The Celebrity Conundrum
By Scott Keith on 20 November 2018
Hey, Scott:
Your 1997 Bash at the Beach write up got me thinking. You note how WCW erroneously thought Dennis Rodman – at the peak of his crossover, uh, “appeal” – would goose the buyrate numbers. Has there EVER been an event where a celebrity had the kind of demonstrably attributable positive impact on the bottom line? *Maybe* Mike Tyson at Wrestlemania 14, but I still believe that show’s success was the anticipation of Austin’s coronation? Am I missing something more obvious?
I don't know why you say "Maybe" for Tyson. Austin was in the main event of No Way Out the month before, then in the main events of Backlash and Over the Edge and neither one did anything close to Wrestlemania, at a point when the WM brand was rebounding from its lowest point. It was 100% Tyson.
Also, Rodman popped a monster buyrate for BATB 98 when paired against Karl Malone, so you can go with that answer, too.