The sixtieth edition of the Super Bowl is now in the books and, as is often the case, the game's halftime show has similar buzz to the game itself. While wwe" class='tag-link'>Bad Bunny's performance was received differently by different viewers, there's little question it was a newsworthy spectacle and the conversation was compounded by a prominent rival halftime broadcast.
Wrestling fans have long perceived WrestleMania as WWE's closest equivalent to the Super Bowl and that leads to the question of whether WWE ought to consider its own halftime show as part of the annual extravaganza. If so, what might such a show look like?
A Halftime Show Could Offer Organic Celebrity Involvement
WWE has a long history of courting celebrity involvement, and that's especially so throughout WrestleMania history where big names like Mr. T, Cyndi Lauper, Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather, Maria Menounos, Bad Bunny, and Donald Trump have played prominent roles, up to and including getting into the squared circle for matches.
Celebrities like Aretha Franklin, John Legend, and Joan Jett have appeared to sing "America the Beautiful" or play a WWE star down to the ring. A halftime show would offer an even more natural way for a major musical act to perform a full set in front of the stadium crowd.
Moreover, this kind of halftime exhibition need not be limited to musical acts alone but might, for example, integrate a promo segment akin to the Piper's Pits that occurred at WrestleMania 5 and 21, or perhaps a guest appearance by a standup comedian.
Halftime Could Break Up Long Shows
A signature element of WWE's presentation under Triple H has been scaling back the length of major shows which were growing unwieldy in the latter days of Vince McMahon's leadership, with WrestleMania 35 as a classic example of a show that got away from the company, stretching past midnight into the next day.
Even with greater restraint—often limiting PLEs to four or five matches—WrestleMania has tended to be the exception, with main card run times that still consistently clear three hours and that's not counting pre-show broadcasts.
Halftime offers a chance for fans to catch their breath and rally, visit concession stands and use the restroom. All in all, it's a chance for the audience to regroup, overcome wrestling fatigue that might otherwise set in, and ensure those live in the stadium and watching from home alike can bring the energy to the back half of the event.
Halftime Performances Might Attract Different Viewers
Not everyone is a football fan, but part of the tradition of Super Bowl halftime shows is their ability to hook casual or non-fans with a totally different form of entertainment.
WrestleMania has crossed a threshold such that there are casual fans who don't watch Raw week in and week out who will nonetheless seek out the biggest show of the year. A halftime show can offer them something else to consume besides providing WWE with opportunities for a totally different kind of social media engagement.
What Would Be The Right Halftime Attractions For WWE WrestleMania?
If one were to accept the premise of a WWE WrestleMania halftime show, the question quickly becomes which acts would fit this opportunity. Bad Bunny is a natural choice given his unique pairing of Super Bowl halftime credentials and having actually wrestled more than once for WWE and taken it quite seriously, giving performances that were well-received by the fans. Things get a little murkier after that.
While Bad Bunny himself drew polarized responses, particularly from an audience skewing toward the politically conservative who were unenthused about what he brought to the table, there are far more controversial choices out there. Despite lasting ties to WWE, acts like Kid Rock and Limp Bizkit have only aged well to a segment of the audience and bring their own baggage.
Other WWE loyalists like Snoop Dogg or Jelly Roll might strike a better balance. There's also the matter of drawing in major acts without meaningful ties to wrestling. While it may not be realistic at this point, if WWE could, for example, secure an act the caliber of Sabrina Carpenter or The Weeknd, they really might break down some walls in drawing an audience that wouldn't traditionally tune in for wrestling. (All that's not to mention that a celebrity with a real love for wrestling as a fan could make such an arrangement more attainable.)
For now, the idea of WrestleMania halftime shows is probably just a pipe dream. Nonetheless, when one considers how big this event has grown, pro wrestling's love of bringing in celebrities, and the potential to attract untapped viewer demographics there's a lot working in favor of the idea.
