The Rock : The best to ever grace a professional wrestling ring?

[Guest NYR10]

In my eyes, The Rock was the perfect wrestler / sports entertainer. Some people out there may argue that The Rock wasn't as great of a worker as some others, but theres no denying that he could work damn good matches at any given night. Not only could he work, but he's the one wrestler that could get the crowd fired up during a match like no other. The People's Elbow spot, is without a doubt, the biggest spot in wrestling history.

 

The Rock was so capable of being the perfect face or heel. In my opinion, he was more entertaining as a heel. With his smart ass remarks about the hometown teams and people, it generated more heat than a years worth of 2005 Raws. When he was a face, he got the crowd so into whatever he was doing. As soon as his music hit, the whole arena exploded. Whether it exploded with boos or cheers, it was just such an amazing atmosphere whenever The Rock was there.

 

The Rock will and should go down as the best ever. On the mic, he has no equal and in the ring, in terms of getting the crowd into the match, he has no equal. It will take someone very special to bring back the electricity to the WWE that The Rock had, and unfortunately it may not happen for a very long time or ever.

 

I know The Rock has devoted himself to acting full time, but I just wish he knew how much he really is missed and how much people really want him to return to wrestling someday. I know it's just a wet dream, but at least make some appearances from time to time.

 

With all that said, The Rock is the only wrestler in history that I can give a perfect 10 to.

[Art Sandusky 0]

I wouldn't disagree with this. Whenever there's something really awful on Raw, I always think "The Rock should just come out for a second and leave. Hit the music, pop the crowd, look around, and leave. It's the only thing that would make this instantly better." The most recent case was during the Rosie/Trump "match."

[foleyfanforever88 0]

I'll second your opinion.

[2GOLD 0]

I wouldn't disagree with this. Whenever there's something really awful on Raw, I always think "The Rock should just come out for a second and leave. Hit the music, pop the crowd, look around, and leave. It's the only thing that would make this instantly better." The most recent case was during the Rosie/Trump "match."

 

So the Rock should pull a Glacier? Do his entrance, pop the crowd, walk around and slap hands with the crowd and then leave?

I could dig that.

[The Niggardly King 0]

Yes, he is the perfect guy all around, and the fact that he wasn't an insecure prick backstage also helps.

[muzz 0]

I was always impressed by the amount of energy he brought to whatever he did, either in the ring or just cutting a promo.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

that would be one of the greatest things ever. If all the sudden his music hit, everybody freaked out, he walked out from the curtain and did the "smell" pose at the top of the ramp, then left. The fans would probably boo if he left, but then he could just come back out and give the eyebrow and everybody would be silenced.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

The Rock is the reason I always wonder why WWE is pushing Cena to do more films. Do they want him to become super successful as an actor and leave, like Rocky did, so they can have no face draw on top again?

[Shanghai Kid 0]

I have to agree. Rock is the best ever on the mic, and he definetly could get fans caught up in his matches.

 

When I think of the matches with the most heat in the modern era I think Rock/Hogan, Rock/Austin. When I think of the best feuds of the modern era I think Rock/Austin, Rock/Mankind. Austin was a bigger draw, but Rock as a draw did pretty damn good in 2000 and I don't think Austin was quite as entertaining.

 

He did have a few months where he got stale as a face, it was when he started overusing the Streudel bit probably around 2001. The biggest thing with the Rock is that he had 3 heel stints, and all 3 of them are among the best heel characters of all time. Nation Rock, Corporate Rock, and Hollywood Rock. Theirs so much memorable stuff, remember when Rock thew threw Austin off a bridge? Giving Farooqu a picture of himself? Doing his own commentary during his own matches? No Sing along with the Rock? The Concert in Sacramento? The stuff with Hurricane?

 

I would honestly say Rock in 2003 for that 3 month period, that was the highest quality of promos/entertainment that a wrestler has ever done. Who has left the buisness when they were that good? That's the definition of leaving in your prime.

[Promoter 0]

I was always impressed by the amount of energy he brought to whatever he did, either in the ring or just cutting a promo.

