For those that think Rock's holding back on Cena:

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

I don't think there's anything else he can get on Cena about that hasn't been thrown at him aleady.

He's called him every humiliating name he can think up, he's finally started defending himself against Cena's (unwarranted) sellout accusations, and he's pointed out Cena's own attempts at making movies more than once.

Also, numerous heels have already accused Cena of being "shoved down people's throats", and Punk's called him a boy scout and a kiss-ass (which were reiterated in video packages). Hell, HHH once criticized his wrestling skill on-camera. Combine all that with the "Cena Sucks" tees, and you've got yourself one deconstructed character.

We already know that WWE want Rock and Cena to be on equal footing after Rock's held the momentum for a while. But I don't see how they're throwing Rock under the bus to do it. In fact, I think this has been some of Rock's best promo work in quite some time. The writers are just giving Cena more opportunities to respond, and he's stepping up to the occasion. They're not pushing him up to a level he doesn't belong at, he's pulling himself up there.

Keep in mind that this is John Cena we're talking about, not Billy Gunn. Whether or not you support his argument (I think it's got a lot of flaws myself), he's at least on par with Jericho as far as mic skill, and both of them are capable of not letting Rock crush them and holding their own.

So unless Rock logs on these forums, prints out some "Cena is a Dick" transcripts and nitpicks each little failing on Cena's part, he's used up most of the juicy stuff. And it'd just be plain stupid of him to argue that Cena was advocating wrestlers working themselves into the ground, as he'd look like less of a tough guy.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

I don't believe either of these two are using a script. I believe they were told to go out and sell the feud. Cena is winning. They got a few points to sell to the crowd, but Cena is just better at the moment.

[Jedi-El of Tomorrow]

Mar 6, 2012 6:29:48 GMT -5 Clash, Never a Meter Maid said:

Keep in mind that this is John Cena we're talking about, not Billy Gunn. Whether or not you support his argument (I think it's got a lot of flaws myself), he's at least on par with Jericho as far as mic skill, and both of them are capable of not letting Rock crush them and holding their own.

Yeah, I think people are forgetting that from late 2002 to July-August 2005, Cena was an IWC darling. Hell I'd say from 2003 to November 2004 (when Batista's push was starting out), Cena was the hottest guy in the WWE, and a big reason was his mic skills. And Cena has had constant time to deliver promos, so there's no rust.

Rock's not going against a guy that can't hold his own on the mic. He's going against Cena.

[CM Parish]

Rock is NOT holding back and is NOT being told to. Anyone who thinks so is a complete and utter idiot.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Mar 6, 2012 7:43:09 GMT -5 CM Parish said:

Rock is NOT holding back and is NOT being told to. Anyone who thinks so is a complete and utter idiot.

Pretty much, even if harsh.

[hossfan]

It really has gotten to the point where Cena is in Rock's head and not the other way around, and between now Rocky has to say or do something to turn the tables, if only to further tease the Cena heel turn a lot of people expect/hope to see at Wrestlemania.

I'm just at a loss at what can be said to do it. Punk ticked him off by pointing out he's not the underdog, but Rock can't do that. I think it would be interesting to see how Cena reacts if Rock starts focussing more on the wrestling side of their match, and how Cena has everything to lose if he can't beat him in Miami. And then point out how Rock has defeated guys like the Undertaker, Austin, and Hogan, whose legacies John can't even sniff.

[Allie Kitsune]

Mar 6, 2012 7:50:50 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

Mar 6, 2012 7:43:09 GMT -5 CM Parish said:

Rock is NOT holding back and is NOT being told to. Anyone who thinks so is a complete and utter idiot.

Pretty much, even if harsh.

It wouldn't be an internet wrestling message board without calling everyone who disagrees with you "stupid", "idiot", etc.

[CM Parish]

Mar 6, 2012 7:50:50 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

Mar 6, 2012 7:43:09 GMT -5 CM Parish said:

Rock is NOT holding back and is NOT being told to. Anyone who thinks so is a complete and utter idiot.

