w/ Alex Archer and Violet Buttle
John Cena vs. The Rock
Alex : With both men making such a big deal about getting the win here, it's really hard to make a prediction on this one. Does Rock hand off the ball to Cena like Hogan did for him? Is Cena going to take one for the team? Some people have been predicting some kind of run-in or screwy finish, but I don't think WWE would do that after all the build for this match. If I had to pick a winner, I think Cena goes over.
Violet : I honestly have no idea what will happen with this match, but I certainly hope that Cena wins.
CM Punk (c) vs. Chris Jericho for the WWE Championship
Alex : I see these two having a great technical match with some really good near falls. I think Jericho takes a shortcut to come out on top and keep the feud going into at least the next pay-per-view.
Violet : This is another match that is difficult to predict. Either way, I don't think this heated feud will be over after Mania.
Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Sheamus for the World Heavyweight Championship
Alex : As great as Bryan has been as the cocky heel, the push Sheamus has been receiving since turning face has to lead to something, and if not the World Championship at Mania, then what?
Violet : With the way Sheamus has been booked for the months leading up to Mania, he has to win this match. Which is a shame because Bryan has been an enjoyable champion.
Undertaker vs. HHH in HIAC w/ Shawn Michaels as guest referee
Alex : Even with all the HHH / HBK drama, I just don't see the streak coming to an end. Kevin Nash pointed out in an interview earlier this week that it means nothing for Hunter to end the streak on his third try, and I completely agree. I think we're in for a lot of great near falls and some high drama with HBK involved, but Undertaker remains undefeated.
Violet : After what I thought was slow and plodding WrestleMania match between these two men last year, I'm surprised to be as excitied for this outing as I am. Triple H, Undertaker, and Michaels have all done a wonderful job selling this match in their various confrontations over the past few weeks. I would, however, be even more surprised if Triple H won and ended Undertaker's streak. And unlike last year's unimpressive match, I expect the Hell in A Cell format to allow these men to have some memorable spots.
Team Teddy vs. Team Johnny
Alex : Looking at these two teams, you have to give the edge to Team Johnny. I'm sure there's going to be some shenanigans in and outside of the ring, but Team Johnny comes away with the win.
Violet : Team Johnny is going to win for three reasons. First, they have a more impressive and accomplished team. Second, Teddy has frequently been getting the better of Laurinaitis in their confrontations, and they can't make Johnny look that pathetic. Third, they have Mark Henry, and he has been World Strongest Slamming Team Teddy all week.
Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Big Show for the Intercontinental Championship
Alex : This is a tough one. Either Cody upsets Show and continues his run as IC Champ, or Show takes the title, gets his WrestleMania moment, and Cody moves onto the next level (hopefully one of the top titles). Either way, as long as Cody doesn't get buried, I'm ok with either result.
Violet : I want Rhodes to win this so badly. Show doesn't need the IC belt. I mean, he was just contending for the World title. However, due to the embarassment Rhodes has brought Show during the build of this match, I am worried Show might actually get his WrestleMania moment.
Randy Orton vs. Kane
Alex : I really don't feel like I have anything vested in this match, and I think most fans feel the same way. It's a shame that Orton has to work with this incredibly boring Kane character, but hopefully he gets the win and the feud is over.
Violet : Orton was doing some really solid work with Barrett, and I'm sure they would have had a brilliant WrestleMania match. However, Barrett's out with an injury, and now Orton has to wreslte Kane. Obviously, Orton is going to get the win.
Beth Phoenix & Eve Torres vs. Kelly Kelly & Maria Menounos
Alex : The token celebrity match. What a waste of Beth Phoenix and the Divas Championship. Menounos probably gets the victory by rollup or something equally as lame.
Violet : If Phoenix does not crush Menounos, then everything she's done as Diva's Champion goes to waste. I wouldn't put it past WWE to let this happen.
