The Wrestling Thread

[Gamerforlife]

Okay, triple post I know. I'm done, just wanted to add that I loved seeing Kane DOMINATE Orton. Maybe he'll be the new monster now that they've toned down Mark Henry due to that injury he had. I like that Kane is kind of badass again since getting the mask. A chokeslam and another one off the turnbuckle, that's pretty awesome. I don't think Orton got off a single RKO.

Orton has gotten really good about putting people over, and I'll give Cena some credit too for putting over The Rock.

[Runefaust]

Okay, triple post I know. I'm done, just wanted to add that I loved seeing Kane DOMINATE Orton. Maybe he'll be the new monster now that they've toned down Mark Henry due to that injury he had. I like that Kane is kind of badass again since getting the mask. A chokeslam and another one off the turnbuckle, that's pretty awesome. I don't think Orton got off a single RKO.

Orton has gotten really good about putting people over, and I'll give Cena some credit too for putting over The Rock.

Henry is legitimately injured, though he continues to work as is. I worry 'cause this prevents him from healing fully but I respect him for being tough enough to work through it. Hell, doubly so taking his weight into consideration which makes it even tougher on him.

Cena putting Rock over really demonstrates his commitment to the company, especially when you take into consideration the drama behind the scenes. I'll cover that last.

Tame just about sums it up perfectly for me. The only match I got real hyped watching was Punk v. Jericho.

Sheamus an' Bryan were going for an attempt to break the shortest title match but didn't do it fast enough. I'm glad I missed the Divas match but I also ended up missing Taker keeping the streak alive. I heard that was an awesome match, though.

I tuned in just as the GM teams were being introduced by the twins. That was a very entertaining match, imo, can't wait to see just how bad Laurinaitis gloats tomorrow. I can't reserve the spot for my favorite match until I watch the Taker v. HHH match up, but from what I did see the Jericho v. Punk match was the best.

It was great seeing Rock in action, and actually taking bumps, but I'm left scratching my head with the outcome and, as are a lot of people behind the scenes and in the locker room, the salt is pouring thick. You've got someone who used to be the best in the business but hasn't wrestled consistently for years winning against the current face of the company.

Rock's new management team, headed by his ex-wife, is pushing to associate Dwayne Johnson with his in-ring persona, the Rock. As such he's being put over wrestlers who are actively working their asses off for the sake of promoting the next handful of movies he's going to be in (in which he will now be credited as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, associating the actor with the WWE; if you didn't know, his previous management didn't want him associated with The Rock pseudonym at all).

For someone who probably won't be wrestling in the ring again until SummerSlam (if even that, considering he's scheduled for four movies right now) putting Cena over would have been the right thing to do. But, then again, it would have also been the most predictable thing to happen. Regardless, and as always, I'm looking forward to the aftermath more than the event, lol!

[Gamerforlife]

What would have been the point of putting Cena over? It's not like he needs to be put over any more. He's essentially the WWE's Superman. He gains nothing by beating the Rock. Course, he doesn't really lose anything by losing to him either. However, it gives the Cena haters, and there are a LOT of them(myself included), something to smile about for at least one night. Plus, it can set up a rematch to make some more money off of these two. A Cena win would have made Rock seem like a has been and would have made all of Cena's, "he's just an actor now" arguments ring true. You'd have little to get people to care about a Cena/Rock rematch. Rock had to win. However, if the WWE was actually still capable of making compelling storylines, the loss to The Rock would have led to a Cena heel turn.

[Gamerforlife]

The fact is, people WANTED the Rock to win. Sometimes it's good to just give people what they want, especially in The Rock's hometown. They sent that crowd home happy and it's nice for Wrestlemania to be a feel good event sometimes. If I was booking, Cena winning wouldn't even have been an option. It would have pissed off the hometown crowd AND the rather large number of WWE fans who are just sick of Cena in general. This whole feud was kind of a chance to throw the Cena haters a bone, and they did just that.

