Originally posted by TheBucsFanFrom WrestlingObserver:
Rock's role at King of the Ring at this point is planned to be awarding the trophy to the winner, and likely doing an angle after that.
Based on the Lesnar/Rock activities after RAW went off the air (Rock gave Lesnar a Rock Bottom and Heyman a people's elbow in the standard post-show WWF treatment), perhaps a Lesnar/Rock feud is on the horizon?
Aww, man, I think you're right. If Lesnar's going to be a main-eventer, he's going to need a high-level face to job to him. Stone Cold wouldn't do it, but I know someone who will, and his initials are "The Rock." :-)
Thank you Rock. Even if you are a jabroni eating, pie beating, tounge twisted, great one. To me that was Rock's greatest promo ever. It took all the gloomy stuff surrounding WWE and Austin and turned it back into hope and optimism. For me at least. And i think it was also Rock's special way of responding to everyone who thinks he is going to quit wrestling now that he is a movie star. Even when Rock goes off to film Heldorado now, there can be no question that he will be coming back. There was too much passion in that promo for Rock to be lying, or acting. WWE is his home and he will never leave. Thank you Rock.
I'll miss Austin, but it sure felt like WWE turned some sort of corner tonight.
from OnlineOnslaught.com: By the way, last week, I shot down the rumors that Rock would be back in WWE in time for SummerSlam by saying "early fall" was a more likely timetable. That was also incorrect, however. Filming on "Helldorado" is slated to begin in about 2 months, now, and will carry the Rock over to late autumn, at the very earliest. Survivor Series might be an optimistic return date for Rocky... Royal Rumble might be more likely.
The Rock has a full two months free to wrestle. Meltzer is reporting tonight that Rock will present the KOTR trophy on PPV. "Smart Money" is on Rock awarding Brock with the trophy and a Rock Bottom, leading to a fued at Vengeance (Seadawg reported that this would be the July PPV back on April 30). I think Rock is man enough to job to the Next Big Thing before going off to film Helldorado.
Basically, I think Rock is a company man through and through. There's no need to assume his remarks were hypocritical. Give him a chance.
(look at the sources I've got in that post! It must be true)
I think Vince has let his gimmick go straight to his head. He's utterly bought his own press clippings. Reality check time. Vince let Hogan go to WCW and it nearly destroyed the WWF. The only thing that saved his butt was the timely creation of Austin.
Vince, you're not good, you got -lucky-.
You wanna load the revolver again? You wanna drive off the only man who's appeal ever rivaled Hogans? You wanna let him, in another year or so, go to a rival fed? You think you are the genius?
Its clear Vince has lost all sense of reality. Vince will capitulate by the end of summer 2003 and WWE will be gone.
I'm also amazed at Rock. Either he got a big bonus or is just dumb. Let's see, Vince has systematically driven off in anger just about every major star he's had. They might all be the problem. At some point, you have to wonder if the REAL problem is the man they all had in common. Vince. Rock, he'll screw you over just like everyone before you. Don't stick up for him, Rock.
I can't wait to see how empty the bar is for this and future PPVs. Vince has had this coming for a long time.
But kokolums, how could Vince have any problem with The Rock. Vince had problems with Hogan and Austin because they didn't do what he told them to. How could he have a problem with The Rock, who in my view has done everything that Vince has ever asked of him?
EDIT: Iron Mike, Pete Gas is only listed as winning the Hardcore title once at titlehistory.wwe.com . It was the time at the airport baggage claim. Apparently, the WWE doesn't count all the intermediate champions in the Hardcore Battle Royale as ever actually holding the title.
I remember I think he held it for 20 seconds at (I think) it was a Wrestlemania 20 dude brawl for the belt. I remember him winning the belt a few times in fights like that only to lose it 10 seconds later. And, yes, I'm a dork.
Originally posted by kokolums2I think Vince has let his gimmick go straight to his head. He's utterly bought his own press clippings. Reality check time. Vince let Hogan go to WCW and it nearly destroyed the WWF. The only thing that saved his butt was the timely creation of Austin.