Primo & Epico (c) vs. The Usos vs. Justin Gabriel & Tyson Kidd for the World Tag Team Championships
Alex : Since this is only being shown on WWE.com before the actual pay-per-view, I don't see Primo & Epico dropping the belts. I am interested in seeing Gabriel and Kidd working together, though. That could be an exciting team.
Violet : This should be a fun dark match. I don't see any reason for Epico and Primo to lose their titles here.
@TheAlexArcher | @VioletButtle | #FTLOW
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
A Breakdown of the WrestleMania Twelve Man Tag Match
by Violet Buttle
Though it is not one of the most anticipated matches on the WrestleMania card, the 12-man tag match features several of the WWE’s most promising and impressive players (who, frankly, deserve singles matches, but that’s not my point). Below, I breakdown the teams member by member to determine which team has the edge going into Sunday’s big match.
Team Johnny:
David Otunga: 4/10 – The legal counsel for Laurinaitis hasn’t been too successful in the ring, but he has been making slow, steady progress. I don’t expect Otunga to be one of main players in this match, but I am excited to see my favorite lawyer get in some offense against Team Teddy captain and jokester, Santino Marella.
Dolph Ziggler: 7.5/10 – It is clear that Ziggler is destined for better things after WrestleMania, but, for now, he has to settle with being one of the strongest members of Team Johnny. He has been losing quite a bit since dropping his US title, but these loses are easily forgettable due to his show-off gimmick and overall charisma. I expect Ziggler to have some impressive spots in this match.
Jack Swagger: 2/10 – Though he had a brief and transitional stint as US Champion, Swagger is one of the weakest members of this team. I can only hope he hits one Swagger Bomb before he gets beat up.
Mark Henry: 9/10 – As of late, Henry has been systematically destroying members of Team Teddy in singles matches. As the most recent World Heavyweight Champion in the match, Henry is the most dominant and destructive member of Team Johnny. The only reason he didn't receive a perfect 10 is because poorly booking he recently received due to injury. And the Rock Bottom and Attitude Adjustment he ate last week on Raw.
The Miz: 4/10 – Miz has been booked poorly as of late, but I am hoping that it is all part of a larger storyline for him. Though he did eventually get a spot on Team Johnny and the appearance at Wrestlemania he desired, he did it by hitting an unsuspecting Marella with the Skull Crushing Final rather than winning a match. He certainly has fallen since headlining Wrestlemania last year, and I hope that we see Miz take this opportunity to redeem himself.
Drew McIntyre: 2/10 – Ideally, McIntyre’s participation in this match will be an opportunity for him to further his storyline struggle with Long and quit embarrassing himself. However, I doubt that WWE will take this opportunity. Because of his long absence from television and his ensuing losing streak, McIntyre is the least impressive member of his team.
Team Teddy:
Santino Marella: 5/10 – Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t expect much from Marella here. However, he’s come into prominence lately due to his position as Long’s assistant and his reign as US Champion. Marella will inevitably be used for comedic relief during the match, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get some early, light offense in.
Zack Ryder: 5/10- We haven’t seen much of Ryder since he’s been back from his “injury”. He will do well during the match, but it will be more interesting to see if his relationship with Eve affects his position on the team or the match itself.
The Great Khali: 1/10- I hope Khali never gets tagged into this match. He scored a 1/10 only because WWE occasionally books him as a formidable opponent instead of a big goof. I hope he walks to the ring in his Ryder gear.
R-Truth: 2/10- I expect Little Jimmy pantomiming and some misplaced dance moves to be Truth’s largest contribution to this match.
Kofi Kingston: 7/10- Kingston is Team Teddy’s greatest hope. He is the most exciting wrestler on the team, and he has the best recent track record. Additionally, he works as well independently as he does on a team. Without a doubt, Kingston will have some impressive spots in this match, and, hopefully, he walks away with the momentum that his singles career needs.
Booker T: 4/10 – For nostalgia’s sake, Booker will likely get in some offense and hit his signature moves. However, due to his underwhelming feud with Cody Rhodes, I am not expecting much else from Booker in the ring.