As sick as I am of the streak, the Taker match MUST be seen. You've missed out. You have to see it! HBK added a LOT to this match. The thing that made this match work is that it seemed like the end of a four year long storyline and what happened post match was pretty memorable.

[Runefaust]

The people are divided, it's just that the haters are much louder.

The more thought I give to the outcome of Rock v. Cena the more sense it begins to make as far as business is concerned. Politics in wrestling isn't something I've always agreed on and there have been so many bad calls in the past but this one is starting to make sense to me. I'm going to have to confide with my cousin before I jump to any conclusions though, he was actually working with Rock in Florida this weekend.

I've finally been able to pinpoint just what's been bugging me personally about the outcome, and it's not that Cena lost but what's going to happen as a result of his loss. Had he gone over on Rock not much would have changed, honestly, haters will continue to hate and Cenation celebrates a proud moment. As Gamer stated, Rock becomes a has-been and milking that angle would be a much harder sell than Cena stepping up his game to take on Rock again. So yeah, Rock winning was definitely better for business.

No, what gets to me is that it's better for business, and the man still sticks it to the work horses. I sympathize with the other wrestlers who bust their butts throughout the year, those who can only hope to get their shot at a PPV event, especially the big one. Though Rock has definitely paid his dues (an' then some), I'm still left feeling a tad salty about it solely due to the fact that he went on last as a guest... it's not quite the same as Rowdy v. Mr. T but it's the same concept.

The cliffhanger ending has me excited for tomorrow though. There was no heel turn, there was no drama (at least none prior to the cameras cutting off), the ending did nothing to advance the narrative. What's gonna happen between these two now!? I'll have to wait for tomorrow...

Ah, an' for those who noticed, Christian had to sit mania out 'cause his ankle wasn't 100% and they didn't want to risk botching a mania match because of that.

And I'm definitely going to check out the HHH v. Taker match up! The more I hear about it the more hyped I get for it, lol.

[arnold_the_bartender]

Watched WM28 live earlier today. The latter half of the show was worth it. The CM Punk/Jericho match got better as it progressed. I really enjoyed Kane picking up the victory over Orton as I wanted him to win. That was the only other match I didn't call the right victor to win. I was surprised since I thought Orton would've won that one anyway. Divas match was longer than the WHC match. The WHC match was both hilarious and disappointing at the same time. Hilarious how Bryan got brogue kicked right away but to end the match after one move? Really? The fact that Sheamus and Bryan was in a dark match at WM 27 and now finally getting a match on the card this year, only to have it last 18 seconds made me think that Vince had lost it. Anyway...

Brodus Clay segment was an unnecessary filler. Ron Simmons saved that corny backstage segment with Santino and Foley in one word, "DAMN!". The HiaC match delivered. Taker and Triple H can really put on a performance. Mad respect to those competitors and HBK as well. The post-match emotion was unbelievable. I called Cena winning the main event, despite the fact that I wanted The Rock to win. You bet your ass I'm glad that I was wrong. I somewhat expected it to go the way of Rock-Hogan's passing of the torch. They were even looking left and right at the crowd like Rock and Hogan did at WMX8 before the match started. I hope Cena turns heel now. If he doesn't in the coming weeks after losing this match, I know he probably never will. Plus, he came out with a new shirt tonight before the match (man, he's really living up to his title of a fruity pebble). Those merchandise sales will keep him a face for sure. Then again, those in the business always say the same thing. Never say never. Well, it's about damn time he changed other than what he wears.

[arnold_the_bartender]

What would have been the point of putting Cena over? It's not like he needs to be put over any more. He's essentially the WWE's Superman. He gains nothing by beating the Rock. Course, he doesn't really lose anything by losing to him either...

Add to the fact that MGK was talking about how Cena is the undergod. Wow, what boulder has he been living under? The Rock put more people over in his career than Cena ever has. People complain that The Rock is hogging a slot at Wrestlemania. Cena has been there longer than The Rock and sitting on the top of the mountain for years. Cena's WM win loss record is higher than average as well.

