up in NXT long before Bunny's debut, but the latter was arguably more influential on the main roster.
#1: NO: Bad Bunny is yet to make his mark on WWE's main event scene
ONE LUCKY PUNCH.
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Bad Bunny's WWE career so far has been an epic ride. His debut at WrestleMania saw him team up with Damian Priest to defeat The Miz and John Morrison. He then made a surprise return at the 2022 Royal Rumble, having an epic face-off with eventual winner Brock Lesnar. At Backlash 2023, he elevated his legend to a whole new height with an epic outing in his home state of Puerto Rico.
One thing he hasn't done, however, is leave a mark on the company's main event scene. Unlike Mike Tyson, Logan Paul, Mr. T and David Arquette who either officiated, competed in or won major main event, Bunny is yet to hit these heights. It can thus be argued that he's not the greatest celebrity in WWE history.
#1: He IS: Bad Bunny is arguably the most genuine WWE fan to appear as a celebrity performer in the company
What a win for Bad Bunny in the San Juan Street Fight at #WWEBacklash!
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Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio grew up a huge WWE fan on the island of Puerto Rico. Long before he became a global megastar, he idolized the likes of Stone Cold Steve Austin, Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero. He then became Bad Bunny and conquered the world with his musical talents, winning three Grammy Awards and selling out arenas all over the world.
Despite his superstardom, he remained a fan, eventually living his dream of performing at WrestleMania. The musical artist has flown the company's flag high, mentioning it in his music, putting on great matches, and basically selling Backlash 2023 on his back. One only needs to look at his instantly iconic entrance at the event to see how genuinely he took to the company.
The likes of Stephen Amell and Logan Paul may be effortlessly good in the ring due to their natural athleticism, but no celebrity has struck up a connection as genuine as Bunny's in WWE.