The more impressive team in this match-up is clearly Johnny’s. I can only hope that this match ends with Henry delivering the World’s Strongest Slam to one of the member’s of Long’s rag-tag team of goons.
@VioletButtle | #FTLOW
Though it is not one of the most anticipated matches on the WrestleMania card, the 12-man tag match features several of the WWE’s most promising and impressive players (who, frankly, deserve singles matches, but that’s not my point). Below, I breakdown the teams member by member to determine which team has the edge going into Sunday’s big match.
Team Johnny:
David Otunga: 4/10 – The legal counsel for Laurinaitis hasn’t been too successful in the ring, but he has been making slow, steady progress. I don’t expect Otunga to be one of main players in this match, but I am excited to see my favorite lawyer get in some offense against Team Teddy captain and jokester, Santino Marella.
Dolph Ziggler: 7.5/10 – It is clear that Ziggler is destined for better things after WrestleMania, but, for now, he has to settle with being one of the strongest members of Team Johnny. He has been losing quite a bit since dropping his US title, but these loses are easily forgettable due to his show-off gimmick and overall charisma. I expect Ziggler to have some impressive spots in this match.
Jack Swagger: 2/10 – Though he had a brief and transitional stint as US Champion, Swagger is one of the weakest members of this team. I can only hope he hits one Swagger Bomb before he gets beat up.
Mark Henry: 9/10 – As of late, Henry has been systematically destroying members of Team Teddy in singles matches. As the most recent World Heavyweight Champion in the match, Henry is the most dominant and destructive member of Team Johnny. The only reason he didn't receive a perfect 10 is because poorly booking he recently received due to injury. And the Rock Bottom and Attitude Adjustment he ate last week on Raw.
The Miz: 4/10 – Miz has been booked poorly as of late, but I am hoping that it is all part of a larger storyline for him. Though he did eventually get a spot on Team Johnny and the appearance at Wrestlemania he desired, he did it by hitting an unsuspecting Marella with the Skull Crushing Final rather than winning a match. He certainly has fallen since headlining Wrestlemania last year, and I hope that we see Miz take this opportunity to redeem himself.
Drew McIntyre: 2/10 – Ideally, McIntyre’s participation in this match will be an opportunity for him to further his storyline struggle with Long and quit embarrassing himself. However, I doubt that WWE will take this opportunity. Because of his long absence from television and his ensuing losing streak, McIntyre is the least impressive member of his team.
Team Teddy:
Santino Marella: 5/10 – Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t expect much from Marella here. However, he’s come into prominence lately due to his position as Long’s assistant and his reign as US Champion. Marella will inevitably be used for comedic relief during the match, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get some early, light offense in.
Zack Ryder: 5/10- We haven’t seen much of Ryder since he’s been back from his “injury”. He will do well during the match, but it will be more interesting to see if his relationship with Eve affects his position on the team or the match itself.
The Great Khali: 1/10- I hope Khali never gets tagged into this match. He scored a 1/10 only because WWE occasionally books him as a formidable opponent instead of a big goof. I hope he walks to the ring in his Ryder gear.
R-Truth: 2/10- I expect Little Jimmy pantomiming and some misplaced dance moves to be Truth’s largest contribution to this match.
Kofi Kingston: 7/10- Kingston is Team Teddy’s greatest hope. He is the most exciting wrestler on the team, and he has the best recent track record. Additionally, he works as well independently as he does on a team. Without a doubt, Kingston will have some impressive spots in this match, and, hopefully, he walks away with the momentum that his singles career needs.
Booker T: 4/10 – For nostalgia’s sake, Booker will likely get in some offense and hit his signature moves. However, due to his underwhelming feud with Cody Rhodes, I am not expecting much else from Booker in the ring.
The more impressive team in this match-up is clearly Johnny’s. I can only hope that this match ends with Henry delivering the World’s Strongest Slam to one of the member’s of Long’s rag-tag team of goons.
@VioletButtle | #FTLOW
The Rock vs. John Cena - Countdown to WrestleMania - Part Three
by Alex Archer
Part One | Part Two | Part Three
Finally...
