The matchup apparently came from a conversation that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson had with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon in early 2011. Earlier in his career, The Rock had wrestled returning icon Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 18 in 2002. With his acting career at full throttle, Johnson had growing itch to return to the ring. A plan was hatched to have The Rock return at last year's event and cost Cena the title as he challenged The Miz. The following night on RAW, Cena and The Rock shook hands on a singles match for 2012.
The itch grew into a rash last fall and Johnson teamed with Cena at Survivor Series. The storyline made no sense, but The Rock wanted to fulfill another dream - to wrestle again at Madison Square Garden, where he made his WWE debut. PPV numbers were lackluster but fans who did buy the show saw that Johnson was in great shape and eager to perform once again.
Now the WrestleMania promotional machine is going full force. For the past two weeks, Cena and the Rock have closed Monday Night RAW with dueling promos (a combination of scripted monologues and off-the-cuff remarks). Leading up to WM 27 in 2011, The Rock wiped the floor with Cena (and Cena's opponent, the Miz, who was almost an afterthought, even in victory). This time around, the battle has been surprisingly even.
The Rock talks about how the fans are sick of Cena. In response, Cena talks about how he will never leave WWE and his fans, like the Rock did to go into movies.
But if Cena really wants to give a convincing argument, I would suggest the following promo to close the last RAW prior to WM (Monday, March 26):
The Rock says that I'm the problem and he's the solution, but he's got it backwards.
This year is not be the first time we've both wrestled at WrestleMania.
No, we both wrestled at WrestleMania 20. That was back in 2004, when I was a pup, still wet behind the ears, thinking I was the Doctor of Thuganomics.
I was in the curtain-jerker, which is what people in the business call the opening match. As Cody Rhodes showed earlier tonight as one of The Big Show's WrestleMania embarrassments, I won the United States title from him.
Thirty minutes later, The Rock and Mick Foley lost to Evolution - Batista, Randy Orton, and Ric Flair.
Then he disappeared for seven and a half years.
The next year at WrestleMania 21, I defeated JBL for the WWE Championship.
According to The Rock, that's when the problem started.
But I say the problem started when the Rock lost at WrestleMania 20. The problem was, he lost.
See, the year before that, The Rock was in the main event and won. He beat Stone Cold Steve Austin. In 2004, he was waaaaaay down the card, in a tag team match.
Once you've been on top, that's a long way to fall.
Me? I went from being in the curtain-jerker to tearing down the house in the main event.
The Rock? In 2004, he went backstage, shook hands with two or three of the boys, packed up his toys and went home. He went to Hollywood. Made movies. Did well for himself.
The Rock leaving the WWE after WrestleMania 20 was the problem, and I was the solution.
It ate him up that he wasn't in the main event at WrestleMania. And who was? Someone younger, someone more charismatic, someone smarter - let's face it, me.
The Rock says that John Cena is what's wrong with the WWE. Well, you know something, Rock? If I'm the problem, then you have nobody to blame but yourself.
YOU LEFT. You walked out on your fans - these fans - the WWE Universe - the greatest, most loyal and dedicated fans in the world.
This Sunday at WrestleMania, The Rock is in the main event - because I shook his hand and agreed to wrestle him. But that's my spot now. You can't turn back time, Rock. You had your time in the spotlight and now your spotlight is in Hollywood.
My time is now and my spotlight is in this squared circle.
And Rock, you think you can turn back the clock, walk back into MY HOUSE, and push me back to being a CURTAIN-JERKER? If you do, here's a throwback for ya - you can choke on MY NUTS [Cena throws a package of peanuts at The Rock].
No comments:
Post a Comment