WWE knew just how to get Bad Bunny over with wrestling fans

Tag team match

Bad Bunny’s first WWE appearance had wrestling fans saying “who?” Heading into WrestleMania 37, he’s got them saying “wow!” Miz has been a huge help.

The Road to WrestleMania 37

Pop culture is increasingly siloed in the modern world, and wrestling fans are no exception. So when Spotify’s most streamed artist of 2020 was announced for Royal Rumble, much of the WWE Universe made jokes. Even those who knew from his collaborations with Stone Cold and Booker T that Bunny was “one of us” didn’t expect him to do more than perform his song about Book at the ThunderDome and go back to making music.

But as soon as he and Miz looked at each other sideways on Jan. 31, we all sensed something might be up.

A WrestleMania guest spot seemed likely from there, but not many expected Bad Bunny to show up most Mondays along the way. The Puerto Rican superstar was game for anything, from playing manager for his kayfabe friend Damian Priest’s matches, to winning the 24/7 championship (which he eventually traded for a replica belt, leaving the scene undefeated), to cutting promos, and taking bumps.

Throughout it all, Miz was a constant. WWE knew what they were doing tapping the A-Lister for this role. The Grand Slam champion is no stranger to the spotlight, and has no reluctance in playing the fool if Vince McMahon asks him to. Miz is also a safe worker, someone the company could trust to protect the Grammy winner he’s working with and not get hurt himself & force them to call a ‘Mania audible. He’s also easy to root against, which would help counteract any “part-timer” backlash Bunny might face.

Even without crowds, turns out they didn’t really need to worry themselves about that. The 27 year old from Vega Baja’s love of the business showed through (and just in case it didn’t, they had Priest and others ready to tell the press about how hard he was working to earn the locker room’s respect and impress the audience).

That was never more clear than on last Monday’s ‘go home’ show. After weeks of trading insults (and guitar shots), Miz & John Morrison jumped Bunny and dumped paint on his ride. Realizing he couldn’t handle the former Tag champs alone, he enlisted Priest as a partner. And cut a hell of a promo... in his second language, no less!

With that, Saturday’s match became a tag match. And a guy who loves this business will have three talented collaborators to help him make a moment on the Grandest Stage of Them All.

What’s at stake

Eh, no matter how well done it’s been, or how much Bad Bunny’s impressed, it’s a still ‘Mania tag match with a celebrity. If it delivers on the build, everyone involved wins. If it doesn’t, some naysayers will make jokes, and we’ll all move on.

Bunny will win no matter what, because as he said, he’s getting to live out his dream. If he does more than that, WWE is a big winner, because media outlets around the world will show clips of a chart-topping megastar showing out in a wrestling ring.

And The Awesome One will be right there making sure it all comes together, ensuring that the next time Vince needs a WrestleMania moment, he calls for The Miz.