John Cena calls out the The Rock for leaving wrestling

[Enigma 0]

I figured this was threadworthy, because these are some heavy hitters and some heavy statements being thrown around. I also wonder if it'll affect The Rock's status for the Hall of Fame show.

 

He is a geniunely nice guy and a fantastic human being. What I kind of get peeved about, and this is my Achilles heel, is that I've wanted to do this my whole life. Rock falls into that category. At one point he loved wrestling and wanted to do this his whole life. So explain to me why he can't come back. Simply put it's because he wants to be an actor and there's nothing wrong with that. He's very good and very successful. Associating with sports entertainment doesn't do much for his acting career. I get it. Just don't fuck me around and tell me that you love this. That's the only thing that gets me pissed off. Our fan base has so much admiration for him, he's got to respect that. He doesn't give anything back.

 

The entire interview can be found here: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport...ticle849554.ece

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

He calls out the The Rock?

[Youth N Asia 0]

I think I would consider watching again if Rock came back, but fuck it, he's got a new career, no need to get hurt wrestling

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

He doesn't need to give the wrestling fans back anything... He has given us years and years of great wrestling moments and matches already... If his heart isn't in wrestling anymore, then he's basically insulting wrestlings by coming back then he is by staying away.

[The Truthiness 0]

Cena sounds a bit like moron, and I think its a given, That I'm the biggest Cena mark around these parts.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

There's nothing that can be done now...as Rock wrestling again would be about the dumbest thing he could do.

 

In retrospect they should have had him put someone over back at Mania 20 though, instead of working a tag match designed for Foley/Orton.

 

He really did kind of get out of the business without ever having to make anyone. I mean...he put Brock over big...but that was a year and a half before he left...and due to circumstances beyond WWE's control...both Rock and Brocks last night were the same...

[The Truthiness 0]

There's nothing that can be done now...as Rock wrestling again would be about the dumbest thing he could do.

 

In retrospect they should have had him put someone over back at Mania 20 though, instead of working a tag match designed for Foley/Orton.

 

He really did kind of get out of the business without ever having to make anyone. I mean...he put Brock over big...but that was a year and a half before he left...and due to circumstances beyond WWE's control...both Rock and Brocks last night were the same...

And Goldberg.

 

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

I opened this fully expecting it to be a dustinbeaverton thread.

 

The Rock doesn't owe anyone jack shit. He had a great wrestling career and has now moved on to better endeavors.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

Though the final line of the snippet there is "he doesn't give anything back", I don't believe that's the issue. To me, it seems like Cena is just saying Rock shouldn't say he LOVES the wrestling business when he has no intentions of doing anything for it - and that's it. He's happy for his Hollywood success and doesn't fault him for retiring from wrestling, but as a fan himself, he's just frustrated. If The Rock had officially said "my heart is no longer with wrestling, I am focusing on acting but am thankful for what I was able to do" I get the impression John would be fine with it.

[Black Lushus 0]

If Cena ever achieves non-wrestling mainstream success, I'd love to hear the new tune he'll be singing...

[dh86 0]

Cena is speaking for the WWE. The Rock is retired. He is 36 years old. Hes not that young man anymore. I know its a newsflash to those in the wrestling business but, sometimes people move on from the business. Thats life. Jim Brown retired from the NFL at 30. He wanted to do other things that hurt him less and paid him more. That dont mean he still dont love the Cleveland Browns and the NFL. He had to make the best life for Jim Brown and his family. Dwayne Johnson had the same choice. When John Cena has children, maybe he'll see things differently. I gotta watch my favorite wrestler as a youth still wrestling at 59 years old and its sad. Id never want The Rock to have to resort to do that.

[Guest]

The Rock has no obligation to do anything.

[dubq 0]

Odd that Cena (or WWE?) would make these kinds of comments considering the Rock is coming back to induct his father and grandfather into the HOF.

[Wally Balls 0]

The thing that bothers me about the whole Cena statement is the fact that he thinks that The Rock needs to give something back. I think that The Rock has given quite enough to the industry. Cena said that The Rock is a genuinely nice human being, so why would The Rock get back into a business that is filled with scumbags?

 

Rock has done his share of wrestling and he just doesn't want to do it anymore...I don't see anything wrong with it at all. Looks like HHH and HBK hate of Rock has rubbed off on Cena a little bit.

[The Truthiness 0]

Maybe I'll still get my Cena/Rock match.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

Again I must stress, I do not think this is an issue of "Rock is OBLIGATED to contribute!", but an issue of "Anyone who says they still love the business should contribute" (and I'm not saying I agree with that thinking either - is Cena just thinking "while I had / have time to shoot ONE movie and be on TV, why doesn't he?" not realizing how busy Rock is?). I could be wrong and there could be some legitimate resentment going on, but that's my take on it. It's very easy to just assume the worst everytime someone opens their mouth.

