Rock/Hogan vs Rock/Cena

[The Idiot]

I like the thread earlier comparing HHH/Taker I, II and III. So with that said, I wanted to compare the Hogan and Cena matches. I'm leaving out Austin because he faced him 3 times and there's a debate in itself right there which one is best.

Cena/Rock had the hype. The 1 year buildup. The clashing of generations. However, Hogan/Rock was also a clashing of two different eras. Unfortunately for this match, it wasn't hyped up as well as it could have been....so we won't even compare the two in that respect.

IN RING action. What took place during the match itself is what I'm looking for. Which one did you like better and which one will go down as the "bigger" match? The fan reaction in both was awesome....and 2 matches that will go down as absolute classics!!

 

[johnny_hardcore]

rock/hogan sucked becuz hogan had absolutely no moblity it was a good thing it wasn't hyped becuz the match had no way to live up to anykind of hype. cena rock worked becuz the guys were young enough to put on a good show.

 

[Peoples_Champ]

Personally, I liked Hogan v. Rock better. The build wasn't done as well as Rock v. Cena, but I still liked that generational pull. I also like cheering for Hogan at WM one more time, that was a huge thrill. The lack of build was also a bit of a selling point, as there were no hints to who was going over - you literally had no idea. With Rock v. Cena, you had a bit of an idea one way or another (people who thought Rock wouldn't come back just to lose were ultimately right).

Rock made the Hogan v. Rock match for me. Hogan was too slow and nonathletic to pull off any crazy moves so Rock did was a true professional does - he made it look like every punch Hogan landed was a haymaker. Hogan won the tests of strength while Rock pushed himself to be the quicker, more agile competitor. Each had their fair share of chances throughout the match and there was no single anti-climactic moment.

With Cena v. Rock, it was hard to tell who was the stronger wrestler and who was the faster one. Also, that final moment where Cena mimicked the People's Elbow was completely out of place and out of character. Cena's never done the RKO to Orton or GTS to Punk, why would he do this to Rock? It felt out of place and was a bit of a let down for what was, other than that, a beautifully worked match.

I have to give it to Hogan v. Rock, but Cena v. Rock was not a bad match at all.

 

[LTDA]

Man, that is a tough one. Ultimately, though, I'd have to go with Hogan and Rock. Hogan is one of my all-time favorites and I was just excited to see him back in the WWE. What makes that match so special to me (and countless others) was the reaction that Hogan got at 'Mania. Nobody gave a crap that Rock was supposed to be the face. They wanted to see Hogan and they made their voices heard. I have never seen a better crowd than that night. They single handedly turned Hogan face (although it would have happened eventually anyway).

Obviously it was far from the greatest match in terms of technicality, but technicality didn't mean shit that night. This match is a prime example of how while putting on five star matches is great and amazing to see, that is not what wrestling is all about. To quote my hemophiliac, pot smoking, horse riding great grandmother: "It's all about the story, man."

Credit also has to be given to the Rock for selling everyone of Hogan's blows like they were from a sledgehammer. It was also amazing how he played off the crowd's reaction that night and started playing it as the heel. Anyone that says Rock is just good on the mic and shitty in the ring is a damn fool.

So, yeah... there's my long ass post.

 

[LTDA]

Personally, I liked Hogan v. Rock better. The build wasn't done as well as Rock v. Cena, but I still liked that generational pull. I also like cheering for Hogan at WM one more time, that was a huge thrill. The lack of build was also a bit of a selling point, as there were no hints to who was going over - you literally had no idea. With Rock v. Cena, you had a bit of an idea one way or another (people who thought Rock wouldn't come back just to lose were ultimately right).

Rock made the Hogan v. Rock match for me. Hogan was too slow and nonathletic to pull off any crazy moves so Rock did was a true professional does - he made it look like every punch Hogan landed was a haymaker. Hogan won the tests of strength while Rock pushed himself to be the quicker, more agile competitor. Each had their fair share of chances throughout the match and there was no single anti-climactic moment.

With Cena v. Rock, it was hard to tell who was the stronger wrestler and who was the faster one. Also, that final moment where Cena mimicked the People's Elbow was completely out of place and out of character. Cena's never done the RKO to Orton or GTS to Punk, why would he do this to Rock? It felt out of place and was a bit of a let down for what was, other than that, a beautifully worked match.

