[Pro Wrestling Thread]

Cena talked about how he has to win....that tells me win anyway possible.

Still think a heel turn is likely.

[Pro Wrestling Thread]

A couple things I read over the weekend.

1. Possibility for Shaq to be inserted into the Big Show vs Rhodes match as a ref or enforcer or something.

2. Wade Barrett was supposed to win the Money in the Bank match at Mania. After his injury, rather than have the match and decide on a new winner, they decided to scrap the match altogether. I guess I understand their point, but I would have had the MITB anyway. Its another main event type match. It gives 6 to 8 guys a payday. And it beats the hell out of a tag match between the dueling commissioners.

That's dumb...why not have a storyline where someone else wins and then have them feud with Barrett and put the MiTB briefcase up?

[Pro Wrestling Thread]

Well, its unofficially official.

At this week's Smackdown, they make the Rhodes vs Big Show IC title match official for WrestleMania.

Also, a program begins with Kane and Orton, so I guess that's the answer to that question.

For me, I think they dropped the ball.

I would have preferred Big Show vs Shaq, Rhodes vs Golddust for the IC title, Bryan vs Orton for the title, and Kane vs Sheamus.

1) Gotta have fresh blood going for the title sometimes..I know Shaemus has held it before but Orton always seems to have it.

2) Big Show vs Shaq is a waste of time.

3) I don't disagree about the Rhodes/Show thing...Not really sure what the point is there but my guess is the point is to really start to elevate Rhodes to ME status.

4) Kane vs Orton is a psycho vs psycho type thing but you already know who the winner is...they aren't going to have Kane win that match unless they want to start a Kane/Shaemus angle and need Kane to win that match to push it...Remember, the draft will probably be a few weeks after WM.

[Pro Wrestling Thread]

Gotta say I'm gaining a rooting interest in Cena. Rock has always been incredibly talented and charismatic with a mic in his hand, and for Cena to go toe to toe with him verbally and handle him makes me gain a lot of respect. There's a way to be a "hustle, loyalty, respect" kind of guy without being as corny and stale as Cena has been. Plus, I do think Cena genuinely cares about the WWE and the fans, while I would say Rock's interests are primarily a big pay day and feeding his ego.

All that said, I think I'm still rooting for Rocky He seemed pretty stunned and angry when Cena came out, but he rebounded nicely and finished on a high note. I'm anxious for their next little soiree. Cena brought it last year around this time, then basically when right back to his corny image. Regardless of outcome, I'd like this Cena to be the one that stays.

I still think he turns heel at Mania.

[Pro Wrestling Thread]

Rock seriously looked like he was about to cry when Cena ran him down. This is the John Cena I've been waiting to see, not the "poopy" joke telling idiot he had become.

But again, is that John Cena's fault?

The WWE are the ones who want the PG stuff.

[Pro Wrestling Thread]

Yeah, Rock looked legit pissed and shocked. Cena is owning him so far. If they keep this up, Cena is gonna become a better face out of all this, which is the most unlikely outcome when this feud started.

I don't think so...most fans are going to stay with The Rock because he was a huge fan favorite and went away...Now that he is back, he is going to be the guy they all cheer for.

They ate up kung pao b**** last night, which is easily dumbest "insult" ever.

[Pro Wrestling Thread]

Just read that The Rock is supposedly wrestling at Mania next year.

Do you do Rock/Cena again at Mania?

Or, does The Rock go against Taker and try to break his streak?

[Pro Wrestling Thread]

The big announcement is a GM swap. JL will take over at Smackdown, and Teddy Long will take over on Raw. Frankly that sucks, because I find Smackdown to be more entertaining on a number of levels. Not that it will matter, because they're both still going to show up and annoy the daylights out of each other and everyone else.

Good...I hate John L and I never watch Smackdown.

EDIT: damn, this is a 1 week thing.

[Pro Wrestling Thread]

The Rock complained about how the people are tired of Cena...That seems to be true.

But is that Cena's fault?

Vince has been the one who hasn't wanted to turn Cena heel. The WWE are the ones that aren't moving in the direction of giving Cena a new image.

Now, maybe Cena has said no to all of that but I have never read anything that suggests Cena runs the show in the way that guys like HHH did.

Cena beat down Rock again last night in the promo. I mean, Kung Pao b****? What was that even supposed to mean? That was just dumb.

[Pro Wrestling Thread]

Probably from the Funkasaurus!

In all seriousness, that sounds like Punk.

Unless he is worried about pissing off the higher ups, I would be surprised if Punk wasn't willing to attach his name to that.

[Pro Wrestling Thread]

A number of WWE performers appeared giddy backstage over Cena's remarks as they legitimately feel that way over Johnson. One talent commented via text to PWInsider.com (with permission to be quoted under condition of of anonymity: "[The Rock] comes in to use WWE to get back the audience he lost doing Disney movies, which is fine but he's been back over a year and name one person he helped make a bigger star since then? No one.

"He's here for himself, he keeps to himself, and he keeps someone who's actually touring here all year from making a bigger payday at the bigger shows. It's all about making this the "biggest" Mania of all time. OK, then what do we do the rest of the year? Who's been made? You think he took ANY blame for Survivor [series] not drawing? Of course not, but how do you feud with a guy on the Titantron? Cena nailed the guy dead on tonight.

"Say anything about Triple H, 'Taker, etc. still being in the top spot but if they were needed to work the road, they would and they would still work their asses off as much as they needed to. Rock is out for Rock and the idea he's here to better anything but his own wallet is the biggest work of 2012."

Intersting comments.

[Pro Wrestling Thread]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's basically confirmed.

Plus, it's not like what he does with the WWE will be even close to fulltime. He'll never appear on anything but a Monday night Raw, so I'm sure he could work his movie schedule around that, even if he were to appear at all the Monday Night Raw's.

