'Arrow' Takes On Stardust on 'Monday Night Raw'

If you've been paying attention to pro wrestling, the King of Sports, then you may already know that WWE has been teasing a feud between Stardust, also known as Cody Rhodes, and Stephen Amell, the star of TV's Arrow, for a while. Now, it looks like they're taking the next step: With only a few weeks left until SummerSlam, the second-biggest show of the year for WWE, a preview for tonight's episode of Monday Night Raw has announced that Amell will be showing up for a "face-to-face confrontation" with the wrestler who has become his arch-nemesis via social media.

In other words, there's going to be a very strange crossover between DC Comics and World Wrestling Entertainment on live television tonight when Green Arrow fights a man who speaks only in cryptic references to gaining cosmic power through victory in the wrestling ring, and this is obviously the greatest thing that is going to happen all week.

Here's how WWE described the upcoming clash on their "Five Point Preview" for tonight's episode:

For months now, Stardust has been anxious — obsessed, even — with goading “Arrow” star Stephen Amell into a confrontation. All of that social media back-and-forth between The Prince of Dark Matter and the popular actor has led both rivals to a potential clash on Raw. With Neville refusing to succumb to Stardust’s mind games, has the inter-dimensional oddity found a new “hero” in Amell?
Following Stardust’s Facebook jab at “Arrow” star Stephen Amell during last week’s Raw — the latest in a series of bizarre social media taunts from the face-painted fiend — the Canadian actor had finally had enough, announcing his intention to come to Monday night’s hottest show and settle his differences with The Prince of Dark Matter.

It actually makes for a pretty natural fit, too: Stardust is a well-known comics fan whose previous incarnations have included a mask and hood to hide an imperceptible scar on his face, a la Dr. Doom, and his recently unveiled entrance attire owes an awful lot to Mr. Sinister as well. His latest direction has been an obsession with cosmic-level supervillainy, so the idea that he'd become convinced that Handsome Canadian Actor Stephen Amell is actually Justice League Member Green Arrow has made for some pretty incredible television. Getting another confrontation between them should be a delight.

If, however, you're looking to see Amell actually step into the ring and take on Stardust in a match, well, odds aren't so good. Under normal circumstances, celebrity appearances are limited to just appearing. There's usually very little physical contact to them, for obvious reasons, like that time that Hugh Jackman showed up and punched Dolph Ziggler in the face for consistently (and hilariously) referring to him as "Batman."

As WWE's preview hints, this could really be setting up a feud between Stardust and Neville, but lest you think that this could cause things to lose their superheroic luster, consider that Neville is a high-flyer who wears a cape to the ring and recently battled against an evil king.

Monday Night Raw airs tonight on the USA Network from 8 PM to 11 PM Eastern.