[dubq 0]

But who's to say HOW he should contribute? "Anyone who says they still love the business should still work matches whenever we want them to" is more like it. Which is a bullshit expectation, IMO.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

Well that's the other thing - where does Cena define "contribute" as wrestle? Maybe he just wants Rock to show up and bury active wrestlers by putting them down in a comedy skit? One time a wrestler commented to me that he felt Bret Hart could have done more to help the Canadian indy scene - as this was 2005 he obviously wasn't expecting him to wrestle.

[The Truthiness 0]

Cena is still a little pissed that he wasn't FUing The Rock at Wrestlemania XX.

[Wally Balls 0]

Again I must stress, I do not think this is an issue of "Rock is OBLIGATED to contribute!", but an issue of "Anyone who says they still love the business should contribute" (and I'm not saying I agree with that thinking either - is Cena just thinking "while I had / have time to shoot ONE movie and be on TV, why doesn't he?" not realizing how busy Rock is?). I could be wrong and there could be some legitimate resentment going on, but that's my take on it. It's very easy to just assume the worst everytime someone opens their mouth.

 

I'll use the example that someone used a few posts up....

 

Take Michael Jordan...I'm sure Michael Jordan loves and will always love basketball and the Chicago Bulls...but no one expects him to come back. How is retiring from professional wrestling any different than retiring from any other sport?

[Diamonddust 0]

Good lord... if people think Cena gets booed now, just imagine that crowd reaction if he had an encounter with The Rock.

 

The Rock got out on top and went on to bigger and better things. It's obvious that some resent this (Not just Cena). No matter how much "they love" the business, there isn't a wrestler out there that wouldn't want to trade places with The Rock right now. I mean how many former wrestlers can say they were a presenter at the Academy Awards?

[Wally Balls 0]

Good lord... if people think Cena gets booed now, just imagine that crowd reaction if he had an encounter with The Rock.

 

And amidst all the boo's....the WWE would still try to play Cena as the face...which would be almost impossible.

[haVoc 0]

What I kind of get peeved about, and this is my Achilles heel, is that I've wanted to do this my whole life. Rock falls into that category. At one point he loved wrestling and wanted to do this his whole life.

 

The Rock never wanted to be a wrestler. When he failed at football he was "forced" into the business to make a living.

 

 

 

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

Cena is still a little pissed that he wasn't FUing The Rock at Wrestlemania XX.

 

And he should be happy...

 

If The Rock did put him over, he would've been moved to RAW in the draft lottery, and buried by HHH... I remember those were the plans. But The Rock found out about it, and declined the feud with Cena, IIRC...

[Guest Shylock]

There's nothing that can be done now...as Rock wrestling again would be about the dumbest thing he could do.

 

In retrospect they should have had him put someone over back at Mania 20 though, instead of working a tag match designed for Foley/Orton.

 

He really did kind of get out of the business without ever having to make anyone. I mean...he put Brock over big...but that was a year and a half before he left...and due to circumstances beyond WWE's control...both Rock and Brocks last night were the same...

The problem is that he was open to coming back, but wasn't he reported to be paranoid about putting someone over due to the possibility of Triple H burying him like he did with Hurricane? Now I know Hurricane wasn't going to be a main eventer, but that still kinda killed the guy too. So I couldn't really blame him if that was his mindset in not coming back to put anyone over.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

Cena is still a little pissed that he wasn't FUing The Rock at Wrestlemania XX.

 

And he should be happy...

 

If The Rock did put him over, he would've been moved to RAW in the draft lottery, and buried by HHH... I remember those were the plans. But The Rock found out about it, and declined the feud with Cena, IIRC...

 

I don't remember any of that. Why would Rock - doing a one time shot in 2004 - be feuding / doing a Mania match with Cena? Cena was being pushed to the US title at that time.

 

Is this confusion over Rock not jobbing to Booker T before WrestleMania XIX?

[zappafrank 0]

I've never really faulted The Rock for his distance from wrestling until he refused to appear at RAW XV. Being allowed to shine on RAW is what allowed him to become involved in Hollywood in the 1st place, so the least he could do was show up for an evening to celebrate the show that allowed him to walk away in the 1st place.

 

And the only reason his dad and granddad are being inducted is probably to get Rock to appear, which seems sort of wrong on all sides.

 

I'm not pining away for him to come back, and I don't refuse to see his movies in protest, but he's starting to come across as the family member or friend who pledges eternal love and admiration for you, yet never really sees you or calls you anymore unless there's something in it for him.

[Kinetic 0]

I guess you could argue that it would be nice for The Rock to do things like RAW anniversary specials and other self-congratulatory back-pattings (like the HOF induction, which he is doing), but he's clearly under no obligation to do so. From a realistic fan's perspective, the ideal role for Rock in WWE is basically for him to do what Austin does: show up once or twice a year, run through his litany of catchphrases, interact with some of the current talent, and then go away.

[OldSchoolWrestling 0]

I have always been in the camp of those that think he should give back to the business. For me it would be enough for him to show up at a Wrestlemania here and there just to give a quick promo, show up at a Raw when they are in Los Angeles if he isn't filming, or even being one of those interviewed on someone else's dvd.

[Si82 0]

If John Cena isn't just speaking for WWE then he's a total fucking moron.