It’s no secret that WWE television ratings have not been spectacular over the past several months. They’ve been consistently falling, but WWE officials have chalked that up to the return of Monday Night Football or the presidential election that just concluded. However, WWE programming is set to heat up soon with “The Road to Wrestlemania” and the biggest WWE Royal Rumble PPV in the company’s history .
WWE has often used part-time wrestlers and big names to sell PPVs in order to get over the hump of a poor string of ratings. In the past, they’ve also used big celebrities and top athletes in other sports to provide an additional boost to the WWE product and give the WWE Universe a cool moment. Those kinds of tricks and stunts are typically saved for Wrestlemania , but WWE officials could be looking for some help right now.
Recently, The Undertaker made a surprise visit to the Cleveland Cavaliers locker room before a game. He took pictures with a few Cavs players and staff. LeBron James was absent, which may have lit a fire under the butts of WWE officials. Now, the belief is they’re trying even harder to get the rub from James.
According to a recent report , WWE officials sent Undertaker to the Cavs’ locker room as a publicity stunt in an attempt to get a viral video of the legendary WWE Superstar with LeBron James. The attempt failed, and James’ absence has been reported as a diss against Undertaker and WWE.
However, it has been confirmed that LeBron hadn’t cleared the meeting beforehand, so his attention was on the game later that night rather than giving WWE publicity. LeBron James hasn’t been shy about being a big wrestling fan. He’s been seen at WWE shows or sporting an Undertaker shirt during practice, so it’s not out of the question for WWE officials to think they had a way to get some exposure by associating with LeBron.
However, it has also been reported that LeBron James is said to be strongly against PR stunts like the one WWE attempted. He doesn’t feel his celebrity is something to be exploited. That’s unfortunate for WWE, but it’s made them want to continue their efforts to get LeBron involved with the company in some way. It’s been rumored that WWE is actively trying to get him to appear on WWE television in the near future.
Attempting to get LeBron James on WWE television is going to be a tougher challenge for WWE officials, but Wrestlemania 33 is around the corner. It’s always been an event that involved big name celebrities, and James is in an elite category when it comes to the world’s athletes. It’s been confirmed that WWE has a plan for The Big Show to face Shaquille O’Neal at Wrestlemania 33 . That could be a possibility for LeBron, but it’s highly unlikely that he’d ever want to wrestle a match or do anything in the ring.
Wrestlemania 33 could very well be the last time The Undertaker wrestles on the grandest stage of them all or any stage in wrestling, so James may want to be there as a fan. WWE may be able to find a role for him during Wrestlemania weekend to get the exposure they’re looking for without exploiting him.
However, being able to show him in the Orlando crowd may just be enough for WWE officials. The company would most likely want to wait until a WWE show is in Cleveland again before trying to get rub elbows with LeBron James again. Eventually, something will probably work out. Vince McMahon always gets his man.
[Featured Image by Chris Szagola/AP Images]