I have to give it to Hogan v. Rock, but Cena v. Rock was not a bad match at all.

I think it was pretty in character with the Cena we have seen lately in his feud with the Rock. Cena was super confident and didn't even consider that Rock could beat him. He had constantly mocked Rock over the last few months and even went so far as to steal one of his catchphrases.

So I think it wasn't totally out of character.

 

[MrMainEvent]

Personally Rock vs Cena was so much better overall.. Hogan was too far gone even then for it to be remembered as a classic encounter all the way through you knew Rocky was going to win. Now Rock/Cena i really didnt know which way they was going to go. The match was much better as well. As said above Hogan was barely mobile.. The rock wasnt carrying Cena the whole way.

 

[rmr21ela]

i got to go with hogan vs rock, both are about the same but hogan rock stole the show, rock cena may have been great but it can be said hhh v taker stole the show, so since hogan v rock had the show stealing part behind it i give it that bit of an edge, both great matches though.

 

[midgensa]

I think I enjoyed The Rock vs. John Cena a little more.

The main reason ... we all knew that we would see Hogan in the ring again. He had not been gone that long ... and it was not a complete shock to see these two perform together.

Seeing The Rock back in the ring was wonderful to all of us marks. But seeing him come back and face the top guy in the business ... two guys who we thought we probably would never see in the ring together ... that was special.

The crowd was spectacular for both obviously ... but the match itself was probably a little better in Miami because Hogan just was not able to pull off a great move set (really ever) after about 2000 or so.

Both are great and memorable moments. But to me ... I really enjoyed the feud and build up of Cena vs. Rock more ... and I am finally coming to grips with the fact that The Rock going over was not the end of the world (just didn't make business sense to me at first).

 

[Hulkamaniac]

Anyone comparing Rock-Cena to Rock-Hogan is being ridiculous. Rock-Hogan was between two of the top 5 American wrestlers of all-time. The moment when Rock and Hogan stared each other down was more electrifying than anything in the Cena-Rock match.

Cena-Rock was a good match and tons of fun, but Rock-Hogan is the only match anyone talks about from a pretty good Wrestlemania. Rock-Hogan had the most insane crowd, maybe ever. People can hate on the in-ring action all they want, but if anyone claims they weren't entertained by the match, they're lying, and in the end, THAT is the most important thing. It's not about being the most athletic, it's about getting the crowd to care about you.

 

[justin71]

Rock/Hogan seemed more of a true 'once in a lifetime' for me but, Cena/Rock seemed more twice in a lifetime to me. To be fair to Cena he should have won his match unless Rock was going to return semi-full time at the very least Rock should have at the very least worked a few TV tapings if he was given the win at the very least.

 

[The Idiot]

I guess I'll chime in now. Good responses.

When I look at these two matches...they're both unique in their own way. From bell to bell, even though Rock/Hogan generated a huge crowd response it was much tougher to predict the outcome of Cena/Rock. Unpredictability and the great counters both men pulled off is what does it for me. Rock/Hogan turned in the bigger nostalgia effect, but Cena/Rock lived up to the hype and pulled off a masterpiece.

 

[marklouis]

Rock/Hogan was much better. I'm not someone who bashes Cena-I can admit that he's capable of having a really good match. But, despite what WWE wants us to believe, he is nowhere near the level of Rock or Hogan when it comes to star power. He's the biggest star of the company at a down time for the industry. Hogan was the biggest star in wrestling at one of the highest points for the industry. He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Rock was either the biggest or 2nd biggest star of the company of another boom time for the industry. Hogan/Rock was just a much bigger event.

As for in the ring, Rock/Hogan wins there as well. They had much better chemistry than Rock had with Cena, & they did a much better job of bringing the crowd with them. Rock/Hogan is one of my favorite WrestleMania matches, not because it's a technical masterpiece, but because it is incredibly fun. Rock/Cena was not.

 

[Nada]

Rock vs Hogan is a far superior event, notice i didnt say match because Hogan was never really good or even average. But nobody can deny that match blew the roof off the building, every movie got a bigger pop than most match endings in Mania history.

