Bix Posted September 6, 2011 Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/836663-...11-at-msg-in-ny Tag to heat up the Cena match? Punk singles? Something else that will make WM less special? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Evans Posted September 6, 2011 Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 They advertised HHH wrestling tonight but it didn't happen. I'm sure they will change the plans 20 times till Survivor series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bix Posted September 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 There's a big difference between HHH working a dark match and The Rock working a match at Survivor Series. Regardless of whether or not it happens, that it's in the ad pipeline is interesting. Are they being intentionally misleading to try to give a boost to a show that's a guaranteed sellout? Is/was there a plan for Rock to work a match on the show? Etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted September 6, 2011 Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 Way to make WM less special. Ah ah ah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjh Posted September 6, 2011 Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 Meltzer thinks it's just highly misleading advertising. I'm surprised you bought into it so much, Bix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kostka Posted September 6, 2011 Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 I don't want Rock and Cena to touch until Mania, but this is 2011. I didn't want Cena and Barrett to touch, didn't want Punk and HHH to touch, etc. With that being said, I could see Rock being apart of a Survivor Series elim tag match. You could put him on Cenas team and tease dissension rather than putting him opposed to Cena. I REALLY want to see a promo-off between Rock and Punk, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted September 6, 2011 Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 Rock should be in a big ten man tag. Best way to make it seem special but not so special as to tarnish the Mania match. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kostka Posted September 6, 2011 Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 Yeah, that's the best way to go. This way, Rock can have in-ring interactions with some other current roster guys as well as build WM28 without blowing their load on it early. I'd put Rock on Cenas team, with the story of them trying to one up and top each other, emptying their arsenals on Miz/Christian type dudes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerpride Posted September 6, 2011 Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 I think it's just misleading advertising. Everyone is reading too much into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted September 6, 2011 Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 I agree. If Rock was having a match, there would be zero ambiguity. He wouldn't be "returning to action", he'd be "returning to the ring". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffey Posted September 6, 2011 Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 It'll probably just be a run-in, Rock Bottom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyonthewall2983 Posted September 6, 2011 Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 I think he should have at least a couple of matches before Miami, to get rid of any ring rust he can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bix Posted September 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 Meltzer thinks it's just highly misleading advertising. I'm surprised you bought into it so much, Bix.It's not that I don't think it could be a misleading ad. When I saw the TV ad I thought it could very well be that and I made sure to word the article carefully and express some doubt about it. Having said that, Facebook event page says it's The Rock's "return to action after 8 years" and TheGarden.com (which I didn't check last night) says "The People's Champion-The Rock returns to action for the first time in 8 years to join John Cena and all your favorite WWE Superstars at "Survivor Series.". That's much more overt than the local TV ad was. If it's just "he will be there and will likely get involved physically," then, well, he already did that at Wrestlemania, so it wouldn't be the first time he did that in 8 years and that would just be stupid. Since his last match happened to be at MSG, why not "The Rock returns to the world's most famous arena after 8 years?" This show is not going to have any problems drawing live or on PPV. Hell, it especially goes for the live event in the building. The last MSG house show before the renovation (standard Raw line up plus HHH vs Sheamus) was easily the biggest house show of the year. This is going to be a big 4 PPV at MSG with The Rock doing SOMETHING. The show will sell out. There is no reason to do any deceptive early advertising (and the wording of the ads, especially the Facebook & MSG pages, is absolutely deceptive) for this show. Yes, it's wrestling and it's in their nature to lie even when they don't need to (I forget what it was specifically about but there was something during Linda McMahon's campaign where this was especially noticeable) but it seems really extraneous to do so here. This type of false advertising is not something that WWE has done in a very long time. All I can think of recently is merging singles matches into tags via a show-opening angle. If the last MSG show is any indication, then fans react positively to those, anyway. The Rock may not work a match on the show, but I think we need to let this play out a little more before making a definitive judgment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdw Posted September 6, 2011 Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 Special Ref? The choice of words is odd, though. