The short fact (from Variety) is that The Rock has (finally) come back to the WWE after a seven year absence. He appeared on Raw last night to announce that he’ll be hosting Wrestlemania XXVII next month for some mutually-beneficial cross-promotion. Basically, the Rock wants to “put over” Fast Five while McMahon hopes that having Mr. Johnson on the bill will give the pay-per-view sales a much-needed spike. Not surprisingly, he’s been trying get the people's champion to return to the WWE ever since the ol’ Hollywood career took off.
This announcement’s kind-of a timely follow-up to my editorial about whether tough guys have become passé at the movies because, let me tell you, it’s absolutely thrilling to watch an actual superstar at work in his element. And it's doubly-awesome to hear him just rip into the current crop of dudes like Cena and the Miz.
I was too obsessed with wrestling for too many years to ever totally lose an interest in the stuff (even if that interest is at arm's length, now, and even if I haven’t been watching in years.) Chalk the drop to "growing up" or whatever, but I’m still convinced that the WWE’s more organized approach to content has cut the teeth off any crossover appeal it could have these days. Sure, it makes sense internally for them to script their stars' promos, but it also dampens any of the awesome, wild spontaneity you use to get regularly from the likes of the Rock, Austin, Hogan, Savage, Roberts and, yeah, even the Warrior.
Seeing Johnson back in his element also harps on how frustrating it is to see him so often blocked from being himself. It’s the same thing that happened with Piper. Did you really want to see him as a laconic leading man in They Live, or were you just waiting for the Hot Rod to bust out (even if that sounds dirty?) The Rock promises he's here to stay and I hope that's true. I do hope so.
Regardless if The Rock showed up, it would've been a fantastic show to see live. All of my favorite wrestlers performed in fun (long!) matches, the storylines were built up well and except for the pretty dumb Khali segment, there was a decidedly small amount of PG WWE silliness. All around, one of the most fun wrestling shows I've seen in a long, long, long time. It made me feel like a 10-year-old again, in a way that no TV show, movie or video game has.
Kinda messed up, but Pinchuk does sound like a term the rock would use to insult someone.
I don't know that you can show them the error of their ways. Wrestling is either something you get, or you don't. As for responses you can try based on the reasons they gave:
A. too theatrical: order a DVD from one of the top notch indies like ROH, PWG, or EVOLVE or seek out Japanese wrestling on youtube-lots of wrestling doesn't overly rely on the whole male soap opera thing like the wrestling on basic cable does.
B. fake: tell them they're stupid for watching the latest blockbuster movie because all movies that aren't documentaries are fake and they're stupid for watching Fringe, the Office, or even reality tv since everything that isn't the news is fake.
C. they don't like seeing dudes get hit: point out that there is lots of fine programming on the Lifetime network that they can enjoy while they practice their knitting (maybe they can even knit you a sweater).
Stone Cold Stunner all of them.
@Milkman: Now THAT is some goddamn good advice. I'm not sure how the cops will feel about it, but I suppose I can just Stone Cold Stunner all of them, too.
I think you might be shit outta luck. Sadly this is one of those things where you can't convert them if they're unwilling to listen to reason. Also: it hasn't really been worth watching the last...five or six years anyway.
Though I will say The Rock cut a KILLER promo that actually has me excited for Wrestlemania for the first time in a LONG time.
good quote
hate to be the possible stopping point for all. But i don't think wwe will be back as it is.
driving home 1 nite, radio was on loveline and stone cold was the host. he was talking about how he just back on raw or something and he did the beer toss renegade style. i.e. not approved from higher ups. basically it was him saying wwe has turned into a family show so they're are just some stuff that can't be done and he understood that and hopes continued succes for wwe.
something i always wondered about. i hated when cena changed into the character for his The Marine movie. man was it boring. he was so much entertaining when he did the white rapper heel thing.
I want someone to start an old school style Pro 'Rasslin league. Where you watch a Cop fight a Garbage Man or a Male model fight a mentally challenged guy with a 2X4 and an American Flag.
no. strudel.