You might say that Pro Wrestling is a world full of people who are constantly, performatively on edge, looking for any real or fictional slight to lash out against. You could say the same thing, actually, about Twitter, and celebrity twitter in particular. So it’s no surprise when a conflict springs up at the intersection of those two worlds.
After a No Holds Barred match between Batista and Triple H at WrestleMania 35 was made official on Raw last night, actor Stephen Amell of CW’s Arrow took to Twitter to comment:
Just landed and found out about @DaveBautista v @TripleH — Really pumped for the match but also don’t want to see a celebrity angle detract from an awesome wrestling card. 😶
— Stephen Amell (@StephenAmell) March 12, 2019
Despite the deadpan emoji, it’s hard not to assume that the actor was attempting to make a self-deprecating joke at his own expense. This is Stephen Amell, after all, who had a match at SummerSlam 2015, after weeks of buildup on Raw and even longer on social media. After that, he competed at the Elite’s All In PPV, where his appearance was criticized on the internet with language almost identical to what he’s using here, so it’s clear that he’s joking about himself, not actually criticizing Batista. Nevertheless, Dave didn’t seem to be amused.
Considering that celebrity could actually fuck someone up, and that celebrity is a former 6x heavyweight champ, and that celebrity is there because he loves it, maybe it just adds to the card. Maybe. https://t.co/RGztvWphiQ
— Dave Bautista (@DaveBautista) March 12, 2019
Whatever role you personally think celebrities and returning wrestlers should play at WrestleMania, nothing Batista is saying is wrong. He’s not just a movie star, he’s a veteran of the wrestling business who’s returning not to promote something, but because he wants to. On the other hand, it’s not clear that anyone’s actually annoyed by his return, even Amell. It’s possible Dave’s just feeling a little paranoid, or he’s taking everything as literally as Drax does.