Pretty much, even if harsh.

Mar 6, 2012 8:03:29 GMT -5 Allie Kitsune said:

Mar 6, 2012 7:50:50 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

Pretty much, even if harsh.

It wouldn't be an internet wrestling message board without calling everyone who disagrees with you "stupid", "idiot", etc.

Sorry, i'm not normally that guy but this argument is really angering me. It just smacks of desperation from blind Cena haters and Rock fanboys. I'm a fan of both guys so i'm happy that I can look at it right down the middle.

[Allie Kitsune]

Mar 6, 2012 8:09:03 GMT -5 CM Parish said:

Mar 6, 2012 7:50:50 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

Pretty much, even if harsh.

It wouldn't be an internet wrestling message board without calling everyone who disagrees with you "stupid", "idiot", etc.

Sorry, i'm not normally that guy but this argument is really angering me. It just smacks of desperation from blind Cena haters and Rock fanboys. I'm a fan of both guys so i'm happy that I can look at it right down the middle. [/quote]

Actually, my response has nothing to do with me taking a side, this time around.

I just get annoyed at the need people seem to have to call other people on these boards stupid.

[frogsplash45]

People that think that the Rock secretly owns a pencil factory in Alaska are complete and total morons...



Sorry... what I meant to say is that I acknowledge their opinions, but respectfully disagree.

[HardKore]

Whether the Rock is holding back or not, the Rock getting flustered the other week and having notes on his wrist was just to make Cena look better, they were done deliberately to make Cena look more real than The Rock.

NOTHING in this feud so far hasn't been carefully planned and worked out to get the response that the WWE wants.

Cena isn't turning heel or anything the WWE and The Rock wants the WWE Universe to turn on the Rock, to do this they need to make Cena look better than the Rock and they need the Rock to look fake and phoney and packaged

I half expected Cena to show out-takes from the Rocks promo's from earlier with the Rock flubbing his lines and misreading of off a Autocue.

The point of the all the promos and stuff so far is to cement in the minds of the WWE Universe that ROCK = FAKE and PHONEY and CENA = 4REAL.

Now I am just a self confessed Cena 'hater' so what do I know.

[PrinceD]

I think i'm at that point where i don't care if it's real or fake....it's just damn entertaining.

[SEAN CARLESS]

Mar 6, 2012 8:03:29 GMT -5 Allie Kitsune said:

Mar 6, 2012 7:50:50 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

Pretty much, even if harsh.

It wouldn't be an internet wrestling message board without calling everyone who disagrees with you "stupid", "idiot", etc.

That line of insult usually stems from a person's frustration and need to have their opinion validated at all costs. The level of snark that some people have for what, to me, is obvious in the booking, is kind of hilarious. It's like as much they depict the Rock fans being unable to accept CENA'S BASE SUPERIORITY IN PROMOS WRITTEN FOR HIM BY THE SAME GUY WHO WRITES ROCK'S, (as if its an actual straight-up shoot, and not a carefully cultivated layer of booking decisions in the best long-term interest of the company), they somehow, someway desperately crave said "victory" from their guy to validate their own insecurity over the whitewashed, homogenized and manufactured era they personally identify with. CENA BEATING ROCK = "My generation wins and actually means something! *I* mean something!!!!"

The same line of thinking can be used for the super Rock fans, too. Except, that Rock's generation was kind of better, all around.

All kidding aside, and as for the topic at hand, I’m going to just repost (and tweak) a bit of what I said in another thread:

The funny thing with this whole Cena build is that this is NOT the same Cena they've pushed the last few years, let alone the one so many turned against. The person Rock degraded originally last year WAS a pandering, corporate favorite, that also spewed catchphrases and took nothing seriously. WWE has done so much damage control on Cena in the last 4 weeks to undo this that it's hilarious. It's like in an attempt to even the playing field, they've exposed the weaknesses in Rock's character, while presenting a completely different Cena entirely, as if this "I'm suddenly black now!" instead "LOUD NOISES!" version was who he always was.

