Rock Region, Third Round, Embarrassment Match: (1) The Rock vs. (8) AJ Styles

[klunderbunker]

This is a third round match in the Rock Region. It is an Embarrassment match. It will be held at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida.

Rules: Each wrestler will have a designated finisher. The match can only end with the opponent hitting that finishing move, but the move must lead to a pinfall/submission.

#1. The Rock

Designated Finisher: Rock Bottom

Vs.

#8. AJ Styles

Designated Finisher: Styles Clash

To make it clear:

AJ has to use the Rock Bottom to win and Rock has to use the Styles Clash to win.

​

Polls will be open for four days following a one day period for discussion. Voting will be based on who you feel is the greater of the two competitors. Post your reasons for why your pick should win below. Remember that this is non-spam and the most votes in the poll win. Any ties will be broken by the amount of posts of support for each candidate, with one vote per poster. Assume that the wrestlers are coming in fresh after their first round match.

Also remember that this is a non-spam forum. If you post a response without giving a reason for your selection, it will be penalized for spam and deleted.

 

[Cena Is A Punk Rocker]

What an unfair stip that works against AJ in every single way. If this were a straight up match I would go with AJ. Rock Bottom is far more humiliating than the clash.

 

[OYDK]

If Shane McMahon and everybody else under the sun can kick out of the Styles Clash, than AJ would need about 5 of them to put somebody as resilient as The Rock away. The Rock would need, at most, 2 Rock Bottoms to pin Styles. As much as I love Styles, he has never and likely will never reach the heights that The Rock has and I'd be shocked to see Styles ever pin Rock with a Styles Clash, even if these two faced off today.

It was a good run for AJ, but it ends at the hands of one of the greatest ever.

 

[ShinChan]

I'm going to be biased here. So, sorry if it offends anyone.

I will vote AJ Styles as I find him more entertaining than The Rock. AJ Styles ain't anywhere near The Rock in terms of accomplishments or mic skills. But I find him more interesting and entertaining than The Rock. I know that I'm in minority here but truth can't be neglected by the majority.

AJ Styles for me everyday. I know that Rock will win it easily here but I'm going to vote Styles.

 

[Dmbfantomas]

I thought embarrassment matches were where you won after using your opponents finisher, not your own? In that case it'd just be...a match.

If it's the way I thought it was, I'm going Styles. Everyone and their Mom can do a Rock Bottom. IDK if Rock can pull off a Styles Clash. He sucks at doing other people's moves.

If it's just ...A match... then Rock all day. He lost A LOT in his prime, but his prime still eclipses AJ.

 

[Spidey Revivey]

So...a normal match?

It's in The Rock's hometown. He's had the better career (by far) in a better promotion than AJ. He's also had the better personality with the better mic skill of the two. Styles's career highlights include rivalries with Christopher Daniels and Jeff Jarrett. The Rock was second to only Stone Cold Steve Austin, arguably the biggest thing in professional wrestling.

There is nothing here to make me believe AJ Styles could beat The Rock. Not even the city they're in. Factor in how The Rock's entire career was centered on making fun of others, where he himself doesn't get "embarrassed", I would say this is a sure win for The Great One.

We just saw Shane McMahon kick out of the Styles Clash, even if "it wasn't executed properly". A Rock Bottom is way more easier to apply. If the rules for this match are for them to hit their finishers as KB has said, then a pinfall/submission, then this is clearly The Rock's fight to win.

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

I don't quite understand the rules. Can someone explain?

 

[Stone Cold Tea]

I don't quite understand the rules. Can someone explain?

The Rock can only win with the Rock Bottom and Styles can only win with the Styles Clash.

 

[SSJPhenom]

The Rock all day long and twice everyday. He has absolutely everything over Styles except maybe in ring ability. Other than that, the Rock is the better. Better accomplishments, better draw, better wins, bigger name, etc etc.

The stip doesn't make that big of difference, if any at all. Vote Rock.

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

In an embarrassment match, don't you have to beat your opponent with their finisher (I.E. AJ would hit the Rock Bottom and Rock the Styles Clash)? If that's the case, I think it's far more likely for Styles to pull that off than Rock. The Styles Clash is awkward to do for AJ (and Michelle McCool), let alone someone who doesn't really know how to do it (Rock), whereas the Rock Bottom is a pretty bog standard wrestling move. Along with his other big moves (Springboard 450, Phenomenal Forearm, Calf Crusher etc...) I could see Styles taking the win.

If this is a basic match where the guys have to win with their respective finishers, it's Rock in a potentially great match.

