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View Full Version : The Rock in 2013/14 should return as a heel, too much ammo not to!



GtheMVP
April 17th, 2013, 5:58 PM
If I was Rock I'd be a little bit annoyed by some of the backstage bitching and the fan backlash at his injury announcement last week. Let's face it, if most of the whiners were better than they are, they couldn't be usurped by the Rock , or any returning star.

As for the fans who booed when Rock didn't show up on Raw following mania, that would bother me too, his injury is quite legit.

Rock ultimately is laughing all the way to the bank, and I'm sure he doesn't care too much about the negativity, however, if he still has wrasslin' in his blood, I don't see how he could pass up returning as a heel, certainly has better reason than Ryback! I don't think there was a better version of Rock than his heel run with Bischoff as gm.

I'd love to see another Rock and punk feud, where Punk goes over cleanly as the face. Hell, I'd go for another Rock/Cena feud, so long as Rock is heel and can unleash fully on him, however, I'd much rather Rock put other talent over, perhaps even aligning with his cousin Roman and his Shield.

I wasn't a fan of the latest run from the Rock, far too pg, twice in a lifetime gave him little to work with too. I understand it was a the biggest money match on paper, but if ppv buy projections are as poor as rumored, playing it safe finally caught up to Vince in the pocket book, where it really matters to him.

Psycho666Soldier
April 17th, 2013, 6:33 PM
While I am down with a Rock heel turn(in fact, if he does come back again, I don't see much interest in him doing it any other way), I'm not so confident we'll even see The Rock in a match after this point. He got hurt pretty bad, and trying to balance between his film career and wrestling career must be a pain in the ass since he won't just bite the bullet and take the time off to focus on wrestling for a few months.

Kyle_242
April 17th, 2013, 8:17 PM
He turned heel when he shook Cena's hand.

Atty
April 26th, 2013, 11:54 AM
I'd say we've seen his last "real" match. He got hurt in a massive match where he passed the torch and jobbed to Cena. Movie studios aren't going to be okay with him wrestling, seeing a major injury as not only a possibility but a fact, and insuring him to wrestle a proper match will be a nightmare. I could see some gimmick thing down the road, but I'd think that would be more akin to some legends match at a distant Mania. Like a fun tag deal with Rock & Sock against some other classic team.

He will probably show up as a personality, and HOF headliner, for WM 30, but not in an in-ring capacity.

Cewsh
April 26th, 2013, 12:21 PM
I think he specifically came back in order to pass the torch to Cena. So we may see him sparingly, but I doubt very much he'll ever be the focus of programming again.

Ringo
April 26th, 2013, 12:49 PM
He definitely did, the 3 Wrestlemania story arc was planned from the beginning by the sound of it. Which makes me even more annoyed that they didn't go all the way with Cena's "downward spiral" (As Atty mentioned the other day - all they had to do was have him lose to Brock and properly lose the MITB cash-in). But it does sound like before the injury he was pencilled in for 30.

Even though the guy hasn't been able to create the same magic on the microphone and has clearly lost a step or two in the ring I have enjoyed his presence and it's not like he's embarrassed himself. 3 of his 5 matches are pretty damn memorable for me and the other two did no harm either. I'll be sad if he never wrestles again but if the very questionable rumour of Big Dave replacing him against Brock at 30 comes to pass it will probably be a better match. Plus it's fresh. I've wanted to see those two go at it for like 8 years.

Kyle_242
April 26th, 2013, 12:53 PM
I would much rather see Batista/Lesnar than Rock/Lesnar.

I was kind of done with The Rock a few weeks into his return a couple years ago. Sort of like going back and playing an old video game that you forgot wasn't actually that much fun to play, but gave you great memories.

Ringo
April 26th, 2013, 1:01 PM
The last run has confirmed for me that Austin > Rock, if I ever had any doubts. Austin can still just stand there and be amazing.

Andy
April 26th, 2013, 1:04 PM
I still find it genuinely amazing that they felt Cena needed a passing the torch moment. It won't have made a bit of difference to the people who already cheer him and it made the people who boo him hate him even more.

Cewsh
April 26th, 2013, 1:15 PM
I still find it genuinely amazing that they felt Cena needed a passing the torch moment. It won't have made a bit of difference to the people who already cheer him and it made the people who boo him hate him even more.

The Rock didn't need the torch passed to him from Hogan either. But it's a matter of respect and significance. Whether it makes a difference week to week or not, it matters to John Cena's legacy that he beat the Rock and had that torch passed on to him from the last era.

