Was Rock Out Of Line Calling Punk?

[THTRobtaylor]

Most people have now seen the video of The Rock calling CM Punk from The Staples Centre on Monday after RAW. It seems to have gotten him a certain amount of heat, even if the fans think it was pretty cool.

But bearing in mind there are still active lawsuits going on, and Rock would have known that - was he out of line?

Let's face it, on the surface it seems pretty harmless with even Rock leaving the "it's not a rib" message...

But the issue of course is that Punk is still suing WWE and Chris Annan is still suing Punk. As this happened at a WWE Event, it could affect that lawsuit or make things appear to be thawing with Punk when that's not the case.

On the other hand if anyone has earned the right to pretty much do as he pleases, it's The Rock. I find it a little rich that Trips was apparently pissed about it... it's not like he never did anything after the show he shouldn't have done *coughs Curtain Call*...

I can see why Vince would be annoyed though, there's a certain element of trust given to Rocky when he shows up - he gets to call his own shots but is trusted not to fuck up or put the company in a bad position. This time he could have done so, however innocent the intention was, especially as they're working together on the Paige movie.

Punk has at least acknowledged it and seems pretty cool with it...

Personally I think it'll blow over quite quickly, but Rocky has probably burned some of his currency with Vince... he won't get "punished" in the way a lower talent would have been for pulling the same stunt... but he won't quite get his own way next time, even if that's bad for business... Vince won't care.

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

No he wasn't. He's The Rock and he can do what he wants.

Besides who cares? It was just a phone call.

Vince needs to lighten up. Not everything has to follow his little script, and he doesn't have to be in control all the time. You want to create an "anything can happen atmosphere" and give the fans what they want. Rock certainly did, and it's why he's one of the biggest stars of all time. Vince needs to stop micromanaging everything so much because, in my opinion, it's absolutely killing the product. He gets mad when wrestlers say words such as "title shot" or "belt". You can't even call it wrestling for goodness sake. They even reuse old crowd reactions, because they didn't get the reaction they wanted to. It's just sad.

Besides, Rock didn't even have to show up, but he did it anyways because he loves the fans. Correct me if I'm wrong, but he probably drew in some fans, since I'm assuming the return was advertised locally. And Vince is going to get mad at him over a phone call? That's just ridiculous, and again it's killing WWE.

 

[Navi]

No he wasn't. He's The Rock and he can do what he wants.

Besides who cares? It was just a phone call.

Vince needs to lighten up. Not everything has to follow his little script, and he doesn't have to be in control all the time. You want to create an "anything can happen atmosphere" and give the fans what they want. Rock certainly did, and it's why he's one of the biggest stars of all time. Vince needs to stop micromanaging everything so much because, in my opinion, it's absolutely killing the product. He gets mad when wrestlers say words such as "title shot" or "belt". You can't even call it wrestling for goodness sake. They even reuse old crowd reactions, because they didn't get the reaction they wanted to. It's just sad.

Besides, Rock didn't even have to show up, but he did it anyways because he loves the fans. Correct me if I'm wrong, but he probably drew in some fans, since I'm assuming the return was advertised locally. And Vince is going to get mad at him over a phone call? That's just ridiculous, and again it's killing WWE.

Just because he's the Rock, it doesn't mean he can do what he want's. The WWE have afforded him that privilege because of what he's done for them over the years, but he can't make the company look bad. It wasn't shown on TV which would have made the whole thing spiral out of control, but he should really have known better.

The Rock isn't a part of the WWE anymore. He shows up once in awhile, does a promo here and there and gives back to the fans, which is all well and good. CM Punk walked out, roasted them on a podcast and is now involved in a lawsuit with the doctor who is still employed by the WWE. The Rock couldn't have picked a worse person to call. and that's why he did it.

As for drawing the in fans. This show was sold out months in advance of anyone knowing the Rock was going to be there. He is making a movie and what better than a ready made set, fans in place and all sorts of free publicity. Someone who didn't have a ticket might have bought one from a scalper but most of these people had their tickets before this was even conceived.

