Rock's Opponent For WrestleMania 14

[The Brain]

WrestleMania 14 is generally considered to be one of the better manias. I think because it is looked at as a good show people don’t bother to think of how it could have been better. One match that I’ve always been disappointed in was The Rock vs. Ken Shamrock. Rock and Shamrock had a nice feud going on but I thought the mania match should have been Rock vs. Faarooq.

For months there was a power struggle going on for the leadership of the Nation of Domination. Faarooq had been the leader since the group formed but the cocky upstart was looking to make his name by forcing Faarooq out. Week by week the tension was growing within the group and it appeared to reach the boiling point leading up to WrestleMania. It seemed so natural and obvious that Faarooq vs. Rock was going to happen at mania. Instead we got Rock vs. Shamrock again. During the match Shamrock had Rock trapped in the ankle lock and refused to let go. Faarooq ran to the ring, looked Rock in the eye, and walked away. It was obvious Faarooq was punishing Rock for his recent disrespect toward the leader of the Nation.

The next night The Rock and the rest of the Nation attacked Faarooq and kicked him out of the group. Rock took over as the leader and feuded with Faarooq for a couple months in the spring. I felt this feud and match deserved to take place on the mania stage. The build was strong enough for a mania showdown. Ken Shamrock could have entered into a feud with Jeff Jarrett, who was left off the card, and wrestled him at mania.

What do you think? Would you have rather seen Rock vs. Faarooq at mania or do you think Rock vs. Shamrock was the better choice?

 

[George Steele's Barber]

I remember thinking the same thing. There was a clear division between Rocky and Farooq by then. The group was leaning toward following The Rock. The Rock bringing in Henry is the most definitive example I remember of him going over Farooq's head for the benefit of The Nation. Farooq was uncharacteristically patient with The Rock even though his frustration was clear. Ron Simmons really sacrificed his placement on the roster the way he put over The Rock. In the end it seemed like they delayed the inevitable for the break up to happen at WM but it felt like it should have concluded at WM.

 

[HBsam31]

I was never a fan of Ken Shamrock as a wrestler. I don't know what it was about him, but I think his demeanor was over the top even in the world of wrestling. I hated when he would flip out and clench his fists and scream into the air. I respected what he did in the UFC, but I just couldn't get used to him in the squared circle. That being said I think a match with Farooq at Mania would have been the way to go. The tension was definitely there with Rock trying to take over the Nation, and I think the match itself would have been a lot better. The Nation could have turned on Farooq that night allowing Rock to win after a hard fought match by both men. Rock and Shamrock had a decent feud, but I think it all would have came together a lot better had Rock and the Nation taken out Farooq that night. Like The Brain said, Shamrock could have easily faced Jarrett that night if they really wanted to get him on the card.

 

[JJ15776]

Yeah, they definitely could have had Faarooq turn his back on Rock at Royal Rumble and have Rock overthrow him the next night, leading to a match at WrestleMania. I think that would've been the better choice. That would've really felt like a WrestleMania feud, with the proper build up, while the Rock/Shamrock feud they gave us was more of a garden variety feud that could've happened any time of year. Plus, both of them (especially Faarooq) probably would've come out of it better if it was on the bigger stage. And they could've easily found something else for Ken Shamrock to do. He even could've teamed up with Faarooq in the battle against Rock's Nation.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

I think it probably came down to that they needed a match with 2 greener guys against each other without so much pressure... Had Rock gone against Simmons then there would have been instant pressure, Rock vs the first Black World Champ would have come into it even if WWE hadn't ever acknowledged it... Bischoff would have had a field day with it... Simmons wasn't that far removed from his glory days then, only 6 years so the whole "new gen vs old" wouldn't have washed...

So what they did was put 2 greener guys, who both had their first WM a year prior against each other, people wouldn't expect "Great" things of the match but if they happened it could only help both develop... Not every match on a PPV or even a Mania has to be a Money match... sometimes it's more about developing a future Mania main-eventer and at the time they no doubt had plans like that for both men... and lo an behold 1 year later, Rocky is main eventing...

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

Faarooq should have had a better role at WM14. Maybe they should have had a 8-Man Tag Team Match with the NOD vs. DOA/LOD or some other guys.

But as for The Rock vs. Shamrock I though it was appropriate for WM14. The match had a great build up leading to Survivor Series 1997 and built up slowly but culminated at WM.

Also you have to consider Shamrock, at the time, was seen as one of the future top guys in the industry and this feud was supposed to put him over. I am sure that WWF had the same idea with The Rock, it did look like they already realized that he was going to surpass Faarooq and finally break out as one of the big stars for the company.

This is consistent with the WWF continuing to build it's roster of younger guys at the time with the likes of Austin, Foley, Triple H, Kane, Val Venis, D-Lo Brown, and The New Age Outlaws. Phasing out older guys like Vader, The Legion of Doom, and eventually Faarooq.

Also the match did everything that served the purpose in what a Faarooq vs. Rocky match could have done and ever more so. The power struggle escalated, Faarooq and Rock turn against each other.

Plus the match also puts Shamrock over by being a complete bada$$ in the match squashing The Rock and The Nation but allowing Rocky to keep the IC Title so he can retain his heat.

So yeah overall Rock vs. Shamrock was the right feud and was a fun match to watch as well.

 

[GameOver]

Would have liked to see it too, tho Shamrock and Rock put on some good matches, Rock vs Ron Simmons woulda been great, 2 Florida NFL players, 2 blue chippers on the grandes stage of them all, only problem as i see it was Faarooq/Simmons wasn't really himself in that character he was just a lackey who happened to lead a group imo, honestly can't remember any matches he had as Faarooq other then the stupid gladiator gimmick debut.

 

[Rabbid Wolverine]

Faarooq really didnt have much going for him, I'm not sure he should have had a match at that mania. Look at Farrooq after he was kicked out of the nation, he didnt do much until he teamed with Bradshaw.

I think Shamrock was being looked at as a future star, remember just 1 year earlier he refereed the best match at WM13. I think it worked out better the way it happened. The Nation could have had a match to include Farooq but it wasnt a big miss by not having that match, they did it later on the year.

 

[Headman]

Farooq was being replaced because he wasn't going anywhere. Shamrock and the Rock were the premier top midcarders at the time. Plus I think we got a much better match than Rock and Farooq would have put on. I think they made the correct choice and this was one of the last meaningful IC title matches to take place at WM for years to come.

 

[Judah's Lion]

i can't remember when the match took place and i'm having no luck looking it up online, but i saw what i thought to be an awesome Rock/Farooq match for the IC title. pretty sure it was for an IYH ppv event. Rock was the champ and Farooq was challenging. if i'm not mistaken, the Nation was banned from ringside to ensure that there would be no interference.

the match may or may not have been amazing, but i loved the storyline going into it. Farooq had used a piledriver on Rock prior to the match, injuring him and risking paralysis. so that match stipulation became that if Farooq used the piledriver, he'd be disqualified. as such, Farooq gave Rock a piledriver because in his mind, injuring the Rock was a better result than winning the title. Farooq was leaving the ring, then returned to give Rock another piledriver, adding insult (and further injury) to injury.

i think this match, which again i can't remember but think happened after Mania 14, would have been great for Mania 14 instead of Rock/Shamrock. Shamrock could have done a match with anyone else, maybe against another member of the Nation or added to a tag team match, etc.

regardless, Rock/Shamrock had already happened at the Royal Rumble and should have/could have ended there. Rock/Farooq was an obvious choice, and i think the better choice, for Mania 14.