Jelly Roll’s growing involvement with WWE took a major step forward on the July 11 edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown, as the country music artist became entangled in a developing storyline alongside Logan Paul, Randy Orton, and Drew McIntyre. This appearance was not just a one-off moment. According to Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com, Jelly Roll has been training for an in-ring debut and is now officially set to compete at the 2025 SummerSlam premium live event.

While WWE has a long history of celebrity crossovers, the decision to feature Jelly Roll in a match has sparked some backlash online. One fan on Twitter/X, @EliteClubS0B, wrote, “NO ONE ASKED FOR THIS,” a comment that quickly gained traction with nearly 9000 likes.

WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray weighed in on the criticism, defending the move by highlighting WWE’s longstanding tradition of bringing in personalities from other industries.

“Outside biz personalities have been involved w/ WWE since ‘Mania 1 and Mr. T… maybe before that,” Ray wrote. “If you’re complaining about Jelly Roll, you’re ignorant or just don’t ‘get it.’”