To me it is a bit of a mixed bag of thoughts, pros and cons with swings and roundabouts.
Do I dislike The Rock, nope. He's done nothing to offend me, infact all he has ever done is entertain me and literally millions.... AND MILLIONS like myself.
(Don't worry, I'm not putting a Hogan/Warrior WCW mirror joke here)
So why would I not be too bothered if we don't see the great one back in the squared circle?
First and foremost should Rock come back to WWE in any form of, full-time on a temporary basis like he did leading to Wrestlemania 29, what would he be doing?
The man has won the WWE Championship in three separate decades, has tangled with some of the best and biggest names in the biz. Not too many men can say they have wrestled Hogan, Austin, Angle, Undertaker, Punk and of course Cena. So what could he do and with who?
Sure there at least ten more names that would be cool to add that list but after his last stint I'm left wondering if it would actually end up being beneficial for any party involved.
Things are tough enough for some anyways.
Before Rocky made his return as the host of Wrestlemania 27 I was under the impression that I wanted him back so bad. I was sure WWE was in a state of desperation and needed a heavy calibre attraction to turn things around. So when The Rock strutted down that ramp and "returned" to the wrestling world I felt like a kid again.
It made for a interesting time for fans, non fans, media and of most importantly wrestling. I remember rewatching this return on YouTube and my girlfriend (who hasn't watched wrestling since Cena was telling people to choke on his nuts) kinda marking out saying "Oh my God!!.... Is that??!!...The Rock!!" for me this was a big thing.
Friends and family who had partial interest in wrestling or was an old fan would let me know how good it was that The Rock was back in WWE. So even non fans knew this was a big thing. Why?
It's not like any of these people would mention anything to me if Sting faced Undertaker at Wrestlemania, unless they had a little mix up.
Sting VS Undertaker will make some happy & Sting VS Undertaker would make the rest happy.
These people knew Rocky being back in WWE must've been a big thing because he was/is this huge Hollywood star and that alone is something to talk about. There are many people out there that watched WWE in the Attitude Era and know that Dwayne is as important to wrestling as he is to showbiz, but don't watch the product now. These people we're a big factor in making his return a success.
The fact he pulled in some of these "retired" fans and gained a lot of media attention for his return helped fill the pockets of WWE and got a lot of buzz going for the business. I for one can't fault that.
His return was 'Best for Business'. (Can that count as satire?)
Does this change how I feel?
This famous "shoot" on Stone Cold walking out made The Rock look like WWE's pillar, cornerstone, spokesman and ambassador. This guy proclaimed loyalty and respect for the company, all the while his Hollywood stock was just beginning to inflate. The Rock had already filmed The Mummy Returns and apparently had a lot of offers rolling in from Filmland so you gotta question, did Dwayne Johnson feel like a hypocrite as he preached against Austin?
Probably not and all to him! Austin had literally just no showed and left so many things up in the air for his employer and peers. This was not a professional move, no matter how you slice it.
When The Rock left, he started to do so over a period of time, with warning and foresight. Through this time he embraced resentment from the fans and did so with some of the funniest and most entertaining heel Rock we'd ever seen.
So back to the question at hand here, does it matter if The Rock comes back?
Yes, of course it matters but I am not clamouring for it like before. If Rocks last run proved anything, it proved we should be careful what we wish for.
The PG Rock did not do the do. The fact that much ridiculed John Cena could out-mic and take The Rock on a walk with such a short lead was very eye opening. The character of The Rock had seemed to have shrunk in the Hollywood dry cleaners and he failed to deliver for the most part. It felt watered down, volume capped and restrained in some aspects. I'm not saying this was Dwayne Johnson's fault at all and that he couldn't perform like he used to.
Whether it was to protect his global image or whether it was the PG factor, the fact remains we will not have it like we used to and that's what I wanted. What we used to have.
The Rock will always be one of my favourite Superstars and will be a deserving member of the Hall of Fame. His career is legendary, even though he was only on the top for a relatively short time, he made history and was involved with some of the WWE's best days and memorable moments.
In the same breath, I would like to him back for sure. Just maybe this time for a week, tops.
We all see the negativity that some of the older guys get for still being around and the love others get for being missed because they are not around.
I want to make the latter true for THE MOST ELECTRIFYING MAN IN SPORTS AND AAALLLL OF ENTERTAINMENT!
Nostalgia and wrestling can go hand in hand often and it works perfectly and sometimes it can be cringy and a little upsetting. For me The Rocks last "full time" run fell between these markers, leaning towards the perfect end, no doubt but still falling short of what I had imagined.
When I took to Twitter to ask for three words to describe him and your opinions on the subject the feedback I got was great!
@TrueGodImmortal entertaining, electrifying, stagnant. Weird combo of words but of course I would want him back. He's good for business. that's another three words to use to describe Rock. Good for business. better for business than Cena, HHH, Show, Orton, etc
@BunnySuicida Showman, Orator, Professional. And no, I'm in no hurry to see Rocky return, his hackneyed last run irritated me. It seemed like a greatest hits tour. Which is fine as a nostalgic cash grab, less so in the main event.
@TheOnlySherrod Funny, talented, busy. I wouldn't mind seeing him do some random guest appearances like how Austin and Foley do.
@JaimsVanDerBeek Entertainer. Icon. Funny. No sir.
@SundaySegue Total Promo Genius! I would only want to see Rock vs Brock II but apart from that he has had his time. #TimeToBuildNewStars
&
Gucci Loafer Slide!! Unfortunately the Attitude Era is over so let's remember him how he was, now he's a movie star #Sugs
@kylieb19 funny, legendary family, talented. I wouldn't but only because he's done everything, he's an actor now and young stars always get overlooked when he does certain shows.
@AEPodcast Charismatic, Rich and famous? I wouldn't mind him coming back, but honestly there's nothing more for him to do!
@WrestlingChron talented, innovator, and legend. Would I want him back? Hell nope.
@Aaron_Lockett Hard-Working, Successful and talented. He was a great talent in the attitude era and helped pave the way. I don't think he needs to come but he has nothing left to do.
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