Had Cena been more this way the ENTIRE TIME, however, (serious, actually funny when it matters), instead of a goofy PR shill, not as many people would have turned on him in the first place. If anything, Rock should feel a small level of victory in being a key component in the death/removal of one the phoniest/most manufactured characters in years. For a guy who said he'd never change who he was, that's exactly what Cena did. Luckily, it was at least partially into what people liked originally.

[linecookguy]

Are you guys serious, this is WWE, everything is scripted, everything has blocking and time constraints. You think The Rock goes out there with no clue of what Cena is going to say? You think Cena goes out there blindley and has no clue of the rocks talking points..

This match will be epic because they've had a year to book the hell out of it. Hopefully.

Would love to see the Cena heel turn finally

[joebob27]

It's totally booked. It's see through at this point. Basically they denied the crowd what they wanted to see to put heel heat on Rock. Even better, they bait and switched. Gave the Rock during the pre-tapes and then gave "I" and "me" live. Problem is this doesn't give Cena more face heat.

And then you got Cena changing voices 3 or 4 times during his promo.

Let's see if they can drag this out long enough to kill it.

[Hawk Hart]

Mar 6, 2012 8:09:03 GMT -5 CM Parish said:

Mar 6, 2012 7:50:50 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

Pretty much, even if harsh.

It wouldn't be an internet wrestling message board without calling everyone who disagrees with you "stupid", "idiot", etc.

Sorry, i'm not normally that guy but this argument is really angering me. It just smacks of desperation from blind Cena haters and Rock fanboys. I'm a fan of both guys so i'm happy that I can look at it right down the middle. [/quote]

Maybe I am both stupid and an idiot but I don't see how it "smacks of desperation" if, after all the years of Rock hands down winning at least 90% or verbal sparring matches, people find it a bit hard to believe that the Rock is lagging behind Cena. I'm not saying that Cena is bad on the mic, I'm just saying we expect more from the Rock.

[Allie Kitsune]

Mar 6, 2012 8:54:42 GMT -5 SEAN CARLESS said:

All kidding aside, and as for the topic at hand, I’m going to just repost (and tweak) a bit of what I said in another thread:

The funny thing with this whole Cena build is that this is NOT the same Cena they've pushed the last few years, let alone the one so many turned against. The person Rock degraded originally last year WAS a pandering, corporate favorite, that also spewed catchphrases and took nothing seriously. WWE has done so much damage control on Cena in the last 4 weeks to undo this that it's hilarious. It's like in an attempt to even the playing field, they've exposed the weaknesses in Rock's character, while presenting a completely different Cena entirely, as if this "I'm suddenly black now!" instead "LOUD NOISES!" version was who he always was.

Had Cena been more this way the ENTIRE TIME, however, (serious, actually funny when it matters), instead of a goofy PR shill, not as many people would have turned on him in the first place. If anything, Rock should feel a small level of victory in being a key component in the death/removal of one the phoniest/most manufactured characters in years. For a guy who said he'd never change who he was, that's exactly what Cena did. Luckily, it was at least partially into what people liked originally.

Actually, that's the one that has really annoyed me about Cena during this feud, and I've brought that up in threads before as well.

Cena made such a big deal about being proud of being the kid friendly hero when this feud started, and yet he's distancing himself from it as much as possible, when the Rock is concerned.

And for whatever reason, whether it's booking or whatever, Rock won't point that out.

Also, off on a minor tangent. Didn't he say he was never going to let Cena Sr. into the building for a WWE show ever again?

[joebob27]

It also goes both ways, notice when Rock went on about how big he was and how he was gonna rip Cena's throat out, they shot from an angle and Cena was standing in a way that made Rock look much bigger than him?