With WrestleMania Sunday less than one week away, the WWE has been working hard to put Cena vs. Rock over as the biggest match of all time. Two weeks ago we finally got a good promo from The Rock. His pre-taped segment in front of the Rocky statue was exactly what The Rock, WWE, this feud, and WrestleMania as a whole, absolutely needed. No more stuttering, no more "shook" vibe, and he didn't lose his focus like he had been in the past few weeks.
The WWE made a good decision to keep Cena off the mic two weeks ago, and instead had him hoist the Worlds Strongest Man, Mark Henry, onto his back and nail an him with an Attitude Adjustment. Another smart move was having Rock hit the ring after the match and Rock Bottom Henry. The tease of a Rock / Cena physical confrontation only lasted for a few seconds, but I was glued to the screen.
Face to face one last time
The final face to face showdown before WrestleMania that we were given this Monday was not a good way to end the live go-home show. Rock, once again, seemed to be stumbling over his words. More than anything, though, he came off as Dwayne Johnson playing his role as The Rock. It just doesn't come off as natural like it did 10 years ago. Dwayne Johnson has outgrown The Rock, and it shows every single time he steps in the ring with John Cena and a mic.
Cena wasn't on his game either, unfortunately. His point made sense, but he certainly took the long way to get there. Too much repetition and too much forced emotion, two things that seem to be Cena's Achilles heels.
The biggest match of all time
The Rock and John Cena have succeeded in at least one aspect of their WrestleMania build and that is driving home the fact that it is a must win match for both men. Cena needs this because it's what he does. He "rises above" and just wins (much to the internets chagrin). Rock needs this to truly be the greatest of all time. They both have a point.
So how does it all end? Does it end at WrestleMania 28? With reports of Rock being on board for WrestleMania 29, is this incredibly drawn out saga going to be stretched out for another year? Will there be a clean finish? Can The Rock still go? Do these guys really hate each other? Hopefully we'll get all the answers at WrestleMania, and hopefully this truly is a "once in a lifetime" match for more than one reason...
@TheAlexArcher | #FTLOW
Finally...
With WrestleMania Sunday less than one week away, the WWE has been working hard to put Cena vs. Rock over as the biggest match of all time. Two weeks ago we finally got a good promo from The Rock. His pre-taped segment in front of the Rocky statue was exactly what The Rock, WWE, this feud, and WrestleMania as a whole, absolutely needed. No more stuttering, no more "shook" vibe, and he didn't lose his focus like he had been in the past few weeks.
The WWE made a good decision to keep Cena off the mic two weeks ago, and instead had him hoist the Worlds Strongest Man, Mark Henry, onto his back and nail an him with an Attitude Adjustment. Another smart move was having Rock hit the ring after the match and Rock Bottom Henry. The tease of a Rock / Cena physical confrontation only lasted for a few seconds, but I was glued to the screen.
Face to face one last time
The final face to face showdown before WrestleMania that we were given this Monday was not a good way to end the live go-home show. Rock, once again, seemed to be stumbling over his words. More than anything, though, he came off as Dwayne Johnson playing his role as The Rock. It just doesn't come off as natural like it did 10 years ago. Dwayne Johnson has outgrown The Rock, and it shows every single time he steps in the ring with John Cena and a mic.
Cena wasn't on his game either, unfortunately. His point made sense, but he certainly took the long way to get there. Too much repetition and too much forced emotion, two things that seem to be Cena's Achilles heels.
The biggest match of all time
The Rock and John Cena have succeeded in at least one aspect of their WrestleMania build and that is driving home the fact that it is a must win match for both men. Cena needs this because it's what he does. He "rises above" and just wins (much to the internets chagrin). Rock needs this to truly be the greatest of all time. They both have a point.
So how does it all end? Does it end at WrestleMania 28? With reports of Rock being on board for WrestleMania 29, is this incredibly drawn out saga going to be stretched out for another year? Will there be a clean finish? Can The Rock still go? Do these guys really hate each other? Hopefully we'll get all the answers at WrestleMania, and hopefully this truly is a "once in a lifetime" match for more than one reason...
