Wrestling Wednesday - My True Feelings on Dwayne Johnson

Wrestling Wednesday…

World Wrestling Entertainment - Do You Smell What The Rock is Really Cookin’ - or - Why I Hate Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

More importantly though, I cannot stay with you, WWE, and watch the most cherished prize in the history of your company get devalued even more as you take a page right out of the WCW Playbook by having a Hollywood actor win the WWE Championship on January 27th, 2013. There is no doubt that CM Punk will lose this title to Dwayne Johnson on this night. -- The Highlight Reel: Farewell, WWE (July 25th, 2012)

On January 27th, just as I predicted, CM Punk’s WWE Championship reign came to an anti-climactic conclusion at the hands of a People’s Elbow in an overbooked spectacle of a match more designed to make Dwayne Johnson look powerful than CM Punk look competent on a big stage. In the aftermath of the match, the Internet Wrestling Community split into to separate groups - fans rejoicing with glee as The Rock became WWE Champion and fans in a near-riotous frenzy over the bitter defeat of their hero CM Punk. Meanwhile, Johnson’s victory, paired with John Cena’s victory earlier in the night in the Royal Rumble match, sealed the deal. WrestleMania XXIX would have a rematch of Cena and Johnson from a year earlier as the main event. Once in a Lifetime… HA!

The only question is who Dwayne will drop the title to on April 7th, 2013 at WrestleMania XXIX - John Cena or Brock Lesnar. -- The Highlight Reel: Farewell, WWE (July 25th, 2012 - cannot say I didn't call it)

Many fans justify Dwayne Johnson’s existence in today’s World Wrestling Entertainment. Many men and women in the business themselves sing the praises of Johnson’s work and appearances because of the attention he brings. I disagree adamantly with all of them. In fact, I can very easily, and in good conscious, say I hate Dwayne Johnson.

I did not always hate Dwayne Johnson though. In fact, there was a time when I was like so many others. I liked The Rock. His catchphrase-filled promos were funny and energetic. His charisma allowed me to look past cheesy and corny jokes because The Rock was fun. The years were 1998-2000 and I was a teenager. During this time, I looked at The Rock as one of the best wrestlers in the world. He had it all: mic skills, in-ring ability, charisma, and a tremendous roster of legends to work alongside. In 2001, The Rock took a few months off and appeared in The Mummy Returns. It was pretty cool and even got me to the theater to see that dumpster fire of a film. The Rock returned and everything seemed fine. Then, The Rock left after WrestleMania X8 to begin filming The Scorpion King. The Rock made it a point to appear in June for one night, pushing the “Get the F Out” slogan WWE was using at the time while burying Steve Austin after his recent departure from the company, before leaving again to continue filming his movie. The Rock returned at the conclusion of filming and immediately won the WWE Championship at Vengeance 2002 from The Undertaker. The Rock promptly lost the title to Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam 2002 and then left again.

At this point in time, I started to dislike The Rock. I saw through the condescending verbal BS spewing from his mouth every time he returned and said, “Finally The Rock has come back… home.” The lights of Hollywood got to him and he found a way to make a lot more money without the dangers of professional wrestling. That was fine with me. I cannot stress that enough - I am happy he found success in Hollywood. However, there was no reason at all for The Rock to have the red carpet immediately rolled out or the main event picture handed over to him simply because there was a three-week break in shooting. I wanted him to stop showing up to pander to the wrestling business when it was convenient. 

The Rock continued with sporadic appearances in 2003 for three months - long enough to defeat Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin before jobbing to Bill Goldberg - before disappearing again until WrestleMania season in 2004. During this time, The Rock filmed The Rundown and Walking Tall. The Rock made cameo appearances from this point on, in concurrence with a new movie to promote, from 2004 through 2007. Still appearing in credits as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, he showed a sense of pride in his wrestling background and the wrestling audience who made him a household name. Then, Johnson turned his back on the business.

In 2007, Chris Benoit murdered his wife and son before killing himself in an infamous double murder-suicide that changed WWE forever. In the immediate aftermath of this, Johnson dropped the name “The Rock” from his acting name. In professional wrestling’s darkest hour, Johnson distanced himself from the business and the people that made him a household name. Due to the film already deep into postproduction, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson appeared in Disney’s The Game Plan in September 2007. By 2008, Dwayne Johnson was on the marquee alongside Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway in Get Smart. 

I grew irritated with Johnson for this move. Sure, he stopped his appearances on WWE television to pander to the audience and promote his films. He only appeared at the 2008 Hall of Fame induction to honor his father and grandfather. Dwayne Johnson was officially a Hollywood star and his wrestling ties were over. Johnson no long appeared on WWE at his convenience to pander to the audience for a night. He was an actor and disowned the wrestling business. However, I felt it was a bit of a classless move, as I always believe in remembering where you came from. I thought Dwayne Johnson made a jerk move. It did not stop me from enjoying his work as an actor though. I enjoyed a few of his films - namely Faster and his appearance in The Other Guys. However, the majority of audiences did not.