Cena vs Rock was a better "technical" match, but that means almost nothing when Mania is really all about spectacle.

Its not fair, as Hogan is/was a bigger star than Rock, and Cena will never even be 1/10 of what Hogan was to the mainstream crowd.

 

[Attitude Era Junkie]

Easy one. Rock vs. Cena. Hogan can't wrestle. His legend status makes his matches seem better than they really are. He can't wrestle worth a shit. Rock is no great wrestler either but he sure as hell can do better than Hogan.

 

[byrnside]

In my opinion they're two pretty different circumstances, granted the in-ring story telling of both matches was pretty similar. Hogan vs. Rock was special because going into the match Hogan was supposed to be the heel and by the time the match took place people were clamoring for Hogan's face turn back to the red and yellow. At the time I didn't really expect much out of the match but after you watch(ed) it for the first time and the crowd was going absolutely insane, that's what made it more special than anything, at least for me. The crowd was cheering Hogan and The Rock rolled with it and it was perfect.

I actually enjoyed The Rock and Cena simply because, for the first time in a long time, I really didn't know who was going to win. When Cena went for The People's Elbow and The Rock popped up and nailed The Rock Bottom and hit the 3, it was epic. For a time I was actually pulling for Cena. Up until the Monday before 'Mania in Atlanta, I was pulling for Cena. He had sold me on the whole "Rock doesn't care about the business" angle. Then I went to the RAW in Atlanta and saw The Rock in person again... And I melted like an ice cream cone in August.

Either way, they're both really great matches, maybe not from a technical aspect but for the "magic" that was created. Maybe I'm still high from this year, but I think I'd have to say Rock/Cena was better.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

Buildwise, I feel that Rock/ Cena was much better. Rock/ Hogan was hurried probably because it was never supposed to be Rock/ Hogan in the first place. It had a generic buildup to be honest. The draw of that match was merely the fact that Rock and Hogan were two of wrestling's biggest stars. Rock/ Cena had that, and more. The thing that made Rock/ Cena a once in a lifetime match was that it was promoted as a grudge match. Most of us assumed that it was going to be another Rock/ Hogan in the sense that it was going to be another passing of the torch match. Guess we should have understood from the build that that was not going to be the case.

As far as the match goes, I know some people may try sending some polar bears after me once I say this, but Rock/ Hogan lived up to my expectations more than Rock/ Cena. That could be because I had lower expectations from Rock/ Hogan in the first place. Rock/ Hogan was a typical Hogan match with a great multiple finisher style finish. I thought that the storytelling in that match was more clear with Hogan showing that he still had it in him to go in the ring and Rock being able to emulate Hogan at every step. With Rock/ Cena, I felt that it would have been better had it been a No Disqualification match or something. That would have enhanced the feeling that it was indeed a grudge match. Rock looked gassed here at some points and the finish felt abrupt in my opinion. Some spots like the bearhug spot looked wierd in a Rock/ Cena match. Also, I was expecting a faster paced match here. The result was, however, shocking and that itself made the match worth remembering.

Overall, I would have to say that the Rock/ Cena feud was a better experience.

 

[thebarber]

Hogan vs Rock is up there with Hogan vs Andre. Rock vs Cena may have been a better match as far as the in-ring product, the matches themselves though the Hogan ones will ALWAYS be remebered as the greatest. Maybe in 10 years time Rock vs Censa may have aged well, but Cena is not in the sqameleague as Rock and nowhere near Hogans level of icon status. So the answer is easy, Hogan vs Rock was way bigger

 

[HBsam31]

Maybe it's because of my age and when I started watching wrestling, but Rock/Hogan even though it didn't have the build up of Rock/Cena seemed so much bigger to me. I really think the in ring action was better as well. Some say Hogan was to broken down, but I think his best came out that night. There was a lot of back and forth action, and I was on the edge of my seat for the whole match. Rock/Cena was good, and I was anxious to see who would win, but I just wasn't as invested as I was with Rock/Hogan. I have to add that the Toronto crowd helped make that match what it was. I think some people forget that Hogan was a full blown heel going into that match, and the Toronto crowd totally changed that on that night. It was actually quite amazing to see. Rock and Hogan didn't put on a technical masterpiece by any means, but overall I think it was the better match.

