Author Topic: Rock has returned (Video) (Read 8674 times)

littleguns · « **on:** February 15, 2011, 04:18:03 PM »

But for how long? Has he given up the movie career?

leaky_frog · « **Reply #1 on:** February 15, 2011, 04:46:12 PM »

First time in a while I've been really excited about a WWE bit. In 20 minutes, he buried the entire roster, showing them how it ought to be done. No one owns a crowd like the Rock.

Montague · « **Reply #2 on:** February 15, 2011, 06:07:59 PM »

I just noticed something:

When Rock hit the turnbuckles before his promo, I barely saw any camera flashes.
When he & Austin used to strike that pose years ago, the whole arena would light up.
You were screwed if you were an epileptic.

Same would happen when Savage used to leap off the top rope with that flying elbow.

I don't think people take a camera with them to the shows anymore, and it's very likely because the shows are no longer "special."
I can all but guarantee that's going to change come Mania.
What a reaction!

leonp1981 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 15, 2011, 07:08:51 PM »

I've got to admit, I went crazy when he came out! The high heels getting out of the limo threw me, but when the lights started going out, and the atmosphere built, it had to be someone special. Great to see him, the crowd reaction was awesome, and it was so refreshing to see someone with the ability to 'electrify' the arena like that. I hope the rest of the roster was watching very closely backstage.

Is he back for good? I doubt it, but who knows. I'd always thought that he'd gotten 'bigger' than WWE, and didn't think he'd return like that, so that shows how much I know.

Playboy · « **Reply #4 on:** February 16, 2011, 05:02:04 AM »

Quote from: Montague on February 15, 2011, 06:07:59 PM

I just noticed something:

When Rock hit the turnbuckles before his promo, I barely saw any camera flashes.
When he & Austin used to strike that pose years ago, the whole arena would light up.
You were screwed if you were an epileptic.

Same would happen when Savage used to leap off the top rope with that flying elbow.

I don't think people take a camera with them to the shows anymore, and it's very likely because the shows are no longer "special."
I can all but guarantee that's going to change come Mania.
What a reaction!

He generated more crowd reaction and got the people eating out of his hand in a mere ten minutes then the entire locker room did in the last 5 years.

The Showstoppa · « **Reply #5 on:** February 16, 2011, 05:09:49 AM »

Rock has wrestling in his blood, i think he will always be around it to a certain degree.

I would like to see a double-whammy and have the Texas Rattlesnake come out next monday and cut a promo on Cena. I would say that quite a few people who were big Austin fans back in the day kinda migrated to Cena for lack of anything better to cheer for.....they could so easily be turned on Cena....combine that w/Rock doing it and it would be pure gold.

Montague · « **Reply #6 on:** February 16, 2011, 05:23:56 AM »

Quote from: The Showstoppa on February 16, 2011, 05:09:49 AM

I would like to see a double-whammy and have the Texas Rattlesnake come out next monday and cut a promo on Cena. I would say that quite a few people who were big Austin fans back in the day kinda migrated to Cena for lack of anything better to cheer for.....they could so easily be turned on Cena....combine that w/Rock doing it and it would be pure gold.

That would certainly help work Cena into a heel position.
It would also leave a huge gap for the top babyface spot.

Wonder who will get that?

Thin Lizzy · « **Reply #7 on:** February 16, 2011, 05:25:25 AM »

Quote from: Playboy on February 16, 2011, 05:02:04 AM

He generated more crowd reaction and got the people eating out of his hand in a mere ten minutes then the entire locker room did in the last 5 years.

It was truly amazing how small he made all the other wrestlers look.

A little over a year ago, we had a thread on the Rock's possible return. You pretty much nailed it.

http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=318097.0

The Showstoppa · « **Reply #8 on:** February 16, 2011, 05:35:56 AM »

Quote from: Montague on February 16, 2011, 05:23:56 AM

That would certainly help work Cena into a heel position.
It would also leave a huge gap for the top babyface spot.

Wonder who will get that?

I would guess Morrison most likely, but that would take some tweaking.

Playboy · « **Reply #9 on:** February 16, 2011, 06:53:39 AM »

Quote from: The Showstoppa on February 16, 2011, 05:35:56 AM

I would guess Morrison most likely, but that would take some tweaking.

I doubt that.

But I would like to see Austin around in some kind of capacity.

The Showstoppa · « **Reply #10 on:** February 16, 2011, 06:58:01 AM »

Quote from: Playboy on February 16, 2011, 06:53:39 AM

I doubt that.

But I would like to see Austin around in some kind of capacity.

I don't see anybody else any better than Morrison as the top face..... they don't have much to pick from.

Austin should come out next week and cut a promo on Cena too.

Playboy · « **Reply #11 on:** February 16, 2011, 12:15:05 PM »

Quote from: The Showstoppa on February 16, 2011, 06:58:01 AM

I don't see anybody else any better than Morrison as the top face..... they don't have much to pick from.

Austin should come out next week and cut a promo on Cena too.