Johnson’s efforts on the big screen made less and less with each film. Critics destroyed his efforts as stereotypical while Race to Witch Mountain, Planet 51, and Tooth Fairy all made profits due to being family-friendly features. Johnson lost his edge and it showed. In a return to the action world where Johnson’s acting career first blossomed, Faster only made a marginal profit more due to a Thanksgiving release date than any other reason.

In 2011, Johnson saw a tremendous opportunity to make his name more marketable. He took full advantage of the desperate state World Wrestling Entertainment was in and agreed to “return home.” Johnson reattached the moniker “The Rock” to his stage name beginning with Fast Five and agreed to host WrestleMania XXVII. Now an actor, WWE treated Johnson as if he was bigger than the entire business. He opened WrestleMania with a 20-minute promo and overshadowed the main event feud between WWE Champion The Miz and John Cena. The celebrity was more important than the full-time workers were. The day after WrestleMania, Cena and Johnson agreed to a match one year later. Then, Johnson disappeared again until the Survivor Series. After working one match, Johnson disappeared again until weeks before WrestleMania XXVIII. After defeating Cena at WrestleMania, Hollywood called again and Johnson went back to his day job. It was during these hiatuses where Johnson filmed Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, Snitch, Pain and Gain, and GI Joe: Retaliation.

My hatred - my intense, deep, all-encompassing hatred - for Dwayne Johnson started in 2011 with his return. Dwayne Johnson cast aside the wrestling business and the wrestling audience in 2007. Johnson did not need the wrestling business or wrestling audience anymore. The Rock was dead and gone - forever to remain a relic of his past. Then, Johnson needed that audience back. Much like trained sheep who clap with everything World Wrestling Entertainment offers, the majority of fans eagerly accepted Johnson’s return. They flocked to the theaters to see him on the big screen because the promotions on WWE RAW told them to do so. Dwayne Johnson USED the wrestling audience and business for his own gain while fans ate his insincerity like it was ice cream. 

Johnson refused to put over anyone new during his return in 2011 or 2012. The Miz never got a rub from Dwayne Johnson. R-Truth never got a rub from working with Dwayne Johnson. Despite what many say, CM Punk did NOT get a rub from working with Dwayne Johnson. That GTS on July 23rd, 2012 was overshadowed by the knowledge that it would be another six months before they fought. Dwayne Johnson’s appearances only benefit Dwayne Johnson. They only help WWE ratings and pay-per-view buys in the short term and have no impact on house show attendance - nearly three quarters of the company‘s business. What happened to WWE in April 2011 after Dwayne left? What happened in April 2012 after Dwayne left? What is going to happen in April 2013 after Dwayne leaves again? It will return to mediocrity because the Hollywood actor is going to be gone and the professional wrestler who looked weak and insignificant in comparison to the actor will be the only ones left.

I look at the WWE Championship victory of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as WWE’s David Arquette moment. In 2000, to attempt at getting mainstream press and promote the film Ready to Rumble, actor David Arquette won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. The movie flopped. After a few newspaper headlines, the move flopped as well. WCW went out of business less than a year later. This is not going to happen to WWE because the audience will not allow it. TNA Wrestling and Ring of Honor Wrestling will forever remain bastard children to an IWC full of people who grew up on WWE alone. Vince McMahon will continue to be a millionaire in spite of himself. However, WWE tarnished the WWE Championship in a way this wrestling purist cannot get past - at least not for a long, long time.

Dwayne Johnson WAS a wrestler. That was a decade ago. He is now an actor. Just because he wrestled two matches before the Royal Rumble in the last seven years, does that mean he should be the best in the world and hold the most important prize in the company - winning it straight-up without a fluke occurrence assisting him? No. If you agree, you also must agree then that Maria Menounos from Extra should win the Divas title. Basketball player Dennis Rodman and football player Kevin Greene were clearly world championship material in the late 90s. They worked more matches than Johnson in a seven-year span. As ridiculous as those notions are, Johnson as WWE Champion is on the same level.

There is nothing - I repeat NOTHING - good about Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson appearing today in World Wrestling Entertainment. For every reward he may bring the company temporarily, he is that much of a detriment in the long haul. Nobody will benefit from his time in the company but John Cena when Cena defeats Johnson for the WWE Championship on April 7th at WrestleMania XXIX. If anybody could benefit less from beating Johnson than Cena, I would love to hear that argument. 

I know that many will read this and think I am crazy. They will scoff and say I am a “hater” or I am “misguided” as they stress how Dwayne Johnson’s appearances and WWE Championship reign are good for the business. I know I am in the minority. As a professional wrestling fan who frankly despises World Wrestling Entertainment, I know what it is like to be in the minority. However, I would rather be in the minority and keep my self-respect than clap like a trained seal every time a relic from the past talks about how happy he is to be a wrestling champion again… when he actually shows up to the arena and is not too busy with his day job. I have more respect for myself - and for the professional wrestling business - than that.