TVSquad

Back in the halcyon days of NBC's Bob Hope TV specials, the comedy legend would march out a list of the most bizarrely unrelated pseudo celebrities you could imagine.

You'd hear something like, "Join me this Sunday on NBC for 'Bob Hope's All-Star Salute to Existence' with great stars like Loni Anderson, Pink Lady and Jeff, the UPI All-American Football Team, Billy Carter, Steve Reeves and Brooke Shields!"

It looks like World Wrestling Entertainment is shooting for something equally bizarre with its list of upcoming Monday Night Raw guest hosts. Vince McMahon and company plan to continue the guest general manager routine through the end of 2009 and possibly all the way to Wrestlemania 26 next March.

Names confirmed for upcoming shows include Bob Barker, Rev. Al Sharpton, Nancy O'Dell and LeBron James. Future names still negotiating include Ashlee Simpson, the Osbourne family, Danny DeVito, Regis Philbin, Kelly Ripa, Jimmy Fallon, Rachael Ray, MC Hammer, Woody Harrelson, Serena Williams and Ashton Kutcher.

This all drives actual wrestling enthusiasts up the arena wall clean to the nosebleed seats as they tune in to see athletes perform in the ring -- not the slowly degrading circus act that is Raw these days. I can only imagine how the wrestlers back stage feel about busting up their bodies in pre-determined, but physically brutal action 300 nights a year so Kelly Ripa can punk them out on national TV.