Even Morrison. Would you pay 70-110 dollars for decent seats to see this guy main event at an arena near you? Not me. Just my two pennies.

The Showstoppa · « **Reply #12 on:** February 16, 2011, 12:39:00 PM »

Quote from: Playboy on February 16, 2011, 12:15:05 PM

Even Morrison. Would you pay 70-110 dollars for decent seats to see this guy main event at an arena near you? Not me. Just my two pennies.

Oh hell no, but I don't think you and I represent the WWE's target market either...

Thin Lizzy · « **Reply #13 on:** February 16, 2011, 01:46:23 PM »

Quote from: Playboy on February 16, 2011, 12:15:05 PM

Even Morrison. Would you pay 70-110 dollars for decent seats to see this guy main event at an arena near you? Not me. Just my two pennies.

I don't go to live shows, but, if I did, Morrision would be the guy on the roster I'd wanna see, just from a pure performance standpoint.

That said, he doesn't have that charisma that owns a room. He's just an amazing athlete.

Playboy · « **Reply #14 on:** February 17, 2011, 05:02:18 AM »

Quote from: Thin Lizzy on February 16, 2011, 01:46:23 PM

I don't go to live shows, but, if I did, Morrision would be the guy on the roster I'd wanna see, just from a pure performance standpoint.

That said, he doesn't have that charisma that owns a room. He's just an amazing athlete.

I've seen him a few time on live cards (Raw and Smackdown) when they came here and believe me when I say he's nothing special.

MCWAY · « **Reply #15 on:** February 17, 2011, 12:11:27 PM »

Quote from: Playboy on February 16, 2011, 05:02:04 AM

He generated more crowd reaction and got the people eating out of his hand in a mere ten minutes then the entire locker room did in the last 5 years.

I beg to differ. He's been gone 7 years. That's to be expected.

When Hogan came back in 2002, he got huge pops as well, especially after WrestleMania 18. But, his popularity waned as the months went by.

Whether or not that happens to Rock remains to be seen. Plus, there's a reason John Cena gets the push he does. He generates the most from the crowd.

Cena is the boy-band of wrestlers. People either LOVE him or LOVE to HATE him. But, there's never a dull moment with Cena.

The Showstoppa · « **Reply #16 on:** February 17, 2011, 12:21:06 PM »

Quote from: MCWAY on February 17, 2011, 12:11:27 PM

I beg to differ. He's been gone 7 years. That's to be expected.

When Hogan came back in 2002, he got huge pops as well, especially after WrestleMania 18. But, his popularity waned as the months went by.

Whether or not that happens to Rock remains to be seen. Plus, there's a reason John Cena gets the push he does. He generates the most from the crowd.

Cena is the boy-band of wrestlers. People either LOVE him or LOVE to HATE him. But, there's never a dull moment with Cena.

Really? So anybody who has been gone for at least 7 yrs would get that reaction? No way. And Rock will still be over for as long as he is in the WWE, just like he was the day he walked away to make movies. And if there is never a dull moment with Cena, why is the WWE stock down, attendance down, ratings down, etc....? He can't carry the company, pure and simple. Granted he is the best they have right now, but it's not enough......the product sucks something awful and Rock and/or Austin could breathe some life back into it....Cena has had his chance and he can't.

MCWAY · « **Reply #17 on:** February 17, 2011, 12:33:30 PM »

Quote from: The Showstoppa on February 17, 2011, 12:21:06 PM

Really? So anybody who has been gone for at least 7 yrs would get that reaction? No way. And Rock will still be over for as long as he is in the WWE, just like he was the day he walked away to make movies. And if there is never a dull moment with Cena, why is the WWE stock down, attendance down, ratings down, etc....? He can't carry the company, pure and simple. Granted he is the best they have right now, but it's not enough......the product sucks something awful and Rock and/or Austin could breathe some life back into it....Cena has had his chance and he can't.

It's called the economy.

And I compared Rock with HOGAN, not with just any Joe Blow. Hogan came back; he got a huge pop....INITIALLY! But, that waned as the months progressed.

And, while Cena is the top draw, he's not supposed to carry the company by himself. McMahon learned his lesson after Hogan left. Now, he has the parity thing going. For two years, Austin was the cash cow. When he went down, Rock became the cat's meow. He fell off; Helmsley picked up the ball.

As Austin put it, "Wrestling is a machine; entertainment is a machine. I'm a gear that got used up. You pull me off, put me in an old pile of gears; you put a new gear on. The machine keeps rolling".

Rock will make things interesting. But for how long, only time will tell.

UPINTHEMGUTS · « **Reply #18 on:** February 17, 2011, 12:45:12 PM »

yeah but how long can Vince keep dipping into the past in order to give his product a shot in the arm? He has yet to make new stars out of any of the younger guys. The WWE will be in big trouble financially in the next few years when all the top names are retired.

The Showstoppa · « **Reply #19 on:** February 17, 2011, 12:49:41 PM »

Quote from: MCWAY on February 17, 2011, 12:33:30 PM

It's called the economy.

