The Rock: Damned If He Does, Damned If He Doesn't?

[Any007]

The strategy at the moment seems to be steady as she goes. Give the Rock occasional appearances to build interest, but don't let him wrestle and take the spotlight away from the guys coming up the roster. On paper that seems to be quite a smart strategy. Vince gets buys and gets to try and build the credibility of the next generation but in practice this was never going to work and the strategy is already hitting headwinds.

IMHO Vince forgot something Rock told him 10 years ago "Vince McMahon didn't create The Rock...the People created the Rock". The Rock is the People's Champion, he's so big, so much of an icon that even when the Rock is a heel the people chant his name e.g. Rock vs Mankind Royal Rumble 99, Rock vs Goldberg Backlash 2003.

The current strategy of holding the Rock back only increases the peoples hunger for their Champion. When Cena gets on the mic and the crowd start saying "fruity pebble" or "Cena Sucks" its a call for the Rock to come out and confront him and sooner or later the fans are gonna get annoyed by this cold war situation. There has already been internet heat about the situation of the Rock being 'back' but not really.

Problem is for the WWE if they bring the Rock back they get the exact opposite of what Vince intended. Vince wanted the Rock to help put his new talent over but if he brings the Rock back to do regular appearances on Raw there's a big chance Rock will bury the entire roster.

Even if you turn him heel, even if you make Rock lose to half the WWE superstars, because Rock is the People's Champion he will almost certainly always end up as the 'face' and the heat will be directed at the people who are against him. Thats what happened in the late 90s when it became clear that Rock's position as the Corporate champion just wouldn't hold up with thousands of people finishing his catchphrases week in week out even when put up against Austin on the road to Wrestlemania 15.

Effectively the Rock is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. Just wanted to know what other people thought of the situation and whether, looking at it that way, it was a good idea for Vince to bring back the Great One at all?

 

[ironsheik84]

Personally I think while everyone wanted him back (me included), he wore out his welcome. For example, his birthday celebration on Raw dragged on and on and on (to me at least).I know this has been said many times before, but The Rock coming back lessened the Miz's role at Wrestlemania to make way for Cena vs. The Rock.

As a side note, Cena pointed out in a recent tweet that the Rock (even though he said he'd never leave again) has only appeared once since Wrestlemania while Cena's made over 40.

 

[The Suplexer Perfecter]

It was a good idea. It was a surprise and great to see him back.

Rock being full time, which of course won't happen, doesn't make too much sense since he has done everything he really could in WWE. Sure he could have different feuds, but who couldn't?

He already won 7 WWE titles, 9 world titles over all which include two WCW titles in 2001.

I wouldn't mind the occasional appearance like Stone Cold does.

Rock is happy doing movies. He left wrestling HEALTHY which is such a RARITY.

If Rock never did the time off for the movies in the first place, he'd be like a 30 time champion or something by now and people would be complaining that they're sick of seeing him.

 

[iwinulose]

well, rock returning would be good. he would only be there for like 6 or 7 years. cena vs rock doesnt bury talent, its just 2 big names having a highly anticipated match up. we dont really have any new stars that are good, well we do, but wwe wont use them properly either way. i would like to see the rock return to wrestling for a few years, and if he put over some wrestlers (other then cena who the rock will beat at WM 28) then i wouldnt see the problem with it. plus since the rock took a long break from wrestling people would be glad just having him back.

 

[BASSER911414]

It was a good idea. It was a surprise and great to see him back.

Rock being full time, which of course won't happen, doesn't make too much sense since he has done everything he really could in WWE. Sure he could have different feuds, but who couldn't?

He already won 7 WWE titles, 9 world titles over all which include two WCW titles in 2001.

I wouldn't mind the occasional appearance like Stone Cold does.

Rock is happy doing movies. He left wrestling HEALTHY which is such a RARITY.

