Int Region, Third Round, 15 Minute Iron Man Match: (2) The Rock vs. (7) El Santo

[Bernkastel]

It wasn't even the main event and he lost in 4.5 minutes. Sure seems to suggest he might be in trouble vs top stars in a 15 minute Iron Man match. It isn't like a guy that has beat Hogan, Austin and Cena all at WM doesn't have star power himself.

But Rocky has star power thanks in part to the WWE. In a match such as this, the WWE would be looking to make the most profit along with Santo's promotion.
The Rock would bring the fans Stateside, but in 1999/2000 WWE didn't have a strong hold on Mexican fans like they do today. Santo going over the Rock would have made them a fuck ton of money because it would have brought in allot of publicity from the Mexican community, because that's the type of hero to the masses that Santo was.

 

[Tastycles]

I'd almost buy into that if you weren't someone that had a vote and you didn't even put him in your top 128, now you want me to believe this is a comparable victory to a guy that you put 22. Not sure I am buying it. Another interesting thing about your list, according to it Santo isn't the greatest Mexican wrestler.

I put The Genius at #1, do you really think my list reflects who I believe to be the greatest wrestlers of all time? My list, and KB and anyone who saw the original submission can confirm this, came with a caveat that I had deliberately mixed it up a bit to make it more interesting as everyone else submitted similar lists to previous years. Again, the fact that me, an observer born after Santo died might prefer someone else to him is irrelevant to his objective quality.

To confirm this, notice that I have voted against Jericho several times in the tournament, despite placing him in my top 10. The list is subjective, the arguments, with the exception of Genius vs Thesz, have been objective.

That's great. I fully believe he would trounce Brooklyn Brawler. Now if we can get to some more relevant foreigners that might be a little more interesting. The Rock is not an ordinary foreigner.

The Rock may not be an ordinary foreigner, but he has precisely as much experience of beating foreigners in their home market as the Brooklyn Brawler. You're asking what Santo's experience of incoming talent is, but has the Rock fought anybody at all outside a WWE ring ever?

Then why did you tell me he was beloved for winning them?

I was under the impression that I said he was beloved for beating foreigners and used the title victories as an example of when he did so.

 

[The Extract]

The Rock was winning this by one vote before I evened it up. How anyone could believe that Rocky had much of a chance in Mexico City vs Mexico's biggest star is unbelieveable. Seriously people, think before you vote. And remember that this is not just a 'who is your favorite' tournament. If you have a hard time coming to a decision, then go ahead and vote like that, but this match was fairly obvious.

 

[deem]

Wow really shocked that El Santo is struggling to go over here. I can see the arguments that El Santo was a 210lber, but he's had success against bigger guys too, and it's not like Rock has never lost to a wrestler the size of Santo.

[youtube]QQs1VD6eYN8[/youtube]

Overall record - Hurricane beats Rock 1-0 (LOL can't believe i'm using the Hurricane vid )

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8...-hardcore-ti_sport?search_algo=2#.UVtYU5NO8oo

Overall record - RVD beats The Rock 2-1 (Sorry about the quality, couldn't find better other than one with a missing part)

[youtube]Lxzq7Pcf5cY[/youtube]

Overall record - 9 wins for Rock, 7 wins for Jericho.

He's also lost to Lance Storm on Raw and twice to Benoit.

All these guys are around the same size as El Santo, it's not like he's wrestling Hornswoggle. I realise every match here has interference, but El Santo is not only in his home country but is a LOT better than all of them of course. The fact that these guys had at least brief control segments is more than enough to point towards El Santo handling Rocky.

Tbh, I don't mind this going to Rock overall I guess. He's probably the bigger star worldwide and it's a huge rub for El Santo and payoff for Mexican fans just to get a match of this exposure in a tournament like this. I just think El Santo would see it through as well, rather than just put on a spectacle that grips his entire country before he does the job. If you wanna vote Rock, I'm completely fine with that too.

 

[steve_smith]

How can anyone actually vote the Rock over the MEXICAN HULK HOGAN in Mexico City??????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WTF?!?!?!?!?!?!