 

[OYDK]

Yeah so what are the rules here? Because that's really gonna determine who my vote goes to. If Rock has to hit the Styles Clash to win, all I'll say is, good luck. I'm not saying that he can't, but there are many, many more ways to reverse the Clash than there is the Rock Bottom, and I feel like it would take more than one Clash to put Styles away, which I don't see happening. Rock has been hit by the Rock Bottom like, 100 times by his opponents so it's not like he's a master of reversing it or anything. Plus, the Rock Bottom is really one of those moves that can be hit out of nowhere at anytime, the Clash is not such a move.

So, like others, if it's the typical embarrassment match, there's a legitimate case to be made for AJ. If it's a regular match, Rock wins.

 

[Bernkastel]

An embarrassment match is where one wrestler has to hit their opponents finisher and then pin or submit them. Rock has to use the Styles Clash. AJ has to use the Rock Bottom.

AJ is 218 pounds. Rock is 270. It would take AJ significantly more energy to hit the Rock Bottom on the Rock than for the Rock to hit the Styles Clash. Luckily the Styles Clash is not a trapeze artist-like maneuver like the Phenomenal Forearm, so the Rock won't have to risk killing himself trying to do it.

I like AJ, but he's no where near the performer that the Rock was, so I see no real reason to vote for him here.

Rock wins.

 

[Hyorinmaru]

I'm going for AJ in this kind of match on the fact that AJ is quite a bit shorter than The Rock.

to hit the Clash your opponent's head has to be between your legs with your head between theirs that way no one gets injured.

While I'm sure Rock can lift AJ up there is no way he can hit the Clash without fucking AJ's shit up and hurting him. AJ would have trouble lifting up the bigger man for a Rock Bottom but if he can lift someone like Abyss for a Styles' Clash then lifting up Rock for 2.5 seconds before slamming him to the mat and hitting a Rock Bottom is not out of the realm of possibility.

Any other stipulation and I would probably vote for Rock but with the stipulation I've got to go with AJ

 

[Spidey Revivey]

I'm going for AJ in this kind of match on the fact that AJ is quite a bit shorter than The Rock.

to hit the Clash your opponent's head has to be between your legs with your head between theirs that way no one gets injured.

While I'm sure Rock can lift AJ up there is no way he can hit the Clash without fucking AJ's shit up and hurting him. AJ would have trouble lifting up the bigger man for a Rock Bottom but if he can lift someone like Abyss for a Styles' Clash then lifting up Rock for 2.5 seconds before slamming him to the mat and hitting a Rock Bottom is not out of the realm of possibility.

Any other stipulation and I would probably vote for Rock but with the stipulation I've got to go with AJ

It's been noted by KB that the superstars have to hit their own designated finishers, not each other's.

Also sorta getting overlooked is how often the Styles Clash has been kicked out of lately.

 

[Hyorinmaru]

It's been noted by KB that the superstars have to hit their own designated finishers, not each other's.

Nah it's right. Rock's finisher is the Rock Bottom, which is what AJ would have to use on him and vice versa.

reread that and tell me how it says they have to hit their own move. That would make this a regular wrestling match not an embarrassment match.

Also sorta getting overlooked is how often the Styles Clash has been kicked out of lately.

This is rather moot seeing how you're misreading what KB said.

 

[Dave]

The Rock can only win with the Rock Bottom and Styles can only win with the Styles Clash.

Incorrect. In fact, it is the exact opposite. AJ Styles can only use The Rock Bottom to put AJ away and AJ can only use The Rock Bottom to put Styles away.

This is a tough one but I think I am going to have to give it to The Rock at the end of the day. In thinking about the stipulation of the match, I keenly remember a lot of times where The Rock has used other people's finishers on them to sell the match. He hasn't managed to put people away with the finisher but he is certainly more comfortable with doing it.

AJ is, by miles, the better wrestler of the two but that's not what the defining factor is here and the stipulation really kills him. The only hesitation I have in my mind is whether The Rock would be able to pull of the Styles Clash? I have the fear over him trying to do it and not helping Styles to get into position – thus resulting in AJ Styles becoming a cripple Either way, Rocky covers him and picks up the W.

 

[Spidey Revivey]

reread that and tell me how it says they have to hit their own move. That would make this a regular wrestling match not an embarrassment match.

Tell that to KB, who didn't explain that very well in the OP.

Didn't Stone Cold use The Rock Bottom and he still kicked out? Am I to believe if AJ does it, he'd be more successful?

 

[klunderbunker]

Ok to clarify:

AJ has to use the Rock Bottom to win and Rock has to use the Styles Clash to win.

 

[Stone Cold Tea]

Incorrect. In fact, it is the exact opposite. AJ Styles can only use The Rock Bottom to put AJ away and AJ can only use The Rock Bottom to put Styles away.