If Rock never did the time off for the movies in the first place, he'd be like a 30 time champion or something by now and people would be complaining that they're sick of seeing him.

i doubt we wudv been sick of the rock... honestly we didnt get tired of hhh, or shawn michaels or undertaker. sames the case with the rock... we wudv had a run like hhh. occasionally competing for the title... but mostly feuds with other veterans or sometimes putting over talent like hhh did with sheamus. maybe rock wudv had a feud with vinnie mac to like dx did.

yea he probably wudv been a 20 time champion by then though... but considering his ability and athleticism i honestly think tht if he stayed till present day he still wudv been healthy like hhh. no fatigue no serious injuries.

but then again hes earning more in movies and we shud be happy he even came back unlike the ungrateful guys of the IWC who cursed him for not making appearances and then once he did they spat in his face.

bottom line the rocks an icon and bigger than stone cold because hes a rarity. hes had 7 appearances since 2004 and 4 titantron segments. and thts not a lot stone colds probably had twice tht number.

i disagree tht the rock is always damned. hes not coming back to the wwe but if he does i doubt the wwe management will make him the ultimate bulldozer. beating everyone in his path. its just the IWC who never seem to be content. they always need somethng to complain abt.

 

[Kizzo]

As a side note, Cena pointed out in a recent tweet that the Rock (even though he said he'd never leave again) has only appeared once since Wrestlemania while Cena's made over 40.

Ummm The Rock is not an active wrestler. He is an ACTOR first... that's his full time job. Cena's full time is of a wrestler.. so of course he will make over 40 appearances lol.

 

[WTAllen]

The Rock certainly wore out his welcome. I think he pushed back The Miz's spot to shine. I am SO SICK of attitude era stars coming back. I understand its WWE trying to cash in on its success but I've seen that, I've had enough.

 

[vthokie8]

I think this is just another one we can chalk up to poor booking. There was no need to make the Rock vs. Cena match a year in advance. I would much rather prefered wondering if it was going to happen or not. I do agree Rock being promoted as the main spectacle at Mania really took away from in my opinion not on The Miz, but also Cena, Taker, Triple H and if you really want to get down to it Del Rio and Edge. I am a firm believer that "special guests" don't need to be the main draw on a wrestling PPV look at Mania 11 the whole Pamela Anderson and Lawrence Taylor angles really took away from two good matches which was Diesel/Michaels and Hart/Backlund which should have been what the show was promoted around. I feel The Rock did just that this year. Now we all know him and Cena will wrestle, probably for the belt, at Mania next year. That means we all know if Punk, Del Rio, Truth, Miz or anybody else for that matter wins the WWE title, they have to lose it before Mania. I think if this is what WWE wanted have Rock win the Rumble or have Cena have a war with somebody at Rumble and when he is still trying to gather himself have the Annonymous GM buzz in and say he is challenging Cena for a title match right now and have Rock come out and take the title, then have Super Cena go through hell in the chase to Mania.

 

[TheEraOfAwesomeIsHere126]

it is down to bad booking mostly. i think it was a mistake to set the match a year in advance because it ruins the surprise of what the main event is going to be onthe road to wrestlemania and because we know the rock is going to have a match we want him on wwe tv more and more.

the way i think they might book it is the rock making a apperance at summerslam to screw cena (he would win the title back before wrestlemania of course), and then disappear again you will get the occasional hes music going off during a cena match to cost him the win. then he will come back more or less full time after royal rumble for the road to wrestlemania.

 

[sheldonator90]

As much as I hate to say this, but i can see a Andre/Hogan moment here, from what I've read, Hogan slamming Andre the Giant was all about passing the torch to Hogan (this is what I've read, not sure how much truth is there) and I can see this happening, the torch is already with Cena and Orton, but while The Rock is around they will never truly have it. Cena will win at Wrestlemania for this all to happen. I personally was happy when The Rock came back, I haven't watched WWE in a fair while and when I heard he was back I got watching it again, so yes, bringing The Rock back has worked in one aspect because it's brought back some of the old viewers who lost interest