Does anyone prefer 1999 Rock to 2000-02 Rock?

[Chris1-16]

By 2000, I meant the 2nd half of the year starting with his 4 month title reign.

Apparently everyone says that he was stale when Austin returned in September 2000. The funny thing about is that when Austin had come back, Rock's character was almost nothing like how it was when Austin was there in 1999. Here's some major differences:

1999:
-Walked slowly to the ring

-Paused in the entranceway and looked at the fans before walking down ramp

-Didn't do the 1 fist pose yet (In a way it seemed like he was ripping off Austin a bit when he started doing that)

-Wasn't using the sharpshooter yet

-When posing with a title belt he just raised it up slowly and didn't flip it up in the air (Again another Austin move)

-Had a deeper voice

-Didn't talk fast

-Was a lot more brutal when trash talking opponent (You can't really watch that HIAC promo when he made fun of the other 5 guys and call it "brutal")

-Was a lot more arrogant in '99, by the 2nd half of '00 he was more intense than arrogant

-Used to trash talk on commentary during matches or when he wasn't wrestling (for some odd reason he stopped doing this in the 2nd half of 2000)

-Was more "rougher edged" (In 2000 his punches looked like was slapping someone, in '99 he actually looked like he was punching them)

-His moves didn't look as sloppy (In '99 his Samoan Drop actually looked like a Samoan Drop, starting in '00 he started half-assing it)

And there's many more differences, I honestly think the '99 version of him was better than Austin that year. It was easy to see why many thought he was lame compared to Austin in the fall of 2000, his character became lamer.

 

[Chris1-16]

Late 97- Mid 99= Best character in wrestling, period.

Hey, he was still in God mode in late '99 up until mid '00. By the time of his 4th month title reign that started that summer something went horribly wrong. Rock nowadays is a lot more like how he was in 2000-02 than he was in 1999. A lot of people don't realize this and think how Rock is now is the way he probably was in '99 too.

They are wrong.

 

[The Corporate Champ]

A few months after getting kicked out by the Corporation, his demeanour changed. It was later on in the Nation to just after getting kicked out that, like you said, The Rock talked slower and more calmly. Chose his words to be more potent and had that arrogance about him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4VWrnki5WM

 

[Chris1-16]

A few months after getting kicked out by the Corporation, his demeanour changed. It was later on in the Nation to just after getting kicked out that, like you said, The Rock talked slower and more calmly. Chose his words to be more potent and had that arrogance about him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4VWrnki5WM

Trust me, it wasn't until around mid 2000 when his demeanor really changed. That's when he began talking faster and his voice changed and he started looking lighter.

[youtube]taPQMFEI8uw[/youtube]

See, he was still the same arrogant character here.

[youtube]TTdj-LDuwgA[/youtube]

See how different he was here?

 

[The Corporate Champ]

lol Im not denying what you're saying. Im just saying that a few months after he got kicked out of the Corporation is when you started to see that change.

 

[RattleRockerJet97]

Its The Rock, layin the smackdown doing exactly what he does best.

Honestly, it doesnt matter which one becuase The Rock has always been the Peoples champ, The Peoples Choice, and the best damn WWE superstar there ever was.

I perfer the one today just by a bit.

 

[Gomez13]

yeah 'corporate' rock was definitely my favourite time watching the great one. his feuds with mick foley and stone cold were great. i always remember the rock gettin on the mic during the i quit match with mankind, talking trash and singin. he certainly had more of an 'attitude' back then.

 

[The Corporate Champ]

I will NEVER forget when Rock threw Stone Cold over the bridge and then the Raw is War after that when Rock held a funeral. I marked out when he revealed he still had the smoking skull belt.

 

[Midnite Express 2009]

The Rock, during the 1997-99 years was ahead of his time, but was a fantastic draw and was way better, character-wise, than what he evolved to. By the time 2001-2002 came along, I think he knew he was going to be taking time off, and more so, going toward his movie career, so The Rock started phoning it in, so to speak. He still was an entertaining performer, but overall, he started to not be as hungry as he had been before he won the title and shortly after. But that's just my opinion. I prefer The Rock when he was with The Corporation due to the fact that he and Austin had such great chemistry working together.