This is a tough one but I think I am going to have to give it to The Rock at the end of the day. In thinking about the stipulation of the match, I keenly remember a lot of times where The Rock has used other people's finishers on them to sell the match. He hasn't managed to put people away with the finisher but he is certainly more comfortable with doing it.

AJ is, by miles, the better wrestler of the two but that's not what the defining factor is here and the stipulation really kills him. The only hesitation I have in my mind is whether The Rock would be able to pull of the Styles Clash? I have the fear over him trying to do it and not helping Styles to get into position – thus resulting in AJ Styles becoming a cripple Either way, Rocky covers him and picks up the W.

The Rock had used opponents finishers before and not had success but he's also been Rock Bottomed and not pinned so this is tough considering he is against a wrestler the calibrt of AJ's and The Rock is generally in the business of putting people over. Destroy on the mic and make look like a king in the ring.

I'll wait to vote.

 

[Skairipa Matrix]

I'm going with AJ here. The stip helps him a lot as I doubt Rock could hit the Styles Clash. But AJ is also going to go down as one of the biggest stars of his time by time he hangs up his boots, he's been a World Champion everywhere he's been (minus ROH I believe) and I think he'd have no issue hitting the Rock Bottom. He's lifted up guys like Abyss, Samoa Joe, etc. who are bigger or about the same size as Rock many times before so I doubt he even struggles with it either.

AJ wins, brags for months about beating Rocky with his own move, then gets his well deserved beating in the rematch.

 

[enviousdominous]

Factor in how The Rock's entire career was centered on making fun of others, where he himself doesn't get "embarrassed", I would say this is a sure win for The Great One.

Rock doesn't get embarrassed? Right. Hey, remember this?

[youtube]Ztwfe5vgPgQ[/youtube]

Or this?

[youtube]0O_YUrEfRc0[/youtube]

Yeah, in a lot of ways, The Rock is a goofy fuck and that's likely part of what makes him so endearing unto his fans.

The Rock has to hit the Styles Clash, and he could most certainly execute that kind of move. It's a bit complicated, there's a few more steps than a move where you just have to lift up your opponent and fall with them. While, in my humble opinion, Dwayne Johnson is a loveable fucking idiot, he'd be dedicated enough to learn how to perform the Styles Clash.

I'm going with AJ Styles. We all seem to be missing one minor little loophole in the rules, that you can win by submission after hitting the finisher. KB didn't add a caveat that said something like "The finisher must be a, or be part of a subsequent, submission move". From what I understand, AJ has carte-blanche to do any submission move he feels like doing.

The Rock may have had the sharpshooter for a little while, but he's probably not keen enough to realize that he could just utilize any submission move that comes to mind after managing to execute a Styles Clash.

AJ Styles is the most skilled technician in prowrestling today, and it doesn't take much to surpass The Rock on that kind of scale. Watch Rock do his fucking stupid elbow drop, and then try to tell yourself without crushing your own soul that you're watching a technician at work.

AJ wins because AJ is free to use the calf-crusher to win, or literally any submission move ever in that no move is over the head of AJ Styles.

Vote AJ.

 

[ShinChan]

I didn't get the gimmick first time and favored AJ Styles admittedly on my personal bias.

But now after getting the gimmick, The Rock executing a complex move like Styles Clash doesn't look possible to me at least. He wasn't a in-ring technician or something. He was more about mic skills while it's in-ring skills in case of AJ Styles.

 

[klunderbunker]

Basically if you can duck a right hand, you can set up a Rock Bottom. Rock hitting a Styles Clash isn't out of the question but it would require one heck of a setup to actually get to that point. I know Rock is the bigger star but he's also someone who lost a lot more than you would expect. I could easily see Styles winning here and that's what I'm going with, almost entirely based on the gimmick.

 

[Tastycles]

I thought KB's description was perfectly clear, for the record.

Anyway, if Michelle McCool can hit the Styles Clash safely on a number of wrestlers of very poor ability, then there is absolutely no reason that The Rock couldn't hit it on Styles - Rock may not be a technical God, but he's not The Great Khali. For me, The Rock's achievements are far superior to Styles and I don't think the stipulation is sufficient to turn it round the other way. Rock Wins.

 

[OYDK]

The stip allows my conscience to go with AJ Styles without feeling like I'm only doing it because I like him more, so that's what I'm going to do. The Rock's accomplishments don't need to be touted, the guy has had an incredible career; even so, he was also the most beatable top guy in WWE history by a large margin. Plus, the stipulation allows The Rock to lose without losing that much face as the Styles Clash comes off as an extremely difficult maneuver to execute. I feel like The Rock would have Styles beat a number of times throughout this match but would kayfabe have trouble hitting Styles' finisher.

Styles gets out of the Clash by low-blowing The Rock and hitting The Rock Bottom for the win.