It doesn't matter what Vince said about Punk maybe one day returning on the Austin podcast because Punk burned his bridges, I doubt we will ever see him in a WWE ring again. He embarrassed the company and that is something that Vince probably won't forget for a long, long time.

What's killing the WWE is bad booking.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

It is in WWE's best interest to pretend to be frustrated by The Rock's actions. It doesn't mean they are actually frustrated. As long as there is no proof that the WWE ordered The Rock to make the call, the call will have no impact on any law suits. It will have an impact on the amount of exposure WWE and this movie gets and that is a good thing.

But seriously? Who still uses a phone as a phone nowadays anyway?

 

[Jack-Hammer]

The Rock is a guy who gets carried away when he's out there in front of a crowd of fans, he's always been high strung that way because he flat out gets off on the adulation. He's done things on the spur of the moment at times as he gets caught up in the moment, this isn't the first time and it won't be the last in a WWE ring.

Dwayne Johnson is the biggest action movie star in the world right now, really has been for several years now when you think about it, was recently named Sexiest Man Alive by People Magazine, won a People's Choice Award, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and earns somewhere around $25 to $30 million per movie. I mean....c'mon...it's not as if they can threaten him with any sort of professional consequences.

I'm sure that he didn't feel that there was any harm in it, and there probably wasn't. Regardless of whatever legalities are still going down regarding WWE and Punk, this should have zero impact as all Rock has to do is give a sworn statement that he did this all on his own while caught up in the moment. Rock's ego at being the center of attention in front of a packed house just got the best of him.

Vince and Triple H were reportedly less than thrilled with what was going on out there. Vince probably went overboard with his reaction as he's a little paranoid and overprotective. At the same time though, IF Vince had any thoughts that this could cause some sort of legal trouble with Punk, then I can understand him being pissed off. WWE's pretty much the only game left in town, so to speak, that makes money and it seems that just about every never-was, disgruntled former employee or veteran who pissed away their money is suing them so maybe a little paranoia isn't so bad sometimes.

 

[Psykohurricane55]

I think the fans we're out of line by starting this whole mess by chanting cm punk while they we're filming scenes for his movie about paige, rock was just going with the flow by mocking them by calling punk.

This really had nothing to do with wwe and more about acknowleging the fact that the fans we're chanting punk's name which is by now really overrated. The fact that punk made fun of it on twitter so I doubt that this will be a problem for wwe.

 

[ComeOnVince]

I think that Rock's decision was practical. Think about the times that Steph has been able to completely shut down Chicago's "CM PUNK" chants by simply acknowledging the chant with a snide remark or mocking. Acknowledge it, blow it off, it goes away.

 

[ComeOnVince]

It is in WWE's best interest to pretend to be frustrated by The Rock's actions. It doesn't mean they are actually frustrated.

Exactly. To save face, whether they give a crap or not, they have to comment publicly. It happened, they commented, Punk commented. It's over and done. Except for me, apparently, since I'm talking about it still.

But seriously? Who still uses a phone as a phone nowadays anyway?

Old-school fanny-pack Rock does.

 

[The Gribbler]

No. Basically he has made his reputation on doing and saying what he wants. The WWE have made a killing of this exact kind of thing, it will backfire every once in a while. But overall if you line up all the times that they benefited from his over the top personality and all the times they lost out from it, they are well ahead.

The man has the runs on the board to essentially do whatever he wants.

 

[JoeFromTomsRiver]

Was he "out of line"? Only if you're Vince, Trips, or Stephanie. And if they don't like how he goes rogue, then don't bring him back anymore.

Fans taking umbrage w/ the guy having some fun w/ the live crowd is much more pathetic than the crowds chanting CM Punk in the first place. Self-righteous message board dwellers preaching on crowd etiquette is getting very old.

 

[LBGetBack]

Nah. He was just having some fun and helping the fans have some fun. Stephanie frequently does the same thing. Vince used to. HHH can't seriously be pissed. If he is, he's grown more stale, dull, and boring than I realized.