 

It becomes more painfully obvious as time passes too. It would be nice to see him again, but I don't blame him for avoiding this "new and improved" soap opera/bad celebrity filled wwe we have today. The same with Austin and Jericho. Hogan gets away with it somewhat because Hogan was before the time of the attitude era and fans are harping on how things were before, so Hogan is an escape to earlier times(although just PLEASE stop at WM 23). The only problem I had with The Rock on the mic at times was that he sometimes was TOO GOOD at trash talking and made you not take his challenger or contender seriously. I mean people talk about HBK doing one on Hogan before SummerSlam, but Rock ate Hogan alive during weeks before NWO on time on tv and Hogan knew it so much that he talked to Vince about it. When Rock use to do it at first it didn't hurt the other guy, but as time went on it did. I mean, Billy Gunn, Kane, or Big Show anyone. Some of the funniest insults ever and it stuck with them. I will say that one time Rock came walking down the aisle and had the whole arena following his words sometime in 1999 was the greatest thing I ever seen in terms of a wrestler holding the audience captive with a mic. Seriously....

[Insanity 0]

I feel the same about Austin, who I would pick in front of The Rock. Of course I still hold high admiration for him, so no hard feelings okay?

[theintensifier 0]

that would be one of the greatest things ever. If all the sudden his music hit, everybody freaked out, he walked out from the curtain and did the "smell" pose at the top of the ramp, then left. The fans would probably boo if he left, but then he could just come back out and give the eyebrow and everybody would be silenced.

That would be awesome. What would be even better: Bret Hart's music, he walks out in his old shindig, does his little strut, walks around slapping hands, gives a kid his glasses, and then walks out.

 

I remember not too long ago the IWC hated the Rock. But, not that he's gone, most wish he were still around.

[The Buzz 0]

I agree about the comment someone just made about The Rock in 2003. I felt he was getting stale in 00, but he hit a nice stride in his last run.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

I like the Rock...and I love his promos...

 

but to be fair...in the last several years of his career (pretty much when he turned face) his promos were entertaining but never made me care about his feud.

 

He could put heat on himself...but who really benefited from the Rock's promos after he was cheered?

 

I prefer promos from guys like Flair or Joe or Punk who put all of the heat on the issue...not their ability to make people laugh at catchphrases.

[Boon 0]

Does the E plan on releasing some kind of Anthology DVD set for The Rock?

[Angelus 0]

I like the Rock...and I love his promos...

 

but to be fair...in the last several years of his career (pretty much when he turned face) his promos were entertaining but never made me care about his feud.

 

He could put heat on himself...but who really benefited from the Rock's promos after he was cheered?

 

I prefer promos from guys like Flair or Joe or Punk who put all of the heat on the issue...not their ability to make people laugh at catchphrases.

 

Chris Jericho comes in mind, when there feud was over Y2J was on a main-eventer level

[Timmy8271 0]

Does the E plan on releasing some kind of Anthology DVD set for The Rock?

 

In June apparently.

[LooseCannon25 0]

I think the Rock is definitely top 3, but the guy I would put at #1 is someone that many people wouldn't agree with me on. I think Randy Savage deserves to be at the top. He was a great worker, had a ton of charisma, and had crazy but interesting and psychological promos. I remember when I was a kid absolutely despise him, but started to like him because he was so out there. The guy carried Warrior to a great match for crying out liud (WM7).

 

I'd put Savage first, and then Rock and Austin.

[Eclipse 0]

I definitely miss The Rock in the WWE. At this pace, I don't think he will ever return to the WWE fulltime since he has immersed himself in films already.

[NoCalMike 0]

To me The Rock really shined more as a heel, and maybe his first his initial chase and capture of the WWE title.

 

After that The Rock kind of became a characture of himself in his promos.

 

It was still a joy to watch him work, and would beat the hell out of anything currently on RAW.

[Special K 0]

What's great is if you watch the original stuff when Rock came out of his shell.

 

The first instance of "smell what the Rock is cooking": Interviewed by some flash in the pan, looker: "Well, if the Rock was on trial, it would definitely be a hung jury, if you smell what I'm cooking. *Absurdly toothy grin, wink*"

 

Or when he gave everyone in the Nation Rolexes, but nuh-uh, not for Farooq. Farooq got a giant, gilded painting of the Rock, and tried to look pleased.

 

The ONE issue I have with the Rock: many of his moves looked like shit. His DDTs, samian drops, and spinebusters were all gawdawful. Not to mention his Sharpshooter. Obviously it's not a matter of effort, he busted his ass every match. So why couldn't he fucking do a sharpshooter?