The Rock Says…
It looks like I’m one of the last people to get their columns up today, so I’ll try not to be too redundant. I also know that in a week when the Rock makes his return to professional wrestling, nobody is going to care about my review of WrestleMania II, so I might as well make some sort of Rock related comment!
I am, like so many others, still excited about last night’s main event segment. If there’s one thing I can say about the WWE in 2011, it’s that they haven’t disappointed…yet. All of pro wrestling is well known for using bait-and-switch tactics to lure in fans before hitting us with a disappointing and shallow conclusion, sending all our hopes and dreams to a watery end. But in 2011 we were promised surprises at the Royal Rumble and were given Booker T and Kevin Nash. Mark out moment #1. Following the Rumble, Jerry Lawler was given the surprise win in the main event of Raw as well as an unexpected WWE Title opportunity against the Miz at Elimination Chamber. Mark out moment #2 for the old school fans. Last week Vince McMahon made his (albeit short) return to Raw and hyped a surprise Guest Host for WrestleMania. The guest host concept has left a bad taste in my mouth long enough that I couldn’t even begin to speculate about it without wanting to vomit. But the WWE once again delivered with what will undoubtably be the moment of the year: the return of the Rock to the WWE. Mark out moment #3. In six days we will find out who faces the WWE Champion at WrestleMania, and in seven days we witness the probable return of the Undertaker, and a likely interruption by Triple H and the Billion Dollar Princess. If you can forgive the dance-offs and last night’s creepy Hornswaggle segment (can you say law suit?), the Road to WrestleMania has been paved like few before it.
The Rock’s return has also given me my favorite moment in the past several YEARS of wrestling:
“And I quote…Know your damn role…and shut your damn mouth!”
For those of you who don’t know, that was said by the Rock to Michael Cole after Cole attempted to answer a message from the anonymous General Manager. The WWE has built up Cole as one of the best heels in years, and even though I think his character is killing commentary, you can’t deny that the world has been waiting for him to be put in his place! Once again, they have built up one more thing that will come to fruition at this year’s WrestleMania, and I have to applaud that. The possibilities are now endless, even though the predictable is more likely. We’ll probably see Alex Riley vs. The King with Cole getting punched out at the end, but what if it’s more. What if the GM finally makes his debut to confront the Rock? What if it actually is Stone Cold? What if Austin 3:16 makes a return to promote Tough Enough and has a confrontation with the Great One? What if the Rock keeps “his word” and sticks around after WrestleMania? What if…? That seems to be the key phrase floating around the water coolers this year. It’s all so unlikely, but just 7 days ago weren’t we all ready to be disappointed by Justin Bieber or Bob Barker? Yes, we could spend all our time worrying about how the Rock is just going to bury the WWE’s biggest current draws (a very valid claim). We could convince ourselves that he’s not going to stay before WrestleMania even happens. We could ruin the greatest part of the wrestling year with speculation, OR we could sit back and try to remember what it’s like to be a fan… This is the Road to WrestleMania, and the Rock has returned. Enjoy it while it lasts.
If you’d like to contact Mike Killam you can follow him on Twitter @MJKillam, or by email at MikeKillam@gmail.com.