[the King]

Bout time to retire the World Heavyweight title or at least unify it with the WWE belt.

[BurningDoom]

What would have been the point of putting Cena over? It's not like he needs to be put over any more. He's essentially the WWE's Superman. He gains nothing by beating the Rock. Course, he doesn't really lose anything by losing to him either. However, it gives the Cena haters, and there are a LOT of them(myself included), something to smile about for at least one night. Plus, it can set up a rematch to make some more money off of these two. A Cena win would have made Rock seem like a has been and would have made all of Cena's, "he's just an actor now" arguments ring true. You'd have little to get people to care about a Cena/Rock rematch. Rock had to win. However, if the WWE was actually still capable of making compelling storylines, the loss to The Rock would have led to a Cena heel turn.

As a fan, I wanted The Rock to win. But as an intelligent adult, I fully expected Cena to win since I figured Rock was going back to Hollywood and it would only make sense to make the guy staying look good. I'm quite shocked by the outcome.

Bout time to retire the World Heavyweight title or at least unify it with the WWE belt.

Agreed.

[Gamerforlife]

What would have been the point of putting Cena over? It's not like he needs to be put over any more. He's essentially the WWE's Superman. He gains nothing by beating the Rock. Course, he doesn't really lose anything by losing to him either. However, it gives the Cena haters, and there are a LOT of them(myself included), something to smile about for at least one night. Plus, it can set up a rematch to make some more money off of these two. A Cena win would have made Rock seem like a has been and would have made all of Cena's, "he's just an actor now" arguments ring true. You'd have little to get people to care about a Cena/Rock rematch. Rock had to win. However, if the WWE was actually still capable of making compelling storylines, the loss to The Rock would have led to a Cena heel turn.

As a fan, I wanted The Rock to win. But as an intelligent adult, I fully expected Cena to win since I figured Rock was going back to Hollywood and it would only make sense to make the guy staying look good. I'm quite shocked by the outcome.

Rock's scheduled for more matches this year. He's not just going back to Hollywood, at least not permanently. Cena doesn't need to "look good". He's been pushed over every single guy on the roster for years now. Hell, Cena has BURIED guys on the roster. Plus, Cena's stale. A loss to the Rock is an opportunity for the writers to use that and make Cena more interesting (or turn him heel). However, given how predictable WWE is I fully expect Cena to shrug it off and still make jokes like he always does on the rare times that he loses matches. It's going to be completely out of character since he made such a big deal about the importance of winning this match, but that's usually how they do things with Cena. You never feel the weight of anything with Cena. He makes a big deal about a match going into a pay per view, then acts like it never mattered.

I don't know why you guys thinks it's wrong on principle for them to book Rock to win. The whole, well there are guys working their butts off now while Rock is in Hollywood thing is silly. Rock's paid enough dues to entitle him to get whatever the hell he wants from the WWE for the rest of his life. The guys who are working hard and are genuinely talented will still get their due if they are persistent enough. Someone asked Edge what he thought of people possibly getting bumped off Mania while some Hollywood actor gets a main event spot and his response, and I don't remember if these were his exact words but it's pretty close, was, "if you're not booked for Mania, then you just aren't good enough."

At the end of the day though, it all comes down to bias, and I'm just not a Cena guy. Plus, I don't think Cena is more deserving of anything than the Rock is. Rock has paid every single due that Cena is paying now. I don't have that, "what have you done for me lately" mindset that a lot of wrestling fans do. I respect what has come before. Rock is not "the man" and he's not holding anyone done. He's a megastar. He brings the company money, and that's good for EVERYONE in the WWE. Plus, the guy can still go. He's not a has been like Kevin Nash. Everyone in the company should be grateful for the Rock's appearances instead of being whiny, immature, jealous children.