 

[BaconBits]

I'm pretty sure the internet is making it seems like a much bigger deal than it actually was. Within hours, the dirtsheet douchebags were claiming it was this major thing backstage and all that jazz. I highly doubt that was the case. The Rock being, well, The Rock is expected, and everybody involved knows that he pushes boundaries, especially since his return in 2011.

 

[ISkye]

Not really. He's been in movies more consistently than his pro-wrestling career at this point. He's wildly popular in either field, and is regarded as one of the all time greats in pro-wrestling. One of his latest appearances where he was interacting with the fans dressed as legends on televised RAW was probably more of a big deal than this. If asked, yeah they should look a little less vulnerable business wise or play it off casually. Other than that a WWE Studios movie is coming out with The Rock involved, and getting covered by Entertainment, Wrestling, and sports sites doesn't hurt.

They were filming that movie about Paige / AJ Lee. The crowd was chanting CM Punk, and The Rock responded to quell the fans. Vince apparently sent a Ref. down to tell Rock to stop calling Punk. Punk was walking his dog outside, and The Rock just left a voicemail and moved on. They continued the movie shoot and the match was supposedly bad, and the actress couldn't take legitimate bumps so they swapped. The Rock also was there prior to RAW telling people to stick around, for the filming. Vince himself made a cameo prior to RAW "firing" The Rock.

It was made a bigger deal than it actually is. Not on TV. They are making a movie, and need good shots / crowd reactions. However, the fans latch onto a wildly popular pro-wrestler who is still very apparent and chant. The Rock calls CM Punk, and Vince sends a Ref. down to tell him to stop. He finishes it up, and gives the fans what they wanted without pushing the issue too far. The Rock is also a producer on this Movie so I would imagine in the middle of a ring where he has power to control an entire audience he would use it in his and WWE's favor.

He kind of pushed a standard limit, and probably upset a few people. Either way with all the context it's hardly some breaking news story.

 

[johnbragg]

But the issue of course is that Punk is still suing WWE and Chris Annan is still suing Punk. As this happened at a WWE Event, it could affect that lawsuit or make things appear to be thawing with Punk when that's not the case.

I really don't think that makes any difference in court. The Rock is a free agent, not a WWE employee. As a full-time big-budget movie star, Rock has leverage to work with WWE pretty much when he wants, with whoever he wants as long as they're interested. HE can very easily defend the claim that he was not acting on WWE's instructions or on their behalf.

In fact, in Dwayne Johnson's informed opinion, sooner or later WWE and CM Punk, Inc will settle their legal differences, and when they do a CM Punk vs The Rock match is one of the biggest matches out there--maybe Punk will get to main event a WrestleMania after all.

Personally I think it'll blow over quite quickly, but Rocky has probably burned some of his currency with Vince... he won't get "punished" in the way a lower talent would have been for pulling the same stunt... but he won't quite get his own way next time, even if that's bad for business... Vince won't care.

A Rock vs Punk match at WrestleMania 2018 or 2019 is a slightly bigger deal than it would have been a month ago.

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

Just because he's the Rock, it doesn't mean he can do what he want's. The WWE have afforded him that privilege because of what he's done for them over the years, but he can't make the company look bad. It wasn't shown on TV which would have made the whole thing spiral out of control, but he should really have known better.

The Rock isn't a part of the WWE anymore. He shows up once in awhile, does a promo here and there and gives back to the fans, which is all well and good. CM Punk walked out, roasted them on a podcast and is now involved in a lawsuit with the doctor who is still employed by the WWE. The Rock couldn't have picked a worse person to call. and that's why he did it.

As for drawing the in fans. This show was sold out months in advance of anyone knowing the Rock was going to be there. He is making a movie and what better than a ready made set, fans in place and all sorts of free publicity. Someone who didn't have a ticket might have bought one from a scalper but most of these people had their tickets before this was even conceived.