I'm also torn on who will/should win the Cena/Rock match. One one hand, if Cena wins and it doesn't involve a heel turn, a lot of people who are brutally sick of him will be furious. On the other hand, Rock will never be a full time WWE talent again, so is it really smart to have him come in and whip your top face and then leave? I dunno.

These are why matches like this are so great, just as the WM Rock vs Austin match was. It seems like it would be almost criminal to have one of these two lose given the scenarios at work.

Wrestlemania is setting up to be really special. Definitely a no brainer that I'll be ordering this.

Which is why having Cena win, without outside interference and become a face saves the Rock...On one hand, why would The Rock come back just to lose? OTOH, as you say, why have Cena lose to a guy that isn't going to be around.

This way, The Rock can say I was "whooping his ass" and he needed a girl(Eve) to help him win...It goes down as a win for Cena but The Rock can save face...and then the Rock can beat him at SS and it sets up the possibility of a rubber match down the road, probably one where they end up embracing as friends or something cheesy like that.

[Pro Wrestling Thread]

Wouldn't count on that. He's filming a movie right now, which I'm guessing will wrap before WM. Then he's got 3-4 other movies ALREADY in pre-production and getting ready to film this year. Just don't see him making the commitment to doing anything else with WWE for a while after this, and for him it was an extra PR push and favor for Vince leading into his more action-oriented move stretch he's got coming.

I read that it is basically already a committment to wrestle at SS.

[Pro Wrestling Thread]

Stratus vs Phoenix is possible for WM as well.

[Pro Wrestling Thread]

I go back and forth about who I think wins the Rock/Cena match.

I heard that The Rock is supposed to also wrestle at Summerslam and that he will be on Raw the night after Mania.

That leads me to believe that Cena wins at WM and turns heel....Rematch of Cena/Rock at SS, which The Rock wins.

[Pro Wrestling Thread]

Usually start watching more Raw heading into WrestleMania. I remember most of the Cena- Rock proms from last year and IMO Cena usually got the best of them. The guy can bring it on the mike when he has to. I think what he said is absolutely true, Rock has to have a writer, Cena can go off the cuff. That makes a huge difference.

Of course Cena is right...The end of the day, The Rock isn't there...he used the WWE as a springboard to something bigger.

Nothing wrong with that but Cena isn't the one leaving.

Cena just needs a heel turn.

[Pro Wrestling Thread]

My eyes definitely widened a bit when that bombshell was dropped. I was waiting for HHH to pull the retirement match card, but then he pulls that out instead and I was stunned.

Yea, that's what I thought he was going to say but they are both semi retired and that match has happened before, so what's the point?

[Pro Wrestling Thread]

Cena making fun of Eve and acting like he isn't interested is a classic angle that ends up with them really involved behind the scenes...A heel turn seems more likely after that promo vs almost anything else they have done thus far with Cena.

[Pro Wrestling Thread]

I said from the beginning of the character that it would get stale very quickly. What I would have done is continued to throw him down everyone's throat with the dancing gimmick, until eventually, he just snaps in the ring, destroys some jobber, rips off all that crap, and becomes a monster that we all want him to be.

That said, you don't just have this way over character completely disappear without explanation. The creative blew it again.

Where they screwed up was having this be his character to begin with.

[Pro Wrestling Thread]

Can't you ever be silly just for the sake of being silly? Jeebus man!

The character was over. The fans loved it. Every wrestler doesn't need to put on 5 star matches every time he's in the ring.

The fans were going to like it for a few more weeks...But he is stale in the ring and all the dancing is relatively annoying.

They want him to be this monster but his character is as far away from that as you can be...I mean, how can you even take him seriously as any kind of a real competitor if all you do is have mid carders job to him in 5 minute matches and then just have him dance?

[Pro Wrestling Thread]

Santino lasted waaaaaaaaaaaay to long in the Chamber. Wonder what they have up their sleeve with him?

The Johnny Ace thing is interesting in that they appear to going into a Johnny vs Teddy storyline for overall power of the GM role, which is great as it gets Punk out of that mess. However, where are they going with the payoff? All stroies SHOULD be about Mania right now, so one would think we get some payoff match at Mania where the winner becomes GM of both shows, but who will Teddy get to suppport him?

And lastly, in my unending goal of bringing back the Funk, where oh where is the Funkasauraus?

Why do you keep asking this? He isn't good. His character blows and he isn't good in the ring.

Why would you have that inferior product out there?

Bryan vs Sheamus is a very lame match for Mania...even if Orton is added, its that been there done that feel.

[Pro Wrestling Thread]

Orton apparently out with a concussion now. That dude can't stay healthy, unless its a work. The Chamber Match for the Smackdown side will now look like this...

Bryan vs Barrett vs Rhodes vs Big Show vs Khali vs Santino.

WTF? I guess on the bright side, Bryan will go to Mania as the Champ, something I never would have believed when he was losing every match to every jobber all year long in 2011.

He got hurt against Big Show on Raw.

[Pro Wrestling Thread]

Do this after Mania though. No need for Eve thrown into the Rock vs Cena main event.

Unless she helps Cena win.

[Pro Wrestling Thread]

I LOVE watching Eve, but please give up the storyline with her and Cena/Ryder. She cannot act for beans, and it makes the whole thing obviously forced, weak, and blindingly stupid. And spare me the whole she's hot argument, I just acknowledged it.

The storyline has to be Cena and her have been together, privately, for a while...They both turn heel and she is his manager and he starts to win matches "with help".

If that isn't the storyline, they will have really screwed things up in a big way.

[Pro Wrestling Thread]

No Funkasaurus the past few weeks? What's up with that?

His character blows.