The Rock hosts SNL in 2000

[MoS]

Since there is no "Comments that don't warrant a thread" thread anymore....

 

I had actually never seen this before. I had heard a lot about it though. Rock was great in it, but my personal favourite was Big Show's 3 lines. That dude has a really good comic timing. Triple H.....well, he tried, like he always does. I know he likes to pretend that he could have easily been the Hollywood superstar that Rock is, but chose wrestling over movies, but he just doesn't have it. I would actually argue that Austin has a much better and more entertaining personality and comic timing, even though in his prime, he almost never cracked jokes on-screen.

 

Anyway, since I did not even know what the internet was in 2000 - I was 7, but I am Indian - how was this received online and the wrestling journalists like Meltzer? Was it considered a seminal moment in wrestling being mainstream? Or were people rather wary of it, since wrestling may have been mainstream in the Attitude Era, but to my understanding, it was as well respected in America as the Kardashians are now. How was it received in the wider media? I know everyone connected to wrestling thinks The Rock absolutely nailed it, but for what it is worth, some YouTube comments (I know, I know) were very critical about this.

 

As an aside, it must have hurt Triple H that Rock was the main focus here, despite Hunter being the champ and scheduled to win the WM main event. I mean, they were not exactly in character: they did not break kayfabe, but they were pretty open about it.

[Jingus]

At the time, I remember the response being almost universally positive. Most smarks loved it, and most mainstream media outlets had a "whoa, that's surprising, that FAKE RASSLER is actually a pretty good comedian" sort of attitude towards the whole deal. And it was a huge deal for the WWF in terms of business and exposure, since it was the first time that any wrestler had hosted SNL since Hogan did it in the 80s.

[DMJ]

It was a huge hit with the mainstream. Definitely helped further Rock's career.

 

Less notable, though, was the impact it had on Big Show's carer. IIRC, Big Show's comedic chops inspired the WWE to turn give him the ol' "gimmick stealer" gimmick, where Show began to come out as other characters (including Hogan). Just like for Charlie Haas and Damien Sandow later on, it was a dead end creatively and only further tarnished Show's reputation post-WrestleMania (I believe he started the new comedy gimmick a few weeks after). While Show's credibility took a hit, his work on SNL did inspire the WWE and multiple TV shows (mostly on the USA Network) over the years to give him a shot in comedic roles. I'm not sure that would've happened without his scene-stealing work on SNL - I mean, it certainly didn't happen for many other WWE stars.

[flyonthewall2983]

...since it was the first time that any wrestler had hosted SNL since Hogan did it in the 80s.

 

I've watched that episode. Him and Mr. T did the skit with Billy Crystal that's kind of lived on, but that's basically it.

[Slasher]

The problem for Show is that he was so good at being somewhat self depreciative and being funny in general but his size and presence mandates that he be a serious monster heel or babyface. It was just too difficult to play both aspects of his character where they could make good money off it. Maybe there was a way to do it but the WWE never figured it out. Look at Andre. He had success in his career in movies but that came in the tail end of his career. The Princess Bride stuff wouldn't have worked for him in wrestling if he did it in 1975 or something.

[SteveJRogers]

I'd imagine that they were going for a recreation of WM 1's hype vibe, though I'd imagine Piper, Orndorff and Orton did not join the stage that night with Hogan and T.

 

Oddly enough, this was pre-Mummy Returns (does anyone remember when, or if, he took time off for filming his scenes in that movie?). I wonder if its here, on the SNL stage, more so than his one-offs on The Net and That 70's Show, that got the ball rolling in terms of Dwayne Johnson thinking acting would be a more viable profession in the long run. Or if it really was his role in The Mummy Returns and later The Scorpion King that got the ball rolling on his moving towards acting.

[thebrainfollower]

I remember groaning at seeing HHH again. I must be the only person who DIDN'T like the McMahon-Helmsley Regime and was sick to death of him even by this point.

 

I think Rock definitely hit a home run though and this played a big part in Hollywood accepting him as much as they did even early on.

[Jingus]

Oddly enough, this was pre-Mummy Returns (does anyone remember when, or if, he took time off for filming his scenes in that movie?).

