WWE's Approach On Controversial Celebrity Usage: "If You're Not In Jail, You're Fair Game"
Controversial boxer Ryan Garcia appeared on this week's WWE Raw.
With WWE featuring even more celebrity cameos in the audience than ever before these days, many fans took particular umbrage with the use of boxer Ryan Garcia on this week's Raw.
For those who missed Raw, Garcia got involved in a Danhausen and Joe Hendry segment, where those two popular babyfaces sang a song, complete with Minihausens and dancers. While Garcia initially danced along with all of this, he eventually hit Hendry with a guitar, leading to a Judgment Day attack on Danhausen ahead of Dominik Mysterio's match against the Very Nice, Very Evil star at SummerSlam this weekend.
As for why Garcia is a controversial figure, he was banned by the WBC from July 2024 to November 2025 after various racist comments, has made homophobic remarks, was accused of aggressive and controlling behaviour by his ex-wife, and was arrested and charged in June 2024 for causing approximately $15,000 in damages at a hotel.
Speaking on Garcia's appearance on Raw, and WWE's wider approach to the usage of celebrities, Dave Meltzer believes that the company views all celebrities as being "fair game" unless they're "not in jail".
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer said:
“If you’re not in jail, you’re fair game for WWE, and that's fine. It’s a consistent policy, if there’s not a conviction. I think if you’re a big enough star, even if there is a conviction, you’d be okay, but man, I wasn't surprised at it or anything like that. There was outrage to it, so I can't say that there wasn't. But I tell you what, if that guy, if he'd been on AEW, 10x, easy, outrage. I'm really starting to think that the outrage stuff is very tribal. I know they're promoting his fight, and that's the deal. And that was their idea of getting publicity, and getting him on [ESPN] SportsCenter, and getting him in mainstream, because, to them, a guy like Ryan Garcia is mainstream, just like, to Dana [White], the Tates, Andrew Tate is mainstream, and that's all that matters. It doesn't matter what you've done or anything like that. Are you famous? Are you an influencer? If you are, cool. If you’re not, you can be a great person, and it doesn’t matter because you’re not famous enough. So, it's very much just how it is."
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