Andy
April 26th, 2013, 1:42 PM
Was it really a torch passing moment with Hogan/Rock? Hogan was meant to be heel at the time and didn't they know Rock was going to be off soon after that? I'm never a fan of torch passing moments, they rarely work out as people hope. The Hogan/Rock match didn't go at all as they'd hoped, Brock/Rock didn't exactly go well, Rock/Cena was a good draw but doesn't really do anything for Cena's reputation or legacy in my opinion. What other big ones are there?

Andy
April 26th, 2013, 1:43 PM
And didn't they want to do Austin/Hogan originally but they both had issues with it or something? That hardly would've been a passing the torch moment with Austin having already been to his highest level and being on the verge of finishing with the company through injury and other issues.

Cewsh
April 26th, 2013, 2:09 PM
Was it really a torch passing moment with Hogan/Rock? Hogan was meant to be heel at the time and didn't they know Rock was going to be off soon after that? I'm never a fan of torch passing moments, they rarely work out as people hope. The Hogan/Rock match didn't go at all as they'd hoped, Brock/Rock didn't exactly go well, Rock/Cena was a good draw but doesn't really do anything for Cena's reputation or legacy in my opinion. What other big ones are there?

"Passing the torch" doesn't have to be face vs. face. The most famous example in wrestling history was of Andre passing the torch to Hogan in 87, and by then Hogan had already been on top for four years and Andre turned heel to do it. It's just a matter of recognition. That storyline shows that the Rock recognizes John Cena as the top man in wrestling in this era. Just like Hogan did with Rock, and just like Race did with Flair and just like Mutoh did with Tanahashi. Whether the storyline is geared towards representing that on television or not, that is the thing that is being done. John Cena has beaten everyone in WWE right now, but they were all stars on his level or below. The Rock is the first time Cena had to beat someone truly bigger than him, and he did. That's validation for Cena, his legacy, and for the entire generation of stars. Passing the torch is a big deal, not because it puts people over, but because it validates them as icons worthy of generational respect.


And didn't they want to do Austin/Hogan originally but they both had issues with it or something? That hardly would've been a passing the torch moment with Austin having already been to his highest level and being on the verge of finishing with the company through injury and other issues.

"Passing the torch" has come to be misunderstood, thanks mostly to Hogan/Warrior, I think. Its just a way for the biggest draw one generation to say to the next, "You're the guy." It's not about getting a push out of it, and Cena couldn't be pushed any more than he is. It means that Cena's legacy transcends his era. Which indeed it does.

Kimura Kid
April 26th, 2013, 2:16 PM
"Passing the torch" doesn't have to be face vs. face. The most famous example in wrestling history was of Andre passing the torch to Hogan in 87, and by then Hogan had already been on top for four years and Andre turned heel to do it. It's just a matter of recognition. That storyline shows that the Rock recognizes John Cena as the top man in wrestling in this era. Just like Hogan did with Rock, and just like Race did with Flair and just like Mutoh did with Tanahashi. Whether the storyline is geared towards representing that on television or not, that is the thing that is being done. John Cena has beaten everyone in WWE right now, but they were all stars on his level or below. The Rock is the first time Cena had to beat someone truly bigger than him, and he did. That's validation for Cena, his legacy, and for the entire generation of stars. Passing the torch is a big deal, not because it puts people over, but because it validates them as icons worthy of generational respect.



"Passing the torch" has come to be misunderstood, thanks mostly to Hogan/Warrior, I think. Its just a way for the biggest draw one generation to say to the next, "You're the guy." It's not about getting a push out of it, and Cena couldn't be pushed any more than he is. It means that Cena's legacy transcends his era. Which indeed it does.

Fuck I love when you drop Knowledge like this.

Cewsh
April 26th, 2013, 2:36 PM
:heart:

Atty
April 26th, 2013, 2:41 PM
He definitely did, the 3 Wrestlemania story arc was planned from the beginning by the sound of it. Which makes me even more annoyed that they didn't go all the way with Cena's "downward spiral" (As Atty mentioned the other day - all they had to do was have him lose to Brock and properly lose the MITB cash-in). But it does sound like before the injury he was pencilled in for 30.

Even though the guy hasn't been able to create the same magic on the microphone and has clearly lost a step or two in the ring I have enjoyed his presence and it's not like he's embarrassed himself. 3 of his 5 matches are pretty damn memorable for me and the other two did no harm either. I'll be sad if he never wrestles again but if the very questionable rumour of Big Dave replacing him against Brock at 30 comes to pass it will probably be a better match. Plus it's fresh. I've wanted to see those two go at it for like 8 years.

Batista/Brock would be so much better in my view.

And the downward spiral is that little thing that will irk at me for awhile. It would have been so easy and made for better tv. Imagine the draw at Night of Champions if they were doing that? Cena would have lost to Brock, lost his cash in, FINALLY think he had won only for the ref to yank the belt away and hand it to Punk. In Cena's hometown.