It doesn't matter what Vince said about Punk maybe one day returning on the Austin podcast because Punk burned his bridges, I doubt we will ever see him in a WWE ring again. He embarrassed the company and that is something that Vince probably won't forget for a long, long time.

What's killing the WWE is bad booking.

The Rock has been doing what he wants for years and will continue to.

He is a huge draw and they want him for WrestleMania.

What are they gonna do? Suspend him and lose all that money? Fine him and look like a moron. Besides, it was just a phone call. Vince is getting mad at that, but I can remember some of the stuff Vince did that was a LOT worse.

Also, CM Punk will be back. They're on rough terms, but time heals all wounds.

 

[Navi]

The Rock has been doing what he wants for years and will continue to.

He is a huge draw and they want him for WrestleMania.

What are they gonna do? Suspend him and lose all that money? Fine him and look like a moron. Besides, it was just a phone call. Vince is getting mad at that, but I can remember some of the stuff Vince did that was a LOT worse.

Also, CM Punk will be back. They're on rough terms, but time heals all wounds.

Oh I agree he does what he wants and will continue to do so. I mean hell what is the WWE going to do about it. If they want him there then they have to put up with it. Doesn't mean they like it though.

Vince is an old fart and God only knows what upsets him these days. He wasn't happy apparently about this, but it was already done, so getting upset is like closing the barn door after the horses got our. He's probably more pissed off about he fact that he can't really do anything about the Rock.

I really don't think Punk wants to come back. Maybe far down the road, but with his MMA career done and over with he hasn't even as far as I know entered a wrestling ring. He'd be welcomed at any wrestling company as a special attraction, but he just doesn't seem to want too. It's like he's turned the page and doesn't want to go back.

 

[ShinChan]

Yes, he was out of line calling out CM Punk.

Just imagine if someone like Cesaro would've done. Or any midcard wrestler. He would've faced some consequences for sure. But the guy who did it is The Rock. He CAN do it and so he did it.

Vince and Triple H could be angry but they both know what Rock means for them and everyone else.

 

[johnbragg]

Yes, he was out of line calling out CM Punk.

Just imagine if someone like Cesaro would've done. Or any midcard wrestler. He would've faced some consequences for sure. But the guy who did it is The Rock. He CAN do it and so he did it.

Vince and Triple H could be angry but they both know what Rock means for them and everyone else.

That example mixes up two different things. Rock is different than Cesaro in two ways--he's a free agent, AND he's a huge star. It makes more sense to compare Rock going off script to Cena or Orton or Undertaker doing the same.

If Cesaro pulled something like this, 90 days later he's in TNA or New Japan, no question about it. IF they'd want him--that's a loose cannon move that doesn't obviously bring in any money. But if Orton did it, or Cena, or Undertaker--that's what you should compare this to. Vince isn't suspending them, but would it cost Randy Orton a title run or a WrestleMania spot? Most likely not, but maybe he might.

Or Lesnar or Goldberg--part timers with their own agendas and their own negotiating leverage. Would a stunt like this cost them their next PPV payday? Maybe it's the last straw if Vince decides he doesn't need them.

EDIT: There's another category of guys who are stars, but don't necessarily have enough clout . Styles or Jericho or Owens or one of the Shield guys might be writing a ticket to the midcard pulling something like this.

But it was the Rock, so if Vince or HHH calls up to talk about it, Rock just answers "Maybe you and Vince are mad now, but you'll thank me when me and Punk fill the stadium and tear down the house next year at Mania."

 

[ShinChan]

That example mixes up two different things. Rock is different than Cesaro in two ways--he's a free agent, AND he's a huge star. It makes more sense to compare Rock going off script to Cena or Orton or Undertaker doing the same.

If Cesaro pulled something like this, 90 days later he's in TNA or New Japan, no question about it. IF they'd want him--that's a loose cannon move that doesn't obviously bring in any money. But if Orton did it, or Cena, or Undertaker--that's what you should compare this to. Vince isn't suspending them, but would it cost Randy Orton a title run or a WrestleMania spot? Most likely not, but maybe he might.