@TheAlexArcher | #FTLOW
Thursday, March 15, 2012
The Rock vs. John Cena - Countdown to WrestleMania - Part Two
by Alex Archer
Part One | Part Two | Part Three
... One step back.
With only two episodes of Raw left before their showdown at WrestleMania 28, this week seemed like a huge step backwards for both The Rock and John Cena. Although The Rock hasn't seemed to take the last few weeks as serious as Cena has, there was almost no sincerity or intensity in his "Rock Concert" segment. And Cena, who has been intense and almost overly serious the last few weeks, gave us a corny rap in his Doctor of Thuganomics character.
Knowing they would only have two weeks to sell WrestleMania after Monday night, why would WWE decide to go this route? Was there a reason that this format was chosen? Furthermore, was there a reason that Cena was given the opening slot and about 5 minutes to talk, whereas Rock was given the closing spot and was essentially able to go on as long as he wanted? Perhaps...
Karaoke? Really?
After weeks of coming out on what many viewers considered the losing end of their verbal exchanges, The Rock was almost the winner in this outing. After letting both segments digest for a few days, here's what I'm left remembering : 1) Cena looked ridiculous in his old gear, like a total cartoon of himself. 2) The Rock didn't have his notes on his wrist, made a point of showing that, but had full lyric sheets instead. 3) The Rock didn't know the words to the Cena-bashing, karaoke rendition of "We Will Rock You", and it showed.
Putting all that aside, I'm left wondering who was supposed to come out looking better here? John Cena was put in his old gear, acted as his old character would act, put on the same corny, fake gangster rap act his old character would have put on, and wasn't given much airtime to do it. The Rock, on the other hand, was set in a scenario that he's shined in before. Some of Rock's best promos have been done in mock-song. The same can be said about the old Cena character, of course, but with his new persona being such a departure from that rapper guy, his segment was more ridiculous funny than the "gotcha" funny he was going for.
Since their first encounter on this years Road to WrestleMania, the internet has been throwing around rumors of Cena getting the better of The Rock all being part of Vince's plans. It's a simple idea : make Cena look like he's getting inside Rock's head, make Rock seem shook, and then have him turn it on in the last few weeks leading up to WrestleMania, and hopefully draw more buys. No matter what the plan, Rocky not knowing the words to his own parody song was not a great way to end Raw or sell pay-per-views.
More questions than answers
Was what we saw on Monday night just the next step in a well laid out plan? Did WWE realize that when put face to face, Dwayne Johnson can't hold his own against John Cena? Did bringing back the Doctor of Thuganomics nullify the intensity and serious attitude that Cena has been bringing to the table over the last few weeks?
I don't know if the song battle sold any pay-per-views, but it definitely gave viewers a reason to keep talking about this feud, which is never a bad thing... is it?
@TheAlexArcher | #FTLOW
... One step back.
With only two episodes of Raw left before their showdown at WrestleMania 28, this week seemed like a huge step backwards for both The Rock and John Cena. Although The Rock hasn't seemed to take the last few weeks as serious as Cena has, there was almost no sincerity or intensity in his "Rock Concert" segment. And Cena, who has been intense and almost overly serious the last few weeks, gave us a corny rap in his Doctor of Thuganomics character.
Knowing they would only have two weeks to sell WrestleMania after Monday night, why would WWE decide to go this route? Was there a reason that this format was chosen? Furthermore, was there a reason that Cena was given the opening slot and about 5 minutes to talk, whereas Rock was given the closing spot and was essentially able to go on as long as he wanted? Perhaps...
Karaoke? Really?
After weeks of coming out on what many viewers considered the losing end of their verbal exchanges, The Rock was almost the winner in this outing. After letting both segments digest for a few days, here's what I'm left remembering : 1) Cena looked ridiculous in his old gear, like a total cartoon of himself. 2) The Rock didn't have his notes on his wrist, made a point of showing that, but had full lyric sheets instead. 3) The Rock didn't know the words to the Cena-bashing, karaoke rendition of "We Will Rock You", and it showed.