Vince, you're not good, you got -lucky-.
You wanna load the revolver again? You wanna drive off the only man who's appeal ever rivaled Hogans? You wanna let him, in another year or so, go to a rival fed? You think you are the genius?
Its clear Vince has lost all sense of reality. Vince will capitulate by the end of summer 2003 and WWE will be gone.
I'm also amazed at Rock. Either he got a big bonus or is just dumb. Let's see, Vince has systematically driven off in anger just about every major star he's had. They might all be the problem. At some point, you have to wonder if the REAL problem is the man they all had in common. Vince. Rock, he'll screw you over just like everyone before you. Don't stick up for him, Rock.
I can't wait to see how empty the bar is for this and future PPVs. Vince has had this coming for a long time.
The problem with that reasoning is that when Hogan left he was pretty much the only major star Vince had. Austin is not the only major star... hell he's not even the biggest major star in the WWE today. The biggest star is the very man who came out and delivered the greatest promo since the return of Cactus Jack!
I didn't like The Rock when I first started watching (late 99) but by mid 2000 he had grown on me, but I never once actually marked out for him... until tonight.
I'd bet money that not one of those fans at Raw was upset that Austin no-showed. The king (Austin) is dead... Long live the king (Rocky).
Everything's cool when you're Yun [point] Cheol [point] Su [point]
I can not believe the audacity of the Rock! He stole Hunter's spotlight again!
End sarcasm
Thank god! A top level face on Smackdown I give a damn about! Triple H sucks on the mic and in the ring. Hogan, I ain't gonna lie, I still like him, I like his mic work, his ring work sucks, would like him more when he's not in the main event, thus I don't give a damn about him as a main eventer. I don't care how long the Rock is going to be here, I'm going to enjoy it while he is. I like how people want to rip him because he wants to expand himself and do movies. They're letting him do it, it's not like he's taking his bag and walking out to do movies. I didn't see anything hypocritical about his promo, he never said he was going to be there all the time, he said he'd always see it as home. That promo was awesome, best Rock promo EVER, I don't care if he's leaving in September, I'm going to enjoy him while he's here. People need to stop being so negative and enjoy this. I can't believe I'm going to quote Jeff goddamn Hardy, but dammit, live for the moment. Worry about Rock leaving in September IN SEPTEMBER.
(edited by BobHollySTILLRules on 18.6.02 0417) HOLLY: How do you like me now? COLE: You're a jerk Holly! ME: (sigh) Cole ruins everything!
I was convinced Goldberg was gonna show. All I could think was that it was going to be a very, very bad thing. Fortunately, the Rock showed and cut a kickass promo. Funny, I was more shocked by the Rock returning than I would have been of someone like Goldberg or Scott Steiner showing up. Awesome surprise, but one thing troubles me... The way he was talking about KOTR, I couldn't help but think a heel turn is going to take place. i'm probably just crazy: I mean, why wouls they turn their "movie star" heel. Who would that help? Still, though, I couldn't help but get that feeling. Whatever, I get the same exact feeling everytime Mick Foley shows up on my TV screen. Like last year, at Invasion, I was convinced he'd turn. But no, he was just the special referee for the bra and panties match. Hmmm...is their a bra and panties match this Sunday that the Rock could ref?
"You better get his ass outta here before I get up"- Undertaker
This whole setup is perfect for the WWE. Rock comes back for the next couple of months and keeps the momentum going, until they have really cemented someone else to be the backbone of the Fed...
Let's be honest... It ain't gonna work to have 'Taker, Hogan, nWo or HHH be that person. Rock has to come back and rub a few people, then the Fed can go forward while he films...
Then he comes back again in between films and does the whole deal again...
Seems like a WIN-WIN situation for both parties...
And by the way, that promo ruled last night. Add a new catch phrase to the Rock's persona last night. Love to see him continue to use the "Get the "F" out".... Fits right in with his others.
