Lust Hogan Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 I need some help understanding the arrangement the two had leading into their first Wrestlemania match. I understand the two didn't care too much for each other off camera. When they agreed to work together and cut promos on each other did the other guy know what was coming or was it ad-libbed live with the vibe of "Bring your best material"?? I remember the Raw when Cena called out Rock for the notes on the arm and The Rock moved into Cena's space and kinda stalked him and at the end looked as if he was struggling with his promo. Was all of that planned to make Cena look good? Are there any good articles or posts that break down the feud? I can't seem to get a handle on it......Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 During an interview with the UK Sun, Cena criticized Rock for leaving WWE and then started doing it regularly when he was asked about Rock in other interviews. He took a ton of heat for it, and it turned out it was Vince instructing him to do this because he thought he could eventually turn it into an angle. Cena eventually insisted that he stop saying this stuff in interviews because he was getting so much heat for it. I don't think Rock was happy with the comments, but I don't think it was ever a personal issue between Rock and Cena as much as it was Vince trying to work an angle that ended up succeeding. The whole idea that there was legit heat between the two was a big selling point for the match, so they tried to preserve that public perception as much as they could. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lust Hogan Posted October 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 Thanks Loss. I'm still confused on the promo structure of the feud once Cena and Vince had Rock agree to a match. Since Vince is a control freak did he know what would be said before they went to the ring? Did The Rock and Cena ad-lib being only given a general direction of what the desired result should be after the promo? I just remember the internet being lit up after Cena called out The Rock for the stuff on his arm and The Rock stumbling at the end of his promo with the "Dwayne Johnson/The Rock, The Rock/Dwayne Johnson....it doesn't matter" bit. I missed seeing it live but read up on it at PWTorch and even Keller (I think) was perplexed at how BAD The Rock looked but not in a worked kind of way but more like "Did Cena just OWN the Rock on live TV" kind of way. Did the guys have a format they followed and Cena went into business for himself a bit? Was The Rock THAT good of an actor to allow himself to be shown up like that or was he really bad with his material and/or underestimated what Cena would say on the mic? I also remember a LOT of guys were pissed at The Rock for coming in and getting the main event slot and didn't hide their feelings about him or about Cena showing him up. I think HHH even said something smart about Cena getting the best of The Rock but I might have that wrong. I'm trying to sort through what was scripted and what (if anything) was legit hatred. In comparison it seems like the rematch angles were worked better because they had some sort of mutual respect but the end match sucked. Did the guys bury the hatchet? If so, when? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 The stuff about Rock having lines on his hand was worked storyline to continue adding to the idea that they were "shooting" on each other because there was legit heat. Some lines were scripted, some were ad-libbed, but they were just working an angle and doing business. I don't think there was ever a hatchet to bury. They made people think they really hated each other to sell a match and it worked because both guys are great pros. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 I find it fascinating that in 2013, when kayfabe has been buried a long long time ago and everything is sold as "entertainment", the true selling point of a hot angle still remains "well, I know wrestling is fake, but these two truly hate each other for real.". It's pretty cool I think, because it's truly the essence of pro-wrestling in its carny old self, and that it's still alive in some form today makes me smile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NintendoLogic Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 But Vince does like to create legit heat between workers. I don't think Cena's initial comments were an attempt to start an angle so much as Vince venting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Redman Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 I think to some extent the reaction online to the Cena/Rock promos was a lot of people who were Rock/Attitude Era fans struggling to find a reason or excuse as to why Cena out-promod the supposed "best promo ever" during the build. "Cena went into business for himself" or "Vince is still mad at Rock and undermining him" or "Rock was deliberately stumbling over his lines to make Cena look better" kind of stuff. I saw it every week and it was kind of bemusing the things people would believe just to avoid saying the words "Cena was better in that promo than The Rock." There was no legit heat. They believably sold that there was legit heat by the way they worked. That's just good work. Cena and/or Vince didn't go into business for themselves. Cena and Rock both knew they were cutting personal promos on each other whether individual lines were scripted or not. Rock didn't deliberately sabotage his own promos in an effort to make Cena look like a competent promo. Cena always gives great promos when he's taken off the leash, and he never had more freedom to go nuts than here since his heel days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidebottom Posted October 5, 2013 Report Share Posted October 5, 2013 I remember mouth breathers going on at the time about Rock's promo being written down on his arm and how it was a shooooot!!! Like the WWE's shit hot production team would happen to miss that one. Two pros worked a great storyline. I just wish the go home show had a big, wild pull apart brawl - that would have made the build brilliant in my eyes and peaked interest in seeing the two FINALLY go at it for Mania. Instead it went off air with the two jaw jacking, and it seemed they cut short due to time restraints. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Redman Posted October 6, 2013 Report Share Posted October 6, 2013 Yeah, and the second match was definitely hurt by them avoiding physical contact, not to mention having less heat than before and working a face vs face "respect" angle that nobody wanted to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoo Enthusiast Posted October 6, 2013 Report Share Posted October 6, 2013 I remember mouth breathers going on at the time about Rock's promo being written down on his arm and how it was a shooooot!!! Like the WWE's shit hot production team would happen to miss that one.Yeah, this was a Wade Keller invention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lust Hogan Posted October 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2013 I thought I remember when this happened on the DVDR board that someone posted video links to The Rock cutting promos during the Attitude Era and he had writing on his wrists then as well?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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