It's no secret I'm not the biggest fan of the WWE but I do listen to a lot of wrestling podcasts and as you can guess, they are top heavy with WWE talk especially now on the road to Wrestle Mania. Now, speaking of the 'grandaddy of them all' we know The Rock will be facing John Cena on April 1st in Miami. Cena is of course doing what he has to do leading up to such a big match and he's cutting his promo's on The Rock etc. but the word from 'behind the curtain' is that there are many guys in the WWE who are not happy with the fact The Rock is coming in for a short while, promoting a movie then getting a massive pay-off for the main event of Wrestle Mania before disappearing into the Hollywood wilderness once again. I look at it in a couple of ways, first, this Mania will draw millions of dollars and it will trickle down through the entire roster and company be that for the guys who are on the card that night or for business after Mania when people will still be hyped, more will come to the live shows and TV ratings should increase which again, will bring more revenue into the company and everyone involved will see the benefit of.
I really can't understand why these guys, whoever they are, are hating on The Rock rather than seeing the bigger picture.
My second opinion on this subject, the guys are moaning about The Rock coming in but what alternatives do the WWE have? There just isn't the roster of genuine stars to put in that position. Take a look at the title matches, for the world title you have Daniel Bryan defending against Sheamus now DB is a guy I have followed for years, I was a massive fan of him on the indies and although I didn't like it, I sort of agreed with a lot of people who said first he'd never win the title despite having the MITB briefcase and then, after winning it, again, a lot of people said he wouldn't have the title when he walked into Mania, now I know we're not there yet but it looks like he will be champion at Mania but is he what would be considered a wrestler worthy of defending a world title at the WWE's biggest PPV of the year never mind probably the biggest PPV ever? Also, his opponent will be Sheamus, someone who has held a major belt in the company before but again, is he really at that level for Wrestle Mania?
The other title match, the WWE title one features CM Punk, again, another darling of the indies, and he'll be facing Chris Jericho who has been back 5 minutes and if rumours are true, he'll be off again shortly after Mania to do the music thing but I wonder if the same guys who are ripping on The Rock are ripping on Jericho for coming back for a short while to 'take a spot' and get a big pay cheque (yes that's how we spell it here in the UK)?
Oh and let us not forget The Undertaker, his last match was at last years Mania and he's coming back and unless something happens, this will be his first match since Mania last year. For me, that's worst than The Rock, I mean The Rock has been around quite a bit more really, even had a match on PPV. People though won't rip on 'Taker because he is the 'locker room leader' and deserves respect, bs I say because if you can rip on The Rock for the what he is doing (and let's not forget, WWE are the ones who decide who comes in) then why should 'Taker or Jericho get away with it?
I have jumped around a bit in this article but the point of the article remains the same, the WWE just doesn't have the guys that can cut it, like it or not, The Rock may only be in the WWE every now and then but when he's there, the fans react, he can make them 'pop', The Rock is a star.
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Can you please name your sources? You seem to have the inside scoop on the inner workings of the WWE. I can only imagine the amount of research and favour-pulling required to get this important information. I mean some top-brass has obviously risked his job to let you know how everyone feels about Rock.
ReplyDeleteI mean, you wouldn't have written an entire article based on a single reported rumour, would you? Because if you did, I just got a text off a 'Top Worker backstage' who told me that Santino Marella killed a Chaffinch with a sock and I would really like to hear your thoughts on this in 800-1200 words. Thanks in Advance (Y)
Now, last time I made a comment, it was revealed that the article was not written by Stu despite being posted by him. I assume this is not the case this time, but have to wonder, due to it being so terrible yet again.
ReplyDeleteThis article is all based on Hearsay (may as well be based on the band of the same name, for the all the wrestling facts it contains)
The other main issue, is the complete lack (seemingly intentional) of understanding the most basic points of the source of the complaints if they are actually true.