I think his decline started to happen when he was feuding with HHH over the WWF/E title. HHH knew he was going to be the man for a long time, and I believe Rock knew he was going to do his movie thing, but you could tell the difference in the way he performed with Austin vs. the way he did with HHH. Now don't get me wrong, I'd pay 10xs as much to have seen those two, even today, before I'd pay to see any John Cena match, but the fact still remains his level dropped down a notch. The Rock from Survivor Series 1998 until WrestleMania XV was the best short stretch that almost anyone has ever had. The man was the best heel the company had since Superstar Billy Graham.

 

[Why Always Me]

Great topic, and as a HUGE Rock fan I will give my opinion.

The Rock was at his absolute best from when he was kicked out of the coporation until around Survivor Series 1999. This was when he would pause in the entrance way and look at the crowd at the start of his entrance, walked slower to the ring, didn't do the one arm in the air pose, wore $500 shirts and has a deeper, more arrogant voice.

After Survivor Series 1999 the entrance changed slighty, he would just simply walk (or even march) to the ring, I didn't like that change but was only minor so what the hey.

Backlash 2000 was I believe the last time his pose on the turnbuckle was simply 'the smell' so to speak. The Rock won the WWF Title that night, then started to pose on the two turnbuckles with the belt. When he lost the WWF Championship he continued to raise the arm, sans the title belt.

Around this time his character started to change slightly, the arrogance started to leave and was replaced with more intensity. He stopped wearing the $500 shirts and instead just wore a t-shirt and tracksuit bottoms. His ring style changed slightly, he became faster (not sure I liked that) and started adding moves that I felt didn't suit him such as the overhead belly to belly throw and the sharpshooter. Even the People's Elbow looked different (watch a People's Elbow from 1998/1999 and compare it with one from 2000/2001, completely different.

When Austin came back in September 2000 it was almost like he was trying to copy Stone Cold. Their entrances were almost identical too, stomp to the ring, pose on turnbuckle. Whilst he was still very popular, around this time I felt the pops were just beginnning to dwindle slightly.

WM17, Austin got more cheers BUT it was in Texas (WM17 in Miami, The Rock get the majority of the cheers). But The Rock definately was not as popular as he was in 1999. But I felt when he returned from his 4 month 'suspension' that it wasn't the same Rock. Different music, shorter hair (although that could of been because he was starting to recede a little) and even less arrogance in his promos. WM18 against Hogan, he got booed which was a little sad, but I 100% believe that if the '1999 Rock' had faced Hogan that night, the crowd would of been more split (the same can be said for his match against Brock Lesnar at Summerslam for the WWE Title).

When The Rock came back in 2002 as Hollywood Rock, he was actually more entertaining than The Rock from late 2000 onwards. The arrogance was back and it was great. I honestly don't know why The Rock decided to change from his mid 1999 character, because that was his most popular time IMO, perhaps the most popular phase of any wrestler in history.

So, in closing, 1999 Rock was better than 2000-02 Rock, in fact 1999 Rock was better than anyone in history.

 

[WWEIsLife2]

To me I think The Rock was so much better in 2000 than he was in 1999. His promos in 2000 to me were alot more I dunno intense and thats what I find better plus him talking about the HIAC Match is one of my Favorite promos he ever did. He was fine in 1999 overall but I think by 2000 he got so much more better.

 

[Midnite Express 2009]

I think this is a classic case of how over a person is when that person is the heel vs. when that person is the face. Look at Ric Flair for instance. When Flair played the face role, even though he was still Ric Flair, the MAN, it wasn't as great as when Flair was the heel. I loved Ric Flair vs. Dusty Rhodes matches because Flair was just so damn great in his role as Dusty's thorn. Then when 1989 rolled around and Flair became, for all intents and purposes, the #2 face of the company (#1 face was Sting), it didn't feel the same.

A heel gets the reaction he gets, and thus is more "popular" because there's always a bit of truth in that person. Same thing with The Rock from 1998-99. The truth of the matter was that Rock knew he was better than everybody else. He didn't have to cater to the fans and thus, he was more aware of himself. That's what I think made him so damn good during that time period. When he started to get into the 2000s it almost seemed as if he tried too hard to get over as a face, when he was already over as a heel. Not the monster heel, but the clever, Ric Flair-like heel that people loved to hate because the truth was that Rock could afford to be that guy.