From what I can tell, he didn't take any time off at all. IMDB claims the shooting schedule was from May to September in 2000, and Cagematch lists match-by-match how Rock worked a full-time schedule throughout that whole period. He must've flown in on some of his days off to film his scenes (which, admittedly, weren't very much in that movie). He supposedly spent so little time on set that he never even met Brendan Fraser during production. Compare this to his time spent shooting The Scorpion King, where he took off most of the time between Wrestlemania and Summerslam in 2001.

 

I remember groaning at seeing HHH again. I must be the only person who DIDN'T like the McMahon-Helmsley Regime and was sick to death of him even by this point.

Nah, even at that time there was still plenty of HHHate to go around. He was a lot more respected after pulling off those brutal matches with Mick Foley, but we could still tell that this guy was receiving an inexplicably strong push like no other heel in the WWF had ever received before. He was the first heel to win in the main event match of Wrestlemania, after all, and he had 75% of the McMahons on his side at that point, plus a whole horde of various wrestler henchmen.

[Strummer]

this was a legit great episode that made the WWE look relevant and cool at the time. Cold open is great. I actually think Hunter was funny here although he couldn't touch Rock or Show.

 

as an aside the monologue features a cameo from Mike Schur (creator of Parks and Rec and one of top writers on the Office). He's the guy in crutches that Hunter punches out. Schur has given signs of being a wrestling fan so I'm guessing he wrote the mono here

[Slasher]

It is tough to imagine what 2000 would have looked like if Rock was forced to take off for a few months to film. They were already missing Austin. Foley had retired by then. If Rock was gone, they would truly have no one in the main event babyface ranks. They would probably have to rush Taker's return. Or really try to push Chris Jericho sincerely which we know Triple H wouldn't have allowed that.

 

.

[artDDP]

 

Oddly enough, this was pre-Mummy Returns (does anyone remember when, or if, he took time off for filming his scenes in that movie?).

From what I can tell, he didn't take any time off at all. IMDB claims the shooting schedule was from May to September in 2000, and Cagematch lists match-by-match how Rock worked a full-time schedule throughout that whole period. He must've flown in on some of his days off to film his scenes (which, admittedly, weren't very much in that movie). He supposedly spent so little time on set that he never even met Brendan Fraser during production. Compare this to his time spent shooting The Scorpion King, where he took off most of the time between Wrestlemania and Summerslam in 2001.

Rock took a week off to film "Mummy Returns." It was the week they set up the iron-man match between he and Triple H that he wasn't happy about.

 

When Rock returned Jim Ross said he was filming in Morocco and Jerry Lawler quipped "They named a country after him?"

[Laz]

The HHHate was really sizzling up, but given how good nearly every program he was involved in was until the love triangle ended in August/September and how he had no problem working with job-tier guys and showing ass? It wasn't the raging HHHate on that he received '02-'05.

[Sidebottom]

For me, I always associated the hate with his 2002 return. He had put on so much muscle mass, he wasn't the same in the ring anymore. 2002 and particularly 2003 were bad in ring years for him where his ring work wasn't justifying his spot. Especially highlighted by Kurt Angle tearing it up on the blue side.

[BigBadMick]

 

 

Oddly enough, this was pre-Mummy Returns (does anyone remember when, or if, he took time off for filming his scenes in that movie?).

From what I can tell, he didn't take any time off at all. IMDB claims the shooting schedule was from May to September in 2000, and Cagematch lists match-by-match how Rock worked a full-time schedule throughout that whole period. He must've flown in on some of his days off to film his scenes (which, admittedly, weren't very much in that movie). He supposedly spent so little time on set that he never even met Brendan Fraser during production. Compare this to his time spent shooting The Scorpion King, where he took off most of the time between Wrestlemania and Summerslam in 2001.

Rock took a week off to film "Mummy Returns." It was the week they set up the iron-man match between he and Triple H that he wasn't happy about.

 

When Rock returned Jim Ross said he was filming in Morocco and Jerry Lawler quipped "They named a country after him?"

 

Why didn't Rock want to do the Iron man? Worked out ok in the end.

[C.S.]

I remember H bragging on Byte This (the old WWE.com internet show) that he had to lead Rock through parts of the match. He also said (either in that same appearance or another one) that watching Flair and Hogan in WCW made him embarrassed to be in the same industry. Kind of ironic, considering his later bromance with Naitch.