Totally scripted 1,000%

[PTBartman]

Mar 6, 2012 7:59:34 GMT -5 hossfan said:

It really has gotten to the point where Cena is in Rock's head and not the other way around, and between now Rocky has to say or do something to turn the tables, if only to further tease the Cena heel turn a lot of people expect/hope to see at Wrestlemania.

I'm just at a loss at what can be said to do it. Punk ticked him off by pointing out he's not the underdog, but Rock can't do that. I think it would be interesting to see how Cena reacts if Rock starts focussing more on the wrestling side of their match, and how Cena has everything to lose if he can't beat him in Miami. And then point out how Rock has defeated guys like the Undertaker, Austin, and Hogan, whose legacies John can't even sniff.

It's not what he can say so much what he can do. Prior to Mania, (Teddy, Johnny or whomever) makes a six man tag Cena, Kofi and Truth against Rock and two partners of his choosing. Rock comes down cut's a quick promo and introduces his first partner, Bull Buchanon...who Tells "#GhanaGetGot" Bad things happen to people who trust Cena.

Rock gets the Mic back and Says "The Rock's other partner is..."

"OHHHHH RADIO...."

[flatsdomino]

Mar 6, 2012 8:54:42 GMT -5 SEAN CARLESS said:

Mar 6, 2012 8:03:29 GMT -5 Allie Kitsune said:

It wouldn't be an internet wrestling message board without calling everyone who disagrees with you "stupid", "idiot", etc.

That line of insult usually stems from a person's frustration and need to have their opinion validated at all costs. The level of snark that some people have for what, to me, is obvious in the booking, is kind of hilarious. It's like as much they depict the Rock fans being unable to accept CENA'S BASE SUPERIORITY IN PROMOS WRITTEN FOR HIM BY THE SAME GUY WHO WRITES ROCK'S, (as if its an actual straight-up shoot, and not a carefully cultivated layer of booking decisions in the best long-term interest of the company), they somehow, someway desperately crave said "victory" from their guy to validate their own insecurity over the whitewashed, homogenized and manufactured era they personally identify with. CENA BEATING ROCK = "My generation wins and actually means something! *I* mean something!!!!"

The same line of thinking can be used for the super Rock fans, too. Except, that Rock's generation was kind of better, all around.

All kidding aside, and as for the topic at hand, I’m going to just repost (and tweak) a bit of what I said in another thread:

The funny thing with this whole Cena build is that this is NOT the same Cena they've pushed the last few years, let alone the one so many turned against. The person Rock degraded originally last year WAS a pandering, corporate favorite, that also spewed catchphrases and took nothing seriously. WWE has done so much damage control on Cena in the last 4 weeks to undo this that it's hilarious. It's like in an attempt to even the playing field, they've exposed the weaknesses in Rock's character, while presenting a completely different Cena entirely, as if this "I'm suddenly black now!" instead "LOUD NOISES!" version was who he always was.

Had Cena been more this way the ENTIRE TIME, however, (serious, actually funny when it matters), instead of a goofy PR shill, not as many people would have turned on him in the first place. If anything, Rock should feel a small level of victory in being a key component in the death/removal of one the phoniest/most manufactured characters in years. For a guy who said he'd never change who he was, that's exactly what Cena did. Luckily, it was at least partially into what people liked originally.

Bingo.

Maybe they let Punk and Cena work without scripts in the lead-up to Money in the Bank.

But if you think that Vince McMahon, the ultimate control freak, is letting Rock and Cena just go out there completely unscripted in the buildup to the BIGGEST MATCH IN THE HISTORY OF HIS COMPANY, you're dead wrong. Every step of this is carefully laid out, and with VERY good reason.

OF COURSE they're trying to make Cena look good. The Rock wiped the floor with him in 2011 any time they got close to one another. Seriously, the booking last year was so one-sided that Cena looked like a joke; now Cena gets two weeks on the Rock and people act like it's an HHH-Jericho burial. I might not like it, and I might find Cena's character to be wholly unlikable, but it's gotta be booked evenly, or there's no interest. And what Cena getting the upper hand has done is certainly create interest.