---------- And the real wonder of the world is that we don't jump too ---------- So there's no simple explanation for anything important any of us do and yea the human tragedy consists in the necessity of living with the consequences under pressure, under pressure. ----------
Why is it that whenever I think the Federation is just about to die, they pull a rabbit out of a hat and make me think they're going to get over the hump after all?
If I was Rocky:
-- I'd do the best I could to get that film shoot moved back. And back, and back, and back... as far from now as humanly possible.
-- I wouldn't accept another role for at least another two years.
Last night's promo could be considered pseudo-shoot, but I hope it was shoot all the way... if Rock the person believes everything Rock the character said last night, he'll forego Hollywood for now and prove to us all that he really is the knight in shining armor that the WWF and many of the general public believe him to be.
Now they just have to turf out the Clique, and we'd be REALLY getting somewhere!
CRZ NOTABLE QUOTABLE OF THE MONTH: KANE: Triple H...tonight, I will burn the flesh from your body! MICHAEL COLE: OH MY GOD. KANE THREATENING TRIPLE H, SAYING HE'S GONNA BURN THE FLESH FROM HIS BODY! CRZ: Umm, I heard it the FIRST time! -- WWF Smackdown, 9/9/99
The best part of Rock's promo was that he cut it in the first person. He started in the third person, but as you could see his emotions boil over and he was heating up, he went to the first, and it made the promo all that much more emotional for me watching. This was exactly the kind of promo I've been waiting for--make me CARE! When Rock said, "I swear to God, and I mean this, if anyone back there doesn't want to be here...Get the F Out!" I clapped. I was so into it.
I started to feel sick when they started to use Austin for the purpose of an angle, but this payoff was great. "If yaaa smeellll..." I marked out, I didn't expect it. I was expecting an Austin midget, Duane Gill, Will Sasso...something classless. The Rock is the only superstar that could have walked out with the fans wanting Austin and really make them feel like they weren't let down.
Scott Steiner? Give me a break. Goldberg? Sure, there is quite a bit of sentiment for this guy to show up...but there's nothing about Goldberg that screams "stay loyal to WWE." That moment wasn't just for the entrance, it was for the promo. The Rock can cut that promo. A babyface Undertaker could have cut a promo with a similar emotional tilt to it. That's it. That's the list. This moment was made for The Rock, and The Rock took the ball and scored with it.
One show-ending promo does not cure the WWE's ills, but to me, bringing pure emotion is the best way to start. Make us care, and we will give lots of leeway in trying to right the ship. If we don't care, its a lot easier to nitpick everything we don't like.
"I think Vince has let his gimmick go straight to his head. He's utterly bought his own press clippings. Reality check time. Vince let Hogan go to WCW and it nearly destroyed the WWF. The only thing that saved his butt was the timely creation of Austin.
Vince, you're not good, you got -lucky-.
You wanna load the revolver again? You wanna drive off the only man who's appeal ever rivaled Hogans? You wanna let him, in another year or so, go to a rival fed? You think you are the genius?
Its clear Vince has lost all sense of reality. Vince will capitulate by the end of summer 2003 and WWE will be gone.
I'm also amazed at Rock. Either he got a big bonus or is just dumb. Let's see, Vince has systematically driven off in anger just about every major star he's had. They might all be the problem. At some point, you have to wonder if the REAL problem is the man they all had in common. Vince. Rock, he'll screw you over just like everyone before you. Don't stick up for him, Rock.
I can't wait to see how empty the bar is for this and future PPVs. Vince has had this coming for a long time."
I don't think I can even begin to point out the total and utter ignorance of this statment. I'll just say that you, sir, are an ass.
Old School's Film Quote O' The Week-"We All Go A Little Mad Sometimes"-Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates, Psycho; Skeet Ulrich as Billy Loomis, Scream. Oddly fitting this week, I thought.
mmm... now that i think on, i don't THEY know they're having homogenous thoughts. like, they lost a match so they had to cancel a date with hot chicks - "let's just oil up and massage things, chuck".