Breaking Down Expectations for Stephen Amell vs. Stardust and King Barrett

Stephen Amell made perhaps the biggest splash of any celebrity in recent memory when he entered a WWE ring on the August 10 edition of Monday Night Raw.  Amell's heat with Stardust has made news in recent weeks, which led to their confrontation on Raw.

But being signed to a match at SummerSlam as Neville's tag partner is just the beginning.  The real issue concerns the expectations surrounding the Arrow star, including how he will look on August 23 and how the match will end.

Fans were likely on the edge of their seats when Amell jumped the guardrail on Monday Night Raw.  After all, he is an actor and has never been trained as a professional wrestler.  While the two worlds have mixed before, the end result has not always been a desirable one.

But Amell more than delivered in the ring that night—he excelled.  As fans held their collective breath to see how he would handle himself, Amell did exactly what any WWE Superstar would do: He jumped over the top rope, hit a spear on Stardust and gave him some stiff forearms to the face.

He did more than OK for a celebrity—he looked as though he actually belonged not only in the ring but among the other wrestlers as well.

Will the same be said on the night of SummerSlam?  Therein lies the bigger picture, as Raw was merely a precursor for what's to come.

Fans who may not have been expecting much of Amell before he laid his hands on Stardust are now surely anticipating a great deal.  He was obviously ready for the spot on Monday night, which means the guys he worked with behind the scenes made him more than prepared for every move that happened.  

He's a physical actor, as the role he plays of DC Comics' Emerald Archer calls for him to be very hands-on.  This means he already has a leg up on other celebrities who may not have had that previous action-star experience.

On top of all this is the fact that he's a major WWE fan.  That may not be a guarantee of a successful performance in the ring, but it is a good indication that Amell is at least familiar with the product and likely has a great amount of respect for it.

Fans can rest assured that Amell will be physically and mentally ready at SummerSlam.  His ring training is likely taking place as of this very writing, and when he steps through the ropes, he will be on his game. Not only will he know what he's supposed to do, but Amell will also have the respect to do it the right way and with great care to protect the business.

That means he cannot come in and dominate against either Stardust or King Barrett. Remembering both of those men have the training and experience, it would be a foolish notion that an outsider could come in and best either one.

But he will be quick on his feet and will not be afraid of getting tagged in, and when he does get in, he will make it look good.  

The ending of the match is a whole other story.

Amell should drop the pin in this match.  He has a wave of momentum he will carry with him to SummerSlam, but it will take more than that to beat a trained pro wrestler.  Stardust is still working on not only maintaining but evolving his character, while Barrett is eternally waiting for his one great shot to come along.

Amell cannot steamroll them.  He can play his part and ensure Neville comes out with his head up, but he cannot slow down Stardust or Barrett.  His hard work and impressive heart will not go unnoticed, and they shouldn't, but he should not get the pin in the end.  

Of course, if he does go over, then Amell may indeed have the majority of crowd support behind him. The win itself would come to the delight of fans who wanted to see Stardust finally be silenced and for Green Arrow to shine in the ring.

If WWE truly does want to take advantage of its crossover potential and keep utilizing celebrities, then Amell is the kind of guy it would want every time out.  He knows what he's doing and will approach it with a healthy level of respect, plus the desire to look as good as possible.

It's a win for fans, for WWE and for Amell himself.  Amell will certainly do well—and will surely do much better than that.

Tom's work can regularly be found on Bleacher Report, and his podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Windows Phone, Amazon Android and online here.