Jelly Roll Warned to Receive a Toxic Takedown By WWE's Kit Wilson on SmackDown
Jelly Roll is ready to prove his detractors wrong when he collides with Kit Wilson, the eradicator of all things toxic in WWE, in his first-ever singles match on Friday's SmackDown in Pittsburgh.
The Grammy Award-winning artist is no stranger to competing inside the squared circle. He memorably teamed with Randy Orton at last year's SummerSlam at MetLife Stadium in Newark, albeit in an unsuccessful effort against Logan Paul and Drew McIntyre.
Since then, he's made enemies out of The Miz and Wilson, who haven't approved of his appearances on WWE TV and are determined to expose him as a fraud.
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Wilson in particular has received a considerable boost from the feud, quickly rising in the ranks from a directionless tag team wrestler to the self-proclaimed gatekeeper of the blue brand.
Jelly Roll has shown signs of promise whenever he's been tasked to talk on the mic or get physical in the ring, but a full-blown bout with one of the company's most promising prospects could prove to be more than he can handle.
Despite his limited experience and Wilson's relatively low profile, fans should expect both men to deliver what has the potential to be a highly entertaining affair.
Jelly Roll's Road to the Ring and Other Celebrity Involvement in WWE
Only two years removed from breaking out in the music industry with hits such as "Son of a Sinner" and "Need a Favor," Jelly Roll popped up at SummerSlam 2024 at Cleveland Browns Stadium, aiding Awesome Truth in laying out A-Town Down Under.
Jelly Roll, who weighed 540 pounds at his heaviest, has cited that night as his motivation for wanting to lose weight.
The singer returned to WWE almost unrecognizable at just over 265 pounds for the aforementioned tag team match with Orton versus Paul and McIntyre.
He took his fair share of punishment from the heels in the lead-up to the event as well as during the matchup itself, going so far as to take a splash from Paul through the commentary table before eating the pinfall loss for his team.
It was later confirmed on the second season of WWE Unreal on Netflix that Jelly Roll requested to lose that match. As a legitimate wrestling fan, he saw it as his way of paying respect to the business.
Wilson isn't underestimating the world-renowned rapper going into their match, knowing full well what he's capable of. His quest to rid WWE of toxicity continues by putting Jelly Roll in his place and proving himself worthy of being on the WrestleMania 42 card.
"I would say once upon a time, I might have been a fan of Jelly Roll," Wilson told Bleacher Report. "This is a global superstar. I don't think with me being English, I even fully understand how big he is. Country music has had a massive resurgence in these past few years. Things are big. I'm happy for him. I'm impressed by his success. But when you come from your industry and you enter my industry, that's when it starts causing me problems.
"I'm the young, up-and-coming superstar," he added. "You know, we've got a lot of people at the top right now. But in these next few years, Kit Wilson's making his way up to the top. I'm going to be a future great. I'm going to be one of the best. But if Jelly Roll thinks he can come in here, sing his award-winning songs and beat me, he's got another thing coming."
Jelly Roll's match on SmackDown is hot on the heels of IShowSpeed, a participant in the 2025 men's Royal Rumble match, showing up backstage on Monday's Raw. Surefire NFL Hall of Famer Tom Brady has also had words about WWE as of late that have hinted to him having a role of some sort at WrestleMania in Las Vegas on April 18-19.
With WWE and TKO wanting to expand their mainstream reach, it only makes sense for stars of Jelly Roll's caliber to remain involved, especially if he's holding his own, enjoying himself and benefiting the show.
Wilson is all for WWE opening their doors to celebrities, so long as it doesn't come at his expense.
"It's the beauty of these worlds colliding, these worlds coming together," he said. "My issue is when they overstep their line. I want them in this world. I want them to bring new eyes to the product. I want them to also show the fans that they're fans, too. They love this, too. We help each other. But that's it. You said it right there. If you take my spot or you take a spot that I think I deserve, then it's a different game."
How Jelly Roll vs. Kit Wilson Has WrestleMania Implications
Although nothing will be at stake on SmackDown when Jelly Roll and Wilson wage war, it should provide a clearer picture of what both will be doing at WrestleMania 42, if anything.
It's widely assumed by fans that the musician will be in action at The Show of Shows, with there being more of a question of who his partner would be if Wilson and The Miz indeed join forces.
The debuting Danhausen's recent run-ins with The Awesome One backstage would make him an easy choice, though a report from BodySlam.net indicated it could be a different fresh face in Royce Keys taking the spot alongside Jelly Roll.
Regardless, Wilson's catchy entrance music combined with his new gimmick targeting toxicity not only have endeared him to the audience but have also made him the perfect fit for this feud with Jelly Roll.
A win this Friday night could be enough to earn him a championship shot at WrestleMania and put him in prime position to excel immediately following the two-night marquee premium live event.
"Kit Wilson has never been hotter," he told B/R. "He's never been higher. He's never been bigger than right now. This is the road to WrestleMania. I guess that's why I've got such a problem with Jelly because you're trying to interrupt my journey.
"Carmelo Hayes is the current United States champion on my SmackDown brand. That is something I've got my eyes on. That's something I'm looking forward to. You will see Kit Wilson win that championship. So if I finish off with Jelly [Friday night], if I end that story, if I close that chapter, I can look onto these bigger things. And WrestleMania is that big thing."
Wilson has declared Jelly Roll embodies everything that is "toxic" about masculinity, and The Miz shares the same vision.
The two-time WWE champion is among the elite few on the roster whom Wilson doesn't consider toxic, with only one other name being included in that conversation.
"Do you know who I like at the moment? Damian Priest," Wilson said. "This is a man who was toxic. But he has now changed his ways, you know. You see that in his interactions with Rhea Ripley. They build each other up as equals. I love to see that. Men and women equal.
"He's now doing the same with R-Truth. He saw R-Truth was in a certain place. He's helped bring him up. He, as a fellow man, has brought him up. So, Damian, I've been watching the work you've been putting in, and I'm proud."
Simply by attempting to steal Jelly Roll's spotlight and being his first one-on-one opponent, Wilson has already won. He's been a recurring highlight on this road to WrestleMania and has ensured the Nashville, Tennessee, native will emerge from this outing looking the best he possibly can.
With the WrestleMania lineup far from complete, whatever wild shenanigans they pull off on SmackDown may only be a small taste of an even grander spectacle these two will have in store for The Show of Shows.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.