[Jingus]

AND his self-indulgent matches with Hogan two years later, which were booked so much like the Mania 6 main event.

[Slasher]

For me, I always associated the hate with his 2002 return. He had put on so much muscle mass, he wasn't the same in the ring anymore. 2002 and particularly 2003 were bad in ring years for him where his ring work wasn't justifying his spot. Especially highlighted by Kurt Angle tearing it up on the blue side.

Nah. 2002-2003 was the peak of HHHate, but I think of it originating all the way back in 1999. No one wanted him to be the champion and reacted with apathy and annoyance. In 2000 people hated him for retiring Mick Foley, winning at Wrestlemania when the table was set up for the Rock to win, doing that angle in April with Chris Jericho and the title switch, losing the title without actually having to be beaten (Vince or Shane was the one taking the loss), for not letting Jericho win at Fully Loaded despite Jericho being the only guy that the fans wanted to see win, refusing to lose Stephanie to Kurt Angle because his is apparently a character no woman would ever want to leave him-and also refusing to lose to Kurt, period, claiming that no one would find it credible to lose to a guy like Angle leading to a wonderful comeback by Pat Patterson calling him on his bullshit reminding him that Kurt Angle is a freaking gold medalist winning wrestler, returning to the show a mere week later after being dropped while trapped in a car like a goddamn immortal. Then you have 2001 with him going over Austin in the 3 stages of hell when Austin should have been protected for his match in the main event of Wrestlemania against Rock, refusing to turn babyface knowing perfectly well that he would have to be fed to a newly minted heel Austin, electing instead to be the 1B heel in the company. The fans were happy that as unfortunate his quad injury was they would not have to see his face on TV for a good while. Obviously most of all this is related to manipulation of the audiences to hate him as a top heel should but they are not stupid. They know he was way too massively overpushed and resented him for it.

[Bix]

 

...since it was the first time that any wrestler had hosted SNL since Hogan did it in the 80s.

 

I've watched that episode. Him and Mr. T did the skit with Billy Crystal that's kind of lived on, but that's basically it.

 

 

Yup. It's a weird episode. They replaced Steve Landesberg (who got sick) late enough for nothing to be written for them, but with enough time left in the week for Landesberg to get better and appear on the show and do his planned monologue in the middle.

[Johnny Sorrow]

It had that great pre recorded bit with Billy Crystal as a substitute teacher teaching comedy to kids.

[flyonthewall2983]

I remember hearing that Austin was tapped to host a few years earlier but it fell through.

[artDDP]

 

 

 

Oddly enough, this was pre-Mummy Returns (does anyone remember when, or if, he took time off for filming his scenes in that movie?).

From what I can tell, he didn't take any time off at all. IMDB claims the shooting schedule was from May to September in 2000, and Cagematch lists match-by-match how Rock worked a full-time schedule throughout that whole period. He must've flown in on some of his days off to film his scenes (which, admittedly, weren't very much in that movie). He supposedly spent so little time on set that he never even met Brendan Fraser during production. Compare this to his time spent shooting The Scorpion King, where he took off most of the time between Wrestlemania and Summerslam in 2001.

Rock took a week off to film "Mummy Returns." It was the week they set up the iron-man match between he and Triple H that he wasn't happy about.

 

When Rock returned Jim Ross said he was filming in Morocco and Jerry Lawler quipped "They named a country after him?"

 

Why didn't Rock want to do the Iron man? Worked out ok in the end.

 

 

He didn't want to go an hour.

[Steenalized]

The Rock is only one most hosting gig away from the 5 Timers Club too

[shakla]

For better or worse, I think Big Show's performance on this made a huge impact on the longevity he has had in WWE. Had he not done well, Show could have ended up in the scrap heap a few years later.

[EricR]

I really couldn't see the WWE ever scrapping a giant who was a fine worker, and who rarely gets injured for someone that large. I mean Khali was working matches there for NINE YEARS. I really can't see Show being in WWE for less years than Khali.

[Steenalized]

That was my thought, they'll always have a giant around if they can and Big Show is basically the best you can realistically hope for. Pretty good worker and promo, reasonably healthy, etc. Even if he never even got to the level that he did, I don't see them canning him quickly though maybe he gets tired and leaves for something else if he doesn't have a decent push.