 

[Jenna.]

For me I guess it was the age I was at the time, but with the Rock/Hogan match I don't even remember Hogan being slow and terrible the way some of you have mentioned. I do remember Rock though selling every hit from Hogan as though it was a knockout punch or hit.

w/ that said I think I'm gonna lead towards their match. Like I mentioned I dunno if it was because my age at the time, I just felt that was a huge huge match. The face of the company at the time, facing the legend that is Hulk Hogan. I mean from that crowd to Hogan practically turning face and Rock turning heel just like that was epic. You kind of knew the outcome to the match but overall it was just a memorable match.

Rock and Cena I agree the build was much better. I think the WWE did a good job in actually having people pick sides. It wasn't just oh this is a once in a lifetime match, but it was also more of who's team are you on...you have to pick.

With their match I felt the in ring ability was great and probably better. It really told a story in my opinion. For weeks you had Cena doubting Rock, I mean he even went ahead and said he damn sure wasn't gonna have a visitor beat him in his house. So with that said Cena overpowered Rock often. You just had this feeling that it really was a passing a torch type match. But Rock overcamed and kept proving he still had it, and that one split second that Cena try to mock Rock, he blew it. The guy who is constantly preaching Rise Above Hate, let hate overcome him by trying to mock and embarass Rock, and it cost him. Great in match story and even better ending.

But when it comes down to it. The better technical match doesn't always result to the better match. The crowd and responses in these two matches made them that much better and that's why the Hogan/Rock match is better. IMO.

 

[FlairFan2003]

Cena vs Rock was a bigger match - Unlike Hogan-Rock which shared billing and build up with HHH-Jericho, Austin-Hall, & Flair-Taker (huge build up to that one) the Cena-Rock match was the focal point of the company for an entire year and was clearly THE MAIN EVENT of the show, hands down.

In fact, at this past WM, Taker-HHH is the only match that even comes close to drawing as much pre event attention as Cena-Rock. It's almost like asking what the biggest match at WM 3, yes Savage-Steamboat was very big, lots of hype, but Hogan-Andre was much more hyped, much bigger.

As far as the better in ring product, that goes to Cena-Rock by a large portion. Heck, they entertained at agood pace with multiple near falls for 40 minutes, Hogan was lucky to last over 10 minutes in his match with Rock, now Hogan as always is a master at knowing what he can do and maximizing it to full effect. Despite his non existant mobility and limited ring skills he managed to do enough to keep the crowd entertained for the whole match and the initial crowd reaction was special. No way can anyone watch these two matches and say Hogan-Rock was a more entertaining match. It wasnt close.

 

[FlairFan2003]

Realistically, Hogan vs Rock was one of the least special matches of Hogan's career from the build up and importance to the show stand point. Virtualy every one of his other WM matches got better pre event build than this, as well all his WCW PPV bouts.

 

[HBKperfect23]

In ring wise, Rock/Cena was much better. It did have a good atmosphere, the buildup was incredible, and it lived up to its expectations. I really did enjoy this match.

That being said, the answer is easily Hogan/Rock for me. Hogan coming back to the WWE was pretty surreal. Hogan/Rock had that once in a lifetime big match feel. The crowd made that match all that better.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Both matches are huge and will go down in the history books for the historical value alone, each saw legends of seperate generations facing each other at the biggest show of the year. Which one do I think went down as the bigger match? In the grand scheme of things, I have to go with Rock VS Cena. It was hyped for an entire YEAR. That was one of the biggest matches in history. Rock VS Hogan was huge in its own right, but nothing can touch the amount of hype that Cena's match with The Rock got. That match helped set the WWE's new highest PPV buy record.

Which match did I enjoy more? That's completely different. Easily the Hogan match. When you have two legends face each other, the older should put over the younger. Rock defeating Cena was a horrible decision that tarnished an otherwise awesome show and ruined the arguably most hyped match ever. There was absolutely no reason why Cena should not have won. The Rock did not need that win, Cena did. Desperately. It was his chance to FINALLY prove that he is as good as The Rock. That result gave the haters more fuel to add to their arguments. Regardless, I still enjoyed the match other than the outcome. Hogan's match was better, as they booked it correctly. Both matches will be remembered forever.