Cena Announces The Rock
One Step Nowhere
Vince McMahon is supposed to be a marketing genius.
He set up John Cena vs The Rock one year in advance. Unprecedented. WrestleMania 28, as a result, has a legit opportunity to go down in history as the biggest wrestling event of all time. I honestly believe that.
With a full calendar year to set that match up – and with one of the individuals involved in the match available on a "very" limited basis – you have to build it just the right way and at just the right speed. The "slow build" has never been in more effect than it is with Rock vs Cena.
Vince knows he has the Rock for Survivor Series. He has to get the most out of it, right? So, as said marketing genius, he does this as a result:
- Has The Rock announce via Twitter months in advance that he'll be returning to WWE at Survivor Series
- Has John Cena announce the same via Twitter
- Has both men announce via Twitter that they'll be tagging together
- Starts airing multiple commercials for Rock's in-ring return DURING the Monday Night Raw that John Cena officially announces it
- Tries to make it seem like a surprise when John Cena announces the Rock as his partner for said pay per view
- STILL tries to make it unknown whether Rock will actually accept Cena's offer to tag at said pay per view even though both men have confirmed it several times
What did WWE accomplish by spoiling their Surivivor Series main event so early that they couldn't have accomplished on Monday night? I understand that they only spoiled it online, but it's clear the live crowd knew exactly where Cena was headed on Monday. They were chanting "Rocky" before he had a chance to even hint at it.
It doesn't take a step down because the crowd still popped like animals when "The Rock" came out of Cena's mouth, but it doesn't take the big step up it should have if this would have been even close to an actual surprise.
It wasn't a complete let-down, but it was anti-climactic. And that's the last thing the Rock/Cena story should be…ever.
Chris Cash can be reached by email at wzchriscash@yahoo.com or on Twitter @RealityofChris.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