Putting all that aside, I'm left wondering who was supposed to come out looking better here? John Cena was put in his old gear, acted as his old character would act, put on the same corny, fake gangster rap act his old character would have put on, and wasn't given much airtime to do it. The Rock, on the other hand, was set in a scenario that he's shined in before. Some of Rock's best promos have been done in mock-song. The same can be said about the old Cena character, of course, but with his new persona being such a departure from that rapper guy, his segment was more ridiculous funny than the "gotcha" funny he was going for.
Since their first encounter on this years Road to WrestleMania, the internet has been throwing around rumors of Cena getting the better of The Rock all being part of Vince's plans. It's a simple idea : make Cena look like he's getting inside Rock's head, make Rock seem shook, and then have him turn it on in the last few weeks leading up to WrestleMania, and hopefully draw more buys. No matter what the plan, Rocky not knowing the words to his own parody song was not a great way to end Raw or sell pay-per-views.
More questions than answers
Was what we saw on Monday night just the next step in a well laid out plan? Did WWE realize that when put face to face, Dwayne Johnson can't hold his own against John Cena? Did bringing back the Doctor of Thuganomics nullify the intensity and serious attitude that Cena has been bringing to the table over the last few weeks?
I don't know if the song battle sold any pay-per-views, but it definitely gave viewers a reason to keep talking about this feud, which is never a bad thing... is it?
@TheAlexArcher | #FTLOW
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
The Rock vs. John Cena - Countdown to WrestleMania - Part One
by Alex Archer
Part One | Part Two | Part Three
Chalk another one up for Cena?
Last night on Raw, John Cena and The Rock came face to face for the second time since the Road to WrestleMania really kicked off after the Elimination Chamber PPV. Their first meeting, last week, showed just how differently these two Superstars are approaching the "biggest match of all time". Cena came across as serious, intense, and concise. The Rock was loose, clownish, and, most glaringly, shook.
We got more of that this week with the pre-taped segments, but the in-ring confrontation told a slightly different story. The Rock came to the ring and brought with him a much more serious tone than we've seen over the last few weeks. He was in Cena's face, he finally said the words "I'm going to beat you", but like last week, The Rock got shook.
Last week, it was Cena's short and to the point mic work that seemed to throw a monkey wrench in "The Great One's" plans, but this week it was the millions (and millions) of The Rock's own fans that threw him off his game. The Boston crowd, despite being Cena's hometown, is usually anti-Cena and very vocal about it. While he got his usual mixed reaction when his music first hit, other than a few supportive "fruity pebbles" chants, the crowd was much more critical of The Rock.
"Tooth Fairy!" "Tooth Fairy!" "Tooth Fairy!"
Did the Boston crowd turn on The Rock, or were his supporters just not as vocal as the Cena supporters? Had this happened a few weeks ago, I would've said the latter was true, but this late in the game, I have to lean towards the crowd turning on him. The Rock isn't the same man that he was 10 years ago, Cena has been right to call him on it, and this may have been the first live crowd that got it.
When The Rock's music used to hit 10 years ago, you knew that you were in for either a quality match or the best mic work in the business. Now when his music hits, you know you're in for a cereal references, homophobic/transphobic remarks, and more of his sick obsession with trending worldwide. The Boston crowd chimed in for the "millions and millions" bit, but other than that, they were relatively dead to everything The Rock had to say and went as far as to serenade the People's Champ with "Tooth Fairy" chants. This, even more than Cena's unprofessional and annoying interruptions, seemed to shake The Rock and take him off his already compromised A-game.
Does The Rock still have it?
This question has to be on the mind of any Attitude Era fan that remembers how great the Great One used to be. From his work with the Nation of Domination in the early days of The Rock, to his interaction with Jericho during his debut, to his work with Mick Foley and the Rock & Sock Connection, the Rock was always solid. Has Hollywood changed The Rock? Has Hollywood turned the quick-witted former champion into a comic disaster? Or is The Rock playing Cena (and fans like myself) like a fiddle?