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted September 6, 2011 Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 Seriously, it's Survivor series. Have him tag in for 2 mins, eliminate a guy or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJH Posted September 6, 2011 Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 Yeah. Have him do something, but I wouldn't advertise him for a full on match. Of course, he's already "done stuff" both before and at this year's WrestleMania. You could have him work in the Survivor Series match, maybe lay him out before the match so he's not there all the time, come in at the end when his partner's down 3-1 and lay out the 3, an "I've still got it" message for Cena, I guess. And, of course, it'd be another 6 months until Mania, anyway. But Mania should be his first "real" match. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjh Posted September 7, 2011 Report Share Posted September 7, 2011 Meltzer thinks it's just highly misleading advertising. I'm surprised you bought into it so much, Bix.It's not that I don't think it could be a misleading ad. When I saw the TV ad I thought it could very well be that and I made sure to word the article carefully and express some doubt about it. Having said that, Facebook event page says it's The Rock's "return to action after 8 years" and TheGarden.com (which I didn't check last night) says "The People's Champion-The Rock returns to action for the first time in 8 years to join John Cena and all your favorite WWE Superstars at "Survivor Series.". That's much more overt than the local TV ad was. If it's just "he will be there and will likely get involved physically," then, well, he already did that at Wrestlemania, so it wouldn't be the first time he did that in 8 years and that would just be stupid. Since his last match happened to be at MSG, why not "The Rock returns to the world's most famous arena after 8 years?" This show is not going to have any problems drawing live or on PPV. Hell, it especially goes for the live event in the building. The last MSG house show before the renovation (standard Raw line up plus HHH vs Sheamus) was easily the biggest house show of the year. This is going to be a big 4 PPV at MSG with The Rock doing SOMETHING. The show will sell out. There is no reason to do any deceptive early advertising (and the wording of the ads, especially the Facebook & MSG pages, is absolutely deceptive) for this show. Yes, it's wrestling and it's in their nature to lie even when they don't need to (I forget what it was specifically about but there was something during Linda McMahon's campaign where this was especially noticeable) but it seems really extraneous to do so here. This type of false advertising is not something that WWE has done in a very long time. All I can think of recently is merging singles matches into tags via a show-opening angle. If the last MSG show is any indication, then fans react positively to those, anyway. The Rock may not work a match on the show, but I think we need to let this play out a little more before making a definitive judgment. Your scepticism, which is a lot more obvious with your in depth explanation, didn't quite shine through enough for me in your original post. That might be my fault for not putting enough emphasis when reading your article on where you indicate some uncertainty. Also, my reply was a bit more blunt than I was originally playing around with in my head, adding something similar to your final sentence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Slickster Posted September 7, 2011 Report Share Posted September 7, 2011 If The Rock did a Survivor Series tag, he'd just be one of 10 guys in a match (which completely neutralizes anything that makes him special). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffey Posted September 7, 2011 Report Share Posted September 7, 2011 The Rock spoiled that he was going to be at Survivor Series months ago on Twitter anyway. It's probably just WWE subtlety trying to go along with it since the cat is out of the bag anyway. I highly doubt he'll have a match or be officially advertised for the show. Instead you'll get shit like Lawler on RAW saying "Survivor Series is going to be electrifying!" *wink, wink* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted September 7, 2011 Report Share Posted September 7, 2011 If The Rock did a Survivor Series tag, he'd just be one of 10 guys in a match (which completely neutralizes anything that makes him special). What makes him special in-ring in 2011? Hitting the rock bottom/people's elbow/punch combo. His entrance. Maybe him interacting with 4 other guys in a promo. The fact that you can say that he's wrestling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cm funk Posted September 8, 2011 Report Share Posted September 8, 2011 If Rock was in a Survivor tag match the crowd would be going crazy, chanting his name, and the roof would blow off the place when he actually tagged in. I'd say that would be pretty special. Whether or not they should do it, I don't know. Him and Cena on the same team would be pretty cool and help build to the WM match, but I can see the argument for keeping him out of the ring until WM also Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smkelly Posted September 8, 2011 Report Share Posted September 8, 2011 The thing I look at is how the WWE has been on an impulse booking binge lately. They haven't been getting the TV ratings they want. So I can see them hotshotting The Rock's return for the chance that the next Raw hits big in ratings. I hope they don't, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boondocks Kernoodle Posted September 12, 2011 Report Share Posted September 12, 2011 Dave was talking on yesterday's Observer Radio like this is going to happen. He also said that they'll probably try to get Rock to wrestle at Rumble. That probably wouldn't be such a good idea, though it does create the possibility for a fun storyline where heel COO HHH tries to call the Mania match off and the only way to ensure it is for Rock to win the Rumble and Cena to win the title back from Alberto. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjh Posted September 12, 2011 Report Share Posted September 12, 2011 I think Rock being a surprise winner of the Rumble would work if they want to do Cena vs. Rock for the title at WrestleMania. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victator Posted September 12, 2011 Report Share Posted September 12, 2011 If the Rock wants to wrestle before Mania, WWE would be stupid to say no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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