Or Lesnar or Goldberg--part timers with their own agendas and their own negotiating leverage. Would a stunt like this cost them their next PPV payday? Maybe it's the last straw if Vince decides he doesn't need them.

EDIT: There's another category of guys who are stars, but don't necessarily have enough clout . Styles or Jericho or Owens or one of the Shield guys might be writing a ticket to the midcard pulling something like this.

But it was the Rock, so if Vince or HHH calls up to talk about it, Rock just answers "Maybe you and Vince are mad now, but you'll thank me when me and Punk fill the stadium and tear down the house next year at Mania."

Using Cesaro as an example, I wanted to imply that he would've to face consequences for sure. Either getting to Superstars or even letting go. But Rock is a big star. Up there along with John Cena, Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker. These guys won't fave much repercussions because of their star power.

If Orton did so, then I can think of him being in midcard scene for a significant time. Even more worse would be for someone like Owens, Shield mates. But I don't think that anyone of them would dare to acknowledge the chants of CM Punk.

 

[enviousdominous]

I'm not sure how hostile the crowd was that night, but it's my understanding that Rock made the call to hush the CM Punk chants for the shoot, and that it worked.

Didn't Rock just leave a voicemail? That's not the same as Rock putting CM Punk on the speaker system of the arena where he could do another pipe bomb promo.

I don't think that Rock was out of line by any definition. It was off-air, it only made it to us through grainy cell phone video, and it's not as if the fans were forgetting who CM Punk is before Rock made that call.

 

[#tamale]

I'm not sure how hostile the crowd was that night, but it's my understanding that Rock made the call to hush the CM Punk chants for the shoot, and that it worked.

Just too dig a little deeper into this; a lot of the fans were leaving because they weren't going to stay for the shoot. The fans started to chant CM Punk because of the actress that was portraying AJ Lee, and Rock in his thinking to get the fans back decided to call CM Punk so that they wouldn't film a scene with a half empty arena.

Rock's reason for doing this is weird, but it seems like anything that involves Paige is going to come with some kind of controversy

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

The only problem I had with it was it not being on television. The Rock goes with the crowd, which would be nice to see from today's wrestlers. I don't think they have the freedom to do so, which is unfortunate. Outside of a select few, most would've been suspended for this.

 

[LBGetBack]

The only problem I had with it was it not being on television. The Rock goes with the crowd, which would be nice to see from today's wrestlers. I don't think they have the freedom to do so, which is unfortunate. Outside of a select few, most would've been suspended for this.

Agreed. That "anything can happen" feeling has been missing for a really long time. It generally makes for a pretty boring product because the writing and booking is rarely all that interesting.

An unscripted mess of a segment that doesn't work would often be more entertaining than the predictable, paint by the numbers BS they usually give us.

 

[Dave]

Out of line? I don't think so. Could he have had a bit more of a think about his actions before he carried them out? Yeah, probably.

I don't know who Waltman was referring to when he said that “someone” was trying to cut his mic after Raw but it was probably Vince. And Vince is kinda right in some regards. The WWE are in a lawsuit with CM Punk and calling him in a WWE ring, in some ways, adds a bit of fuel to the fire.

But really, at the end of the day, this was The Rock giving the fans what they wanted to see. It wasn't aired on live TV and no harm was done. CM Punk seemed okay with it happening, too, so I don't see a problem with it. The Rock is a live wire and he thrives on giving the fans what they want. You always run the risk of him going off on a mad one when you put a mic in his hand and give him free reign to do as he pleased.

Vince couldn't have cut his mic though. The Rock would have been so pissed off that he probably wouldn't have come back to the WWE. And, at this point, the WWE needs The Rock more than The Rock needs the WWE.

 

[rmp0012002]

Punk probably got a kick out of it as his name is back out there but why would The Rock have Punks personal number? Punk leaving was business and if Vince would bring ADR back after the same type lawsuit then he would bring CM back. If it's good for business there are no permantly burned bridges with Vince.