We've seen The Rock showcase his acting skills in such instant classics as The Game Plan, Doom, Race to Witch Mountain, Tooth Fairy, and his most recent work of art, Journey 2 : The Mysterious Island. Could The Rock just be playing possum with Cena? Perhaps having notes penned on his arm, seeming shook on two occasions, and sticking mainly to comedy routines is all an act. What his reasoning might be for this, I don't know. Perhaps it's just wishful thinking, but just like John Cena, I hope we get The Rock at WrestleMania and not Dwayne Johnson. As things look right now, though, the main event at the biggest show of the year is John Cena, wrestler vs. Dwayne Johnson, actor.
@TheAlexArcher | #FTLOW
Chalk another one up for Cena?
Last night on Raw, John Cena and The Rock came face to face for the second time since the Road to WrestleMania really kicked off after the Elimination Chamber PPV. Their first meeting, last week, showed just how differently these two Superstars are approaching the "biggest match of all time". Cena came across as serious, intense, and concise. The Rock was loose, clownish, and, most glaringly, shook.
We got more of that this week with the pre-taped segments, but the in-ring confrontation told a slightly different story. The Rock came to the ring and brought with him a much more serious tone than we've seen over the last few weeks. He was in Cena's face, he finally said the words "I'm going to beat you", but like last week, The Rock got shook.
Last week, it was Cena's short and to the point mic work that seemed to throw a monkey wrench in "The Great One's" plans, but this week it was the millions (and millions) of The Rock's own fans that threw him off his game. The Boston crowd, despite being Cena's hometown, is usually anti-Cena and very vocal about it. While he got his usual mixed reaction when his music first hit, other than a few supportive "fruity pebbles" chants, the crowd was much more critical of The Rock.
"Tooth Fairy!" "Tooth Fairy!" "Tooth Fairy!"
Did the Boston crowd turn on The Rock, or were his supporters just not as vocal as the Cena supporters? Had this happened a few weeks ago, I would've said the latter was true, but this late in the game, I have to lean towards the crowd turning on him. The Rock isn't the same man that he was 10 years ago, Cena has been right to call him on it, and this may have been the first live crowd that got it.
When The Rock's music used to hit 10 years ago, you knew that you were in for either a quality match or the best mic work in the business. Now when his music hits, you know you're in for a cereal references, homophobic/transphobic remarks, and more of his sick obsession with trending worldwide. The Boston crowd chimed in for the "millions and millions" bit, but other than that, they were relatively dead to everything The Rock had to say and went as far as to serenade the People's Champ with "Tooth Fairy" chants. This, even more than Cena's unprofessional and annoying interruptions, seemed to shake The Rock and take him off his already compromised A-game.
Does The Rock still have it?
This question has to be on the mind of any Attitude Era fan that remembers how great the Great One used to be. From his work with the Nation of Domination in the early days of The Rock, to his interaction with Jericho during his debut, to his work with Mick Foley and the Rock & Sock Connection, the Rock was always solid. Has Hollywood changed The Rock? Has Hollywood turned the quick-witted former champion into a comic disaster? Or is The Rock playing Cena (and fans like myself) like a fiddle?
We've seen The Rock showcase his acting skills in such instant classics as The Game Plan, Doom, Race to Witch Mountain, Tooth Fairy, and his most recent work of art, Journey 2 : The Mysterious Island. Could The Rock just be playing possum with Cena? Perhaps having notes penned on his arm, seeming shook on two occasions, and sticking mainly to comedy routines is all an act. What his reasoning might be for this, I don't know. Perhaps it's just wishful thinking, but just like John Cena, I hope we get The Rock at WrestleMania and not Dwayne Johnson. As things look right now, though, the main event at the biggest show of the year is John Cena, wrestler vs. Dwayne Johnson, actor.
@TheAlexArcher | #FTLOW
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)