Take John Cena. "Rappin' Cena", the heel, was pretty good because it just seemed like Cena, in real life, is a cocky son of a bitch that most people want to hate. The face Cena is a son of a bitch that most people want to hate, minus the cocky attitude. He was way over in that role and now he's only over if you're under 7 years old. Does that make any sense to anyone?

 

[Chris1-16]

Great topic, and as a HUGE Rock fan I will give my opinion.

The Rock was at his absolute best from when he was kicked out of the coporation until around Survivor Series 1999. This was when he would pause in the entrance way and look at the crowd at the start of his entrance, walked slower to the ring, didn't do the one arm in the air pose, wore $500 shirts and has a deeper, more arrogant voice.

After Survivor Series 1999 the entrance changed slighty, he would just simply walk (or even march) to the ring, I didn't like that change but was only minor so what the hey.

Backlash 2000 was I believe the last time his pose on the turnbuckle was simply 'the smell' so to speak. The Rock won the WWF Title that night, then started to pose on the two turnbuckles with the belt. When he lost the WWF Championship he continued to raise the arm, sans the title belt.

Around this time his character started to change slightly, the arrogance started to leave and was replaced with more intensity. He stopped wearing the $500 shirts and instead just wore a t-shirt and tracksuit bottoms. His ring style changed slightly, he became faster (not sure I liked that) and started adding moves that I felt didn't suit him such as the overhead belly to belly throw and the sharpshooter. Even the People's Elbow looked different (watch a People's Elbow from 1998/1999 and compare it with one from 2000/2001, completely different.

When Austin came back in September 2000 it was almost like he was trying to copy Stone Cold. Their entrances were almost identical too, stomp to the ring, pose on turnbuckle. Whilst he was still very popular, around this time I felt the pops were just beginnning to dwindle slightly.

WM17, Austin got more cheers BUT it was in Texas (WM17 in Miami, The Rock get the majority of the cheers). But The Rock definately was not as popular as he was in 1999. But I felt when he returned from his 4 month 'suspension' that it wasn't the same Rock. Different music, shorter hair (although that could of been because he was starting to recede a little) and even less arrogance in his promos. WM18 against Hogan, he got booed which was a little sad, but I 100% believe that if the '1999 Rock' had faced Hogan that night, the crowd would of been more split (the same can be said for his match against Brock Lesnar at Summerslam for the WWE Title).

When The Rock came back in 2002 as Hollywood Rock, he was actually more entertaining than The Rock from late 2000 onwards. The arrogance was back and it was great. I honestly don't know why The Rock decided to change from his mid 1999 character, because that was his most popular time IMO, perhaps the most popular phase of any wrestler in history.

So, in closing, 1999 Rock was better than 2000-02 Rock, in fact 1999 Rock was better than anyone in history.

Yeah, you know what I'm saying!

I honestly think him starting to turn away from his '99 style alienated some people and they thought HHH was more badass than him. I mean really, did anyone think HHH was that badass in 1999? He got his ass handed to him almost every week before Undertaker and Austin left!

 

[Rockyfolifebo!!!]

Bo, i'm the BIGGEST Rock mark ever! So on topic, The Rock was slower in '99. Not mentally, i mean like his swagger. The way he talked, walked, wrestled. Hell even his song was slower. When he came out, for most of '99, his theme was "Do You Smell It". In the lyrics, it says "The Rock says. . . The Rock says know your damn role". I loved that. Then in late '99, his theme changed to a more upbeat, version of that theme. Plus the way he carried the belt. In '99, he'd hold it over his shoulder while walking to the ring. But in that 2000 mark, he'd either carry it in his hand or drag it a little bit. Not to mention his hair. No homo, but in '99 his hair was off the chain, he had like a high top. Then he had them long ass sideburns that i've been trying to grow for years. But then, in '00 he got a low cut, with slim sideburns. I'll take 1999 Rock any day!!!!! And i'm sure the millions. . . AND MILLIONS of Rock fans would agree with me!