1) "Rock will make Mania make millions and that will trickle down" - Really? yeah, he helped sell the gig early. But did he help at Survivor Series? or are you one of these guys who believes that was the fault of The Miz? The Miz main evented Mania, but Rocky was credited with it drawing 1 million. Rocky main evented Survivor Series, but it's the Miz who is to blame for the lack of buys there. That doesn't compute. Face it, Rock is there to get his ass kissed. Ticket sales have been great for the live show, but if the show doesn't draw 1 million buys it's the fault of the undercard. If it DOES draw that many, then it's thanks to the Rock. That's why people have issues with it.
2) You've also ignored completely that the Rock hasn't put anyone over, nor will he at Mania. He's been involved with Miz and R-Truth and both of them have been completely derailed, not elevated, by working with the man. At Mania, he will fight Cena, and win lose or draw, Cena gains nothing and neither does the company. IT's short sighted booking.
3) "I wonder if the boys (hilarious terminology usage btw) think the same of Jericho" - No, they probably don't. Jericho went away for just over a year, and is now back and is on TV every single week, and doing house shows. He may be a guy who disappears for sporadic time periods, but when he is back he is back 100%
4) Your opinion on Taker can be taken the same way, he's been gone for a year and is coming back for a seemingly final match. It's huge and he's on telly every week now. So what if Rocky did one PPV in November last year, where was he for 6 years previous? You can't compare healing from injuries and just not being there.
5) At the end of all of this, your article is still ridiculous as your criticising the roster for not being strong enough to do anything themselves and ask what WWE was meant to do other than use the Rock. Maybe nothing, maybe he should be there, but why against Cena? the man who has nothing to prove.
He could fight Punk, give Punk the last nudge to legitimacy... but people might side with Punk when he scolded Rock, so that's not gonna happen. But he could have easily got an angry Daniel Bryan riled up over the fact that he worked hard for 10 years to get to WWE and his Mania dream is taken away cause Rock is gonna main event when he should be doing it as the champion.
At Mania, we have a rumoured match featuring 8 random guys thrown together to fight for the right of the GM's to run both shows. Only the GM's gain anything from that. Why wouldn't they be pissed about it? Kofi, Alberto, Christian, Wade and various other... all work hard all the time they're in WWE, come Mania they're thrown into a quick match a few weeks before the big show. Meanwhile Rocky does nothing for 7 years, and then is given the main event?
DeleteHardly putting talent over is he? and then we have his twitter, where he said that anyone who complains is jealous and can't draw anyway? wow. Way to put them over, Mr Johnson. He could just as easily have said "I don't blame them, They're young, hungry and talented and want to be at the top and with that drive and ambition maybe they will next year" But no. Easier to bury them.
All of my retort is hypothetically based on the reports of the complaints being true, but one thing that will remain no matter what is my opinion that this article is terrible. A good writer can be unbiased and see the opinions of the subjects he is writing about. You were too busy throwing your toys out of your pram to do that. You're a jaded wrestling fan who is so desperate to get back a time that is gone, that you'll blindly ignore that Mania has 3 big matches built (ignore the WHC for now) and 4/6 of the talent involved wont be there for next years Mania, and the final 1/3 gain nothing from their matches.
Of course people are pissed off.
people just love hating Rock. They are jealous that he is popular and not their favourite wrestler.
ReplyDeleteIt's just simple hating. They bitch and moan and twist the truth to justify their hate. True fans of the Rock follow the Rock. They don't follow WWE. Some do but don't hate on Rock because they know it's just a business and it's all about money.
Who cares if the Rock takes someone's spot at Mania. If there was no Rock in this wrestlemania I wouldn't bother watching it and so would many more. You replace him with one of the so called hard working untalented hacks then it will not draw as many fans. That's a simple fact. Rock is bringing more money for the WWE but haters of Rock don't care because they don't want to admit Rock is that good.
Keep crying like Cena Rock haters. All the reasonable and clear thinking ppl can see straight through you.
Once Rock leaves again I will stop watching WWE cos it sucks and the fans are embarrassing. Don't want to be assoiciated with whiney crybabies with double standards.
It's not double standards though, is it? It's one standard and it's looking towards something more than a one time pay off.
DeleteRock isn't that good, if he was 'that good' people would have creamed over him at Survivior Series, but no one bought it. He's just a great nostalgic act. I love the man personally, but how is he helping the future of the company?
