Stephen Amell, the star of CW’s Arrow , will officially make his in-ring debut at World Wrestling Entertainment’s SummerSlam on August 23.
RAW was aired live yesterday and blogged by World Wrestling Entertainment .
Amell, a Toronto native who is a life-long wrestling fan, was introduced to WWE fans a few months ago when he attended the final RAW at the Nassau Coliseum, and took part in a tension filled, wordless exchange with Stardust (Cody Rhodes in his latest gimmick). The two have been trading exchanges and insults on social media ever since. In recent weeks, Stardust has been mocking Amell using signature phrases from Arrow and mimicking his on-screen character, even going as far to call the star out, confusing him for his on-screen alter ego.
Amell returned to RAW as a “special guest” last night, as reported by the Inquisitr , and decided to sit with the fans. After a match between Neville and King Barrett, Amell was pushed by Stardust at ringside. A furious Amell hopped the guardrail, bounced into the WWE ring, and tackled Stardust to the mat, much to the cheers of the WWE Universe. He rained down some solid looking forearms and fists before security could separate the couple.
Following a commercial break, Amell demanded a match from WWE CCO, Triple H, at SummerSlam. Initially hesitant, Triple H agreed and made the match. It’s now official — Amell and Neville vs. Stardust and King Barrett at SummerSlam.
Amell, who will also star as Casey Jones in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 next year, will be making his first appearance in a WWE ring, but is no stranger to physicality. For Arrow , he performs many of his own stunts, is an expert in the extremely difficult salmon ladder exercise , and trains heavily in parkour, as well as archery, hand-to-hand combat, and weapons technique. There’s no doubt that Amell has the endurance and athletic ability to go toe-to-toe with two former Intercontinental champions, and it should make a welcome addition to the 4-hour spectacular on August 23.
The banter continued on Twitter last night with Amell posting a picture of his hand smeared with Stardust’s face paint. Amell also seemed a little starstruck by the proceedings on his Twitter feed, which is fitting with his genuine online presence on Twitter and Facebook, one where he openly discusses topics with his fans, participates in Q&As, and regularly helps with charity events. Regardless of this, Amell seems to be tapping into his “Oliver Queen” persona for the tag-team match, and the fight is definitely on for two weeks at SummerSlam.
Hey @StardustWWE , these aren’t bruises. They’re better. See you in Brooklyn. pic.twitter.com/DROvAbAJds
— Stephen Amell (@StephenAmell) August 11, 2015
SummerSlam enters its 28th year in 2015, and continues to be one of the cornerstone PPVs in WWE’s calendar, alongside WrestleMania , The Royal Rumble, and Survivor Series . This years event, which is 4-hours-long for the very first time, features an impressive card with matches such as John Cena vs. Seth Rollins in a Winner Takes All match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and United States Championship, and Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker in a brutal grudge match.
SummerSlam can be viewed on the WWE Network on Sunday, August 23, or via your local cable/satellite company.
[Images – dccomics.com and WWE.com]