The Rock was set up to lose here. Be smart, vote El Santo.

 

[bmpunk76]

The Rock wins with out a doubt.I dont care if this is in mexico the rock has beaten everyone Hogan, Cena, Triple h, CMpunk but you people thing hes losing in a iron man match thats laughable you have to beat him more then once in 15 min most cant beat him once in 30 min. I vote the rock here easily

 

[Bernkastel]

The Rock wins with out a doubt.I dont care if this is in mexico the rock has beaten everyone Hogan, Cena, Triple h, CMpunk but you people thing hes losing in a iron man match thats laughable you have to beat him more then once in 15 min most cant beat him once in 30 min. I vote the rock here easily

Rock didn't beat Hogan in his prime, and even in the match that he did have with Hogan, the audience turned on him. The Rock isn't even the biggest wrestling star stateside - at best he's third behind Hogan and Austin - and at worst he's 5th or so behind workers like Lou Thesz. The point is that Santo was the greatest wrestler of all time in his country, and a massively more popular crossover star than Rocky. Santo would absolutely be booked to win this match.

 

[Tastycles]

The Rock wins with out a doubt.I dont care if this is in mexico the rock has beaten everyone Hogan, Cena, Triple h, CMpunk but you people thing hes losing in a iron man match thats laughable you have to beat him more then once in 15 min most cant beat him once in 30 min. I vote the rock here easily

Hmm... can anyone name anyone who beat The Rock inside 15 minutes?

[youtube]QQs1VD6eYN8[/youtube]

Ah yes. Shane Helms.

 

[shattered dreams]

Rock didn't beat Hogan in his prime,

Neither did Santo. Who is the best wrestler Santo beat in his prime?

and even in the match that he did have with Hogan, the audience turned on him.

So he beat the best legend in the history of a country in spite of not having crowd support. If only that had relevance here, oh wait

The Rock isn't even the biggest wrestling star stateside - at best he's third behind Hogan and Austin

And that didn't stop him from beating them in his prime.

-and at worst he's 5th or so behind workers like Lou Thesz.

More guys Santo never faced.

The point is that Santo was the greatest wrestler of all time in his country,

Santo was good at beating his 3rd class competition. The Rock is first class and this match is international.

and a massively more popular crossover star than Rocky.

When? In the 50s in Mexico? Sure. In the world today? No?

 

[Bernkastel]

So he beat the best legend in the history of a country in spite of not having crowd support. If only that had relevance here, oh wait

A legend that wasn't in his prime at the time...

And that didn't stop him from beating them in his prime.

When Rock beat Austin he was getting ready to retire; Hogan was definitely not in his prime... unless you want to asininely suggest that 2000 Rock could beat Hulkamania.

More guys Santo never faced.

Because Thesz didn't really work Mexico, why? They didn't need his star power.

Santo was good at beating his 3rd class competition. The Rock is first class and this match is international.

Technically this match is in Mexico City, where Santo was king. But that doesn't matter. The fact remains that Santo was the most popular star in a whole nation, where as Rock wasn't.

When? In the 50s in Mexico? Sure. In the world today? No?

Not really. Let me know when Rock starts making movies that garner critical acclaim. Santo's movies were so popular that not only did he bring the genre of lucha films to new heights, but his star power fueled the industry for decades.

 

[ShawnDiscipleSmith]

Yeah, I gotta post in case of a tie break, I voted for El Santo for a variety of reasons.

I came into this fully expecting to vote for Rock, but the arguements made for El Santo have swayed me. Aside from the Rock's prime being difficult to define, the work Rocky did with Hurricane and Jericho is enough to convince me that he'd put over Santo in his hometown. If we were in Miami, another story altogether.

Vote: Reluctantly, El Santo.

 

[Shocky]

In case of a tie, my vote goes to El Santo. I know the Rock has done it all, or so he says he has. I just can't take him over El Santo in Mexico City. The Rock has an incredible list of guys he's beaten, but he's lost to his fair share of big name opponents as well.