Die Rocky/Cenanuff

[Muttley]

Wow, it's been awhile since I've posted something.

I just looked through some of the current threads, and of course, there is a lot of Cena hate (with some Orton hate thrown in) and I started to think about the amount of hate that The Rock had. Back at a Hall of Fame ceremony (not sure which one exactly) The Rock mentioned to Cena 'that you haven't made it in this business until an entire arena tells you that you suck'...or something along those lines.

Now we are all familiar with "LET'S GO CENA!...CENA SUCKS!" and we all know that on any given night, Cena is either cheered, booed, or split down the middle. But let's not forget that there was a time in The Rock's career where the entire arena (along with signs) would say "DIE ROCKY DIE!"

What do you think caused "DIE ROCKY DIE" other than him being heel? Is there any possibility that Cena would ever get some kind of vicious chant like that?

Do you think that The Rock had it worse than Cena does with all the hate? I mean, c'mon...chants of death!?

 

[Sinister Shadows]

It's possible, but I don't think will see something that far as to them telling him to die, it's a different crowd that wanted Rocky to die then that will eventually get sick of Cena.

 

[Azane]

Not in today's community.
There's enough marks that cheer heels to be cool that they would drown out the chants that a heel Cena could garner.
probably a good 30%+ of the people hating on Cena right now would be his biggest fans the second he heel turns, smarks just love the heels too much.

 

[akrassikauda]

Wow, it's been awhile since I've posted something.

I just looked through some of the current threads, and of course, there is a lot of Cena hate (with some Orton hate thrown in) and I started to think about the amount of hate that The Rock had. Back at a Hall of Fame ceremony (not sure which one exactly) The Rock mentioned to Cena 'that you haven't made it in this business until an entire arena tells you that you suck'...or something along those lines.

Now we are all familiar with "LET'S GO CENA!...CENA SUCKS!" and we all know that on any given night, Cena is either cheered, booed, or split down the middle. But let's not forget that there was a time in The Rock's career where the entire arena (along with signs) would say "DIE ROCKY DIE!"

What do you think caused "DIE ROCKY DIE" other than him being heel? Is there any possibility that Cena would ever get some kind of vicious chant like that?

Do you think that The Rock had it worse than Cena does with all the hate? I mean, c'mon...chants of death!?

"ROCKY SUCKS. DIE ROCKY DIE" Those chants were when he was Rocky Miavia. Yeah the crowds went way too far with those chants of death. When Rocky looked at Cena and said those words or something like along those lines that's when the hate started so he was kinda right.

What caused those chants I would have to say Dwayne Johnson's profile before WWF was this cocky Hurricane ( which back then gave you instant heat even if you were the waterboy ) who was third generation, his music wasn't good his look was terrible all you heard was this guy is going to be the future of the business but the WWF loyalist who knew they were in a war with WCW hated him and wanted him to get better or get lost. As you said chants of death c'mon even with SGT. Slaughter that was over the top.

 

[Mercer the Ruthless]

Personally, I think it's due to the exposure. When The Rock was at the height of his career, he was almost literally everywhere, on music videos in magazines unrelated to WWE/F and eventually in movies. I also want to add and I could be wrong depending on how you look at it; if you are too good looking a'la Cena, Rock and now Orton and you are the face of the company I think the Male crowd is more prone to hate on you. People don't/didn't like to hear too much about you, somewhat like phrase put up or shut up. Think about it, Taker, Austin and HHH yeah they got a lot of shine and people gravitated to them but when the kids and women look at them they boo them more viciously.

I know that was a little (okay fairly) farfetched so I'll conclude in saying this, Cena won't get boos as harsh as "Die Rocky Die" albeit saying that reminds me of ECW: One Night Stand 2006 when a member of the crowd had a sign that read: "If Cena Wins, we Riot". I guess it can equate to this, Cena has yet to reach Rocky's popularity, love or hate.

 

[Chadmw]

I just want to correct something the OP said. When Rocky was getting the DIE ROCKY DIE chants, he was still a face. And that is why the WWF made him a heel, because he couldn't get over as a face.

I think the reason people hated the Rock originally was the WWF tried to force him onto us. He won the IC belt from Owen hart, in like his second match and he was still very green

 

[H33LTurn]

I dont think Cena could get geers like that, even if he went full fledge heel. WWE's fans are more diverse than the old WWF's fans. Do you remember the WM peress conference in NY where The Miz got cheered? If Miz can get cheered when hes probably the most hated person in the company right now, I dont think Cena will ever get a solid boo from the crowd, no matter how bad hes forced down our throats.

 

[gaharris10]

The Rock actually won his first intercontinental title from Triple H in February of 1997. His victory over Triple H came just three months after he made his WWE debut at the 1996 Survivor Series held in MSG. While he was getting some cheers during his initial face run, the fans started to turn against him due to his overexposure, quick elevation through the wrestling hierarchy and extremely bland good guy persona. That kind of persona was harshly viewed by a wrestling audience that was increasingly favoring more rugged, hardedged, anti-hero characters like Stone Cold Steve Austin.
The Rock's 'good guy" character would probably have better success in the "Hulkamania era". It didn't stand a chance during the imminent rise of the "Attitude Era." After loosing the intercontinental title to Owen Hart in April of 1997 and during a period in which he was recovering from an injury, the Rock as well Vince recognized that if he wanted to achieve success with the WWE, he would have to adopt a persona that would seem more authentic or more resonant with the taste held by the WWE audience at that time. Hence, Dwayne Johnson went from the "blue collar, goody too shoes" Rocky Maivia to the trailblazing, eyebrow raising, cocky persona known as the Rock.

 

[hollowpoint]

The Rock's case was one of the first examples of someone being "shoved down our throats". Between being told he was the "Blue Chipper" and the "future of the WWF". They wanted him to be cheered by everyone as Hogan was but it backfired. Too much too soon. The "Rocky Sucks" and "Die Rocky Die" chants began and it created the Rock we now know to this day. Well not this Rock so much, but the Rock we all knew and loved. Talking trash to everyone and not really respecting anyone. I doubt there will ever be a case like his because most of the new talent nowadays comes in as young heels. Even the new faces are jobbing every now and again.

The Rock had it WAAAAAY worse than Cena has it now because the Cena has more of a 50/50 crowd reaction whereas the Rock had 90/10 hate towards his face character. He didn't become a fan favorite until he went heel.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

The "Die Rocky Die" chants were a result of Rock being given the wrong push at the wrong time. At a time when you had an undead man as champion, a beer drinking hillbilly being cheered on racously by the fans and a mentally deranged sewer living creature getting cheered, a clean cut guy who was supposedly the future of the company was just not the kind of person that the crowd accepted. Actually, I think that the chants stopped once he turned heel. He faced those chants because his character was not getting accepted. Also he was winning a lot at that time, defeating well established superstars, which was seen as odd for a superstar so new into the business.

Cena is hated much less than Rocky was at that time. This is, I think, because of the fact that Cena was already champion and also extremely popular when the hating started. Most people had already accepted Cena as champion when a select few turned on him. In Cena's case it was a case of him losing popularity while in Rock's case he had never gained any popularity in the first place and so the reaction towards him was more hostile.

"Die Rocky Die" is a silly chant though. Rock was not that great when he started out but there have been far more inferior wrestlers than that version of him in wrestling history. I can only hope that the fans were hoping for Rock to lose matches because wishing a guy who is just following orders is borderline ******ed.