Guest creativename Report post Posted July 25, 2002 Pretty cool: http://espn.go.com/page2/s/simmons/020725.html My favority parts: "The rap on wrestling is that it's "sports entertainment," a contrived series of events in which athletes "pretend" to compete and results are scripted. ... C'mon, Game 6 of the Lakers-Kings series? That wasn't preordained? Now who's being naïve?" "So when Hogan, playing the aging villain as stepping stone for hero in residence, entered the ring, SkyDome fans weren't there for a torch-passing. Even though Hogan, almost 49, looked like a caricature of himself -- leathery skin, withered physique, bandanna-covered bald head -- the crowd erupted like he was taking on Osama bin Laden. Had they been sprayed with a stockpiled dose of Hulkamania? When The Rock was greeted with a startling, Barry Bonds-like mixture of boos and cheers, we had our answer. Even the announcers couldn't deny what was happening." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MarvinisaLunatic Report post Posted July 25, 2002 Argh...I was gonna post this... "At least the WWE lays everything on the table. Die-hards relish the wacky storylines, but also the athleticism, and especially those delicious moments when the line between a "work" (something scripted) and a "shoot" (unscripted) blurs. We enjoy guessing which wrestlers are being "pushed" or "buried," or which dramatic nuggets are spurred by real backstage politics. It's the game within a game. " Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Shaved Bear Report post Posted July 25, 2002 yea I saw that match too. He's right though I think all of us somewhat turned into marks when watching that match Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Just call me Dan Report post Posted July 25, 2002 I sure as hell did. When Hogan pulled a decent Rock Bottom, I lost it. The heat made this match so incredible and the fact that they rarely used Hogan at all until that one big match made me anxious to witness it. The way the crowd embraced him was enough to give me chills, and ,bad workrate or not, the match flowed and was definetly something to remember. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly Report post Posted July 25, 2002 I hate the ROck so I was marking out when Hogan leg dropped him during that RAW where the NWO jumped the Rock. It's only a matter of time before the rest of the fans turn on the Rock. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest BifEverchad Report post Posted July 25, 2002 .....and I was there. One of the best moments ever. The place was literally 'electric'. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Shaved Bear Report post Posted July 25, 2002 thats like when HHH came back...well no it wasnt, but when HHH came back....well yea WM X-8 was electric, i sorta felt it at home Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest TheHulkster Report post Posted July 25, 2002 Bill Simmons always writes fun articles about wrestling, be it a PPV recap or an editorial. It's nice to see someone in the sports world give some love to guys who bust their ass as much and are just as athletic as any sports star out there. About Rock Vs Hogan: The Hulk-up during that match, with every last one of the 68,000 in the skydome and millions watching at home (including me, who was marking out like he has never marked out before) freaking out is one of those moments that will live on in Wrestlemania history forever. I was screaming at my tv screen when the Rock kicked out of the legdrop. It was something special. I still get chills watching it, and i've seen it quite a few times. It was one of those moments, like a really great match or really heartfelt or intense promo that made me realize why i'm a wrestling fan. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest meanmaisch Report post Posted July 26, 2002 Simmons is a great sports writer and he's probably the only writer I can stand on Page 2. He's probably the only writer on there who doesn't look down on the squared circle. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