And I compared Rock with HOGAN, not with just any Joe Blow. Hogan came back; he got a huge pop....INITIALLY! But, that waned as the months progressed.

And, while Cena is the top draw, he's not supposed to carry the company by himself. McMahon learned his lesson after Hogan left. Now, he has the parity thing going. For two years, Austin was the cash cow. When he went down, Rock became the cat's meow. He fell off; Helmsley picked up the ball.

As Austin put it, "Wrestling is a machine; entertainment is a machine. I'm a gear that got used up. You pull me off, put me in an old pile of gears; you put a new gear on. The machine keeps rolling".

Rock will make things interesting. But for how long, only time will tell.

I'll buy the economy on everything but TV ratings.....certainly PPV buys would be down, but their weekly TV ratings are down to. They just have a stale product and the current roster isn't going to change that anytime soon. I think it was brilliant to bring back Rock who will certainly boost things, and my whole thing is what you touched on.....they went from HBK to Austing to Rock to HHH to

? Cena, I suppose....but WOW is that a massive dropoff.

But wrestling has always gone in cycles, so who knows. i just wish that creative would give some of these younger guys a chance to do something different. Promos sound the same, they look much the same, wrestle the same, etc.... they need more variety.

And you make a good analogy of Cena being like a boy band.

MCWAY · « **Reply #20 on:** February 17, 2011, 01:02:47 PM »

Quote from: The Showstoppa on February 17, 2011, 12:49:41 PM

I'll buy the economy on everything but TV ratings.....certainly PPV buys would be down, but their weekly TV ratings are down to. They just have a stale product and the current roster isn't going to change that anytime soon. I think it was brilliant to bring back Rock who will certainly boost things, and my whole thing is what you touched on.....they went from HBK to Austing to Rock to HHH to ? Cena, I suppose....but WOW is that a massive dropoff.

I beg to differ. All of those guys were mid-carders, some with less-than flatteirng "new generation" gimmicks. They worked their way up the ranks and became main-event guys. Cena did the same thing.

Quote from: The Showstoppa on February 17, 2011, 12:49:41 PM

But wrestling has always gone in cycles, so who knows. i just wish that creative would give some of these younger guys a chance to do something different. Promos sound the same, they look much the same, wrestle the same, etc.... they need more variety.

To me, the issue, especially on Smackdown, has been HEELS. That's why I dig Alberto Del Rio, especially since they turned Edge face.

And the younger guys have been doing something different. I'd hardly claim that the Miz looks and wrestles the same as Sheamus.

That brings me back to what I said months ago. People complained that they were tired of Cena, Orton, and Helmsley having the WWE title (especially Cena). But, many of those same folks had seizures (especially on YouTube) when Sheamus got the belt.

You'd think Cena critics would have been happy, seeing as Sheamus has been crowned champion TWICE at Cena's expense. And Cena has never beaten him for the title.

Quote from: The Showstoppa on February 17, 2011, 12:49:41 PM

And you make a good analogy of Cena being like a boy band.

He got booed big time, at WrestleMania 24. In fact, I was one of the few who picked Orton to retain the title. The fans wanted to throw me over the railings of the nose bleed seats of the Citrus Bowl., because they were mostly for HHH. Maybe the folks in central Florida don't dig him.

mass 04 · « **Reply #21 on:** February 17, 2011, 04:08:28 PM »

I liked when Cena made a suprise return at the Royal Rumble in NYC and the place went crazy and then all the smarks were like, "oh shit, we weren't supposed to cheer for him."

Montague · « **Reply #22 on:** February 17, 2011, 04:34:43 PM »

Quote from: mass 04 on February 17, 2011, 04:08:28 PM

I liked when Cena made a suprise return at the Royal Rumble in NYC and the place went crazy and then all the smarks were like, "oh shit, we weren't supposed to cheer for him."

You can't help it, though, with that entrance.
That music renders 99.8% of people unable to resist popping.

The Showstoppa · « **Reply #23 on:** February 17, 2011, 04:42:15 PM »

Quote from: Montague on February 17, 2011, 04:34:43 PM

You can't help it, though, with that entrance.
That music renders 99.8% of people unable to resist popping.

I think that is true of a lot of the entrances now....people pop because they are "expected" to by the music playing. Almost like "on cue" I'm more interested in guys who can pop a crowd during a match and NOT with their finisher.

MCWAY · « **Reply #24 on:** February 17, 2011, 07:19:30 PM »

Quote from: mass 04 on February 17, 2011, 04:08:28 PM

I liked when Cena made a suprise return at the Royal Rumble in NYC and the place went crazy and then all the smarks were like, "oh shit, we weren't supposed to cheer for him."

That pretty much puts to rest the claims that only the "Attitude" era guys like Rock and Austin can generate such responses.

Plus, you remember that Brock Lesnar got more of a pop than the Rock did at SummerSlam 2002, when he beat Rock for the undisputed title.