Your as ignorant to the point of the complaints as the article itself. Rock coming back is fine, if the company and it's wrestlers gain in the long term. But coming back, burying two talents, having a match with a guy who needs nothings and not putting over anyone else at all doesn't help the company. At all.
In 6 months time we should be talking about who was 'made' at Mania. Instead, we'll be talking about 'remember when Rock graced us with his presence'
For that same reason, Taker should really fight someone other than Triple H too. But that's not part of the current argument.
A quote from you: "Once Rock leaves again I will stop watching WWE cos it sucks" ... and there in you prove the point of every detractor the man has. When he goes, you go too. When if he'd done the best he could for business, and it was all used properly when he went people would hopefully stay around to see the new guys he's helped establish.
It's not all his fault, booking is an issue here too, but Rock has done nothing to defend his cause. He's buried talent on twitter, buried them in his match and his promos where he acted like they weren't even of any importance despite being the main event with him.
You said people have double standards, but from what I see, those who are complaining about the Rock only have one. A standard that wants to see new talent pushed, and progression made.
The true double standards come from people like yourself, who bitch about WWE being bad because Cena is always on top, and Orton and the company is boring because no one new is elevated or made interesting. But despite hating the company for it, you kiss the ass of a man who is coming in, on top, not putting over any talent and not elevating anyone.
That's the only double standard here.
Well, "K Edwards" you say I am writing it based on hear say well, first off, it's an opinion based article, and opinion is like an asshole, we all have one.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, as I stated at the beginning of the article, I listen to a lot of wrestling podcasts and it was on one of these where I first heard the story about the other boy.....oh sorry, the other wrestlers not being happy with The Rock being at WM (I can provide a link if need be) and in this podcast one of the hosts says how someone on a well-know US news site with friends in the business received a text off one of these wrestlers. Now you may think it's all crap and just stirring up sh*t but I listened, like the hosts response and thought yes, I'll put my thoughts down on the above blog.
Sorry if you don't agree, but I stick with my original thoughts.
Good. I'm glad you stick with your original thoughts. You should always have the belief to do that, or else your opinions aren't worth having.
DeleteHowever, your article is still terrible. It's still based off a rumour.
If I sent word to a news site that Rock had divorced his wife due to domestic abuse on his part and it was then put on the news site despite no sources being named, anyone writing on the subject would also be producing a terrible argument.
The argument you give is one sided (as you ignored the points I made) and stems from a supposed text from someone in the business. That same news site has also reported that WWE have issues with Rey Mysterio being injured because he is small and they think he should be coming back quicker to show how grateful he is that someone like him got a push. We know that's not true, cause WWE have shown over the last few years that selling Merch is far more important than size, and Rey sells tons.
The same website has before now reported that Undertaker was coming back when the Jericho videos started. They said for the first month of them that it was Undertaker or maybe Jericho. Only when Jericho basically gave it away on twitter did they change to just Jericho. But they made out like 'the boys' told them it was Jericho months earlier
Whenever a news site reports facts from unnameable sources, a pinch of salt should always be taken with it because for the 1% of the time they're actually reporting on something they found out from a friend backstage, there's a whole load more of times where they're either worked themselves or just plain make it up.
In this instance, I believe people have heat with the Rock, I just think you should have looked at it in a more journalistic way where you'd look at the possible reasons for the heat, look at the justification for the Rock being there and offer up a good look at what the problems may be if they do exist. Instead you took the heat as fact, and then gave the opinion of someone who was just crying because a hero was the subject of a rumour.
Your usage of Jericho and Undertaker to justify your opinions was so shallow, that it actually voided anything you could have said that would be worth anything. All 3 returns are totally different, but in the lowest forms, 2 of these returns are from just 1 year away and the guys are back 100%, and 1 is from a 7 year absence and he's still only back when he can make it.
I just hopes that when I read the title of this article, I'd be reading something that had valid arguments, points, a proper look at the rumoured situation. I didn't get that, and your last line about the Rock being a star and making people pop still ignored the fact that Survivor Series, which was his first match back didn't draw a PPV buy worth anything. He may electrify a live crowd, but he's not popped any ratings yet apart from one RAW.