 

[Chris1-16]

Bo, i'm the BIGGEST Rock mark ever! So on topic, The Rock was slower in '99. Not mentally, i mean like his swagger. The way he talked, walked, wrestled. Hell even his song was slower. When he came out, for most of '99, his theme was "Do You Smell It". In the lyrics, it says "The Rock says. . . The Rock says know your damn role". I loved that. Then in late '99, his theme changed to a more upbeat, version of that theme. Plus the way he carried the belt. In '99, he'd hold it over his shoulder while walking to the ring. But in that 2000 mark, he'd either carry it in his hand or drag it a little bit. Not to mention his hair. No homo, but in '99 his hair was off the chain, he had like a high top. Then he had them long ass sideburns that i've been trying to grow for years. But then, in '00 he got a low cut, with slim sideburns. I'll take 1999 Rock any day!!!!! And i'm sure the millions. . . AND MILLIONS of Rock fans would agree with me!

Yeah you understand what I mean too.

I mean, how much did Austin change in when you compare say July 1999 to November-December 2000? Not a whole lot, he was doing the exact same gestures in Nov-Dec 2000 that he was doing in July '99. Same thing for HHH, he was almost the exact same character in November-December 2000 that he was in July '99, the only thing that changed was that he dominated the show a lot more by the end of 2000.

 

[SCrooked1]

I think this is a classic case of how over a person is when that person is the heel vs. when that person is the face. Look at Ric Flair for instance. When Flair played the face role, even though he was still Ric Flair, the MAN, it wasn't as great as when Flair was the heel. I loved Ric Flair vs. Dusty Rhodes matches because Flair was just so damn great in his role as Dusty's thorn. Then when 1989 rolled around and Flair became, for all intents and purposes, the #2 face of the company (#1 face was Sting), it didn't feel the same.

A heel gets the reaction he gets, and thus is more "popular" because there's always a bit of truth in that person. Same thing with The Rock from 1998-99. The truth of the matter was that Rock knew he was better than everybody else. He didn't have to cater to the fans and thus, he was more aware of himself. That's what I think made him so damn good during that time period. When he started to get into the 2000s it almost seemed as if he tried too hard to get over as a face, when he was already over as a heel. Not the monster heel, but the clever, Ric Flair-like heel that people loved to hate because the truth was that Rock could afford to be that guy.

Take John Cena. "Rappin' Cena", the heel, was pretty good because it just seemed like Cena, in real life, is a cocky son of a bitch that most people want to hate. The face Cena is a son of a bitch that most people want to hate, minus the cocky attitude. He was way over in that role and now he's only over if you're under 7 years old. Does that make any sense to anyone?

I agree with you.

I have no idea why he became the way he was in 2000-02. Nowadays everyone thinks that everyone loved him at the time but the wrestling fans resented him. They didn't hate him in '99 though, wanna know why? Because his character was better.

 

[RJJ]

Glad that there is someone is seeing it the way I see it.

In 1999, the rock was indeed untouchable when it comes to trash talking. He used to kill his opponents verbally before doing it physically. That rock version of rock own anyone on the mic. Hell, he ended careers(Billy Gunn), he forced some to change direction with their characters(Taker to the ABA). LMAO!!.."Billy talks to god", "Taker with his mickey mouse tattos, and 33lbs head", "Kane and his voice box", "This is your life" I....LMFAO!!!...great times. IMO that was rock at his best when it comes to mic skills, popularity, and character wise. You mentioned it already, the deep and calm voice, the 500$ shirts, the sideburns, the way he walks, the arrogance, oh..and above all else, he showed absolutley no respect for anyone, those were the reason why people loved him in the first place.

In mid 00-02, the only thing I like about this version is the in-ring action. I mean let's face it as good as 1999 rock was in the mic, he was terrible in the ring. I believe he stepped up big time during this(00-02) period. He got in a better shape, and began focusing on his in ring performance. Now as far as his character goes, hmm..it became more freindly, less arrogant, not as funny, hyped up kid(on mic), and more respectful. That's a big reason why people started to boo him, he wasn't the same rock they knew.