|
Post by wildojinx on Dec 17, 2021 0:28:07 GMT -5
Of course, we've all heard the narrative that the fans completely rejected babyface Rocky Maivia, but I've been watching some 1996-7 wwf and I dont hear any "Die Rocky Die" or "Rocky Sucks" chants. Now yes, the smart Internet fans didnt much care for him, but as it pertains to onscreen stuff, I dont see much rejection of him.
|
|
|
Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Dec 17, 2021 0:46:53 GMT -5
It was there
He just wasn't hitting tho as a out of touch white meat babyface. Once Vince realized he couldn't make him a star as a babyface he used the pocket of fans hatred to increase the hate with the heel turn
|
|
petef3
Don Corleone
Posts: 1,783
|
Post by petef3 on Dec 17, 2021 1:44:34 GMT -5
The WWF wasn't really in the business of booking directly to Internet smart fans in 1997, even as their philosophy changed radically. They weren't going to bring up "Die Rocky Die" and "Rocky Sucks" chants on television if they weren't there and clear and visible.
|
|
Mozenrath
FANatic
Foppery and Whim
Speedy Speed Boy
Posts: 121,133
Member is Online
|
Post by Mozenrath on Dec 17, 2021 3:10:13 GMT -5
Foley had a match with Rock, was asked his opinion, and Foley suggested they maybe cut their losses on pushing him. Yeah, it wasn't good.
|
|
|
Post by Psicofreak667 on Dec 17, 2021 6:31:43 GMT -5
At Wrestlemania 13 during the Rocky Maivia (c) vs The Sultan Intercontinental Title match, the fans were audibly cheering the Sultan over Rocky, even though the Sultan 1) was the heel, 2) was never particularly over himself.
|
|
|
Post by DiBiase is Good on Dec 17, 2021 7:03:47 GMT -5
Maybe not straight away but after a couple of months into 97, he was getting boos. He fought Mankind at In your House in April/May and there was a very noticeable cheer when Mankind put the mandible claw on him.
|
|
thecrusherwi
El Dandy
the Financially Responsible Man
Brawl For All
Posts: 7,659
|
Post by thecrusherwi on Dec 17, 2021 9:13:19 GMT -5
I think resentment of nepotism had a lot to do with it. They gave Rocky no personality and then had him go on and on about his grandpa and his dad and his family heritage. It was lame. Even if Rocky had put in hard work to get where he's at, most of us can't identify with being a 3rd generation anything. It's easy to resent the guy who gets to start halfway up a given ladder. Vince has never really understood that in his storytelling - for obvious reasons.
|
|
|
Post by Milkman Norm on Dec 17, 2021 9:52:03 GMT -5
It was there, it was noticeable, but no where near the anti-Roman stuff from 2015-17. Personally I think WWE played up the Rocky hatred after the Rock became a megastar to get over the idea that they had been out of touch but now they were with it and listening to the fans!
|
|
|
Post by Aceorton on Dec 17, 2021 9:56:42 GMT -5
At Wrestlemania 13 during the Rocky Maivia (c) vs The Sultan Intercontinental Title match, the fans were audibly cheering the Sultan over Rocky, even though the Sultan 1) was the heel, 2) was never particularly over himself. This is where the Rocky fatigue became unmistakable. There was definitely some variation of a "Die, Rocky" sign visible on camera at WM13. and having been there in attendance that night, I can tell you my entire section was pro-Sultan. Rocky got a pop when he beat Triple H for the IC belt in February, but I think that was due to surprise and people enjoying seeing Triple H getting the justice he deserved. A month later, everyone was just sick of the Young Kid Doing His Ancestors Proud act. It started out OK. "Who the hell is this new guy we've never heard of who just wiped out Crush and Goldust?" People could get behind that. Then he was booked to look like a sap who won in fluky ways.
|
|
|
Post by thegame415 on Dec 17, 2021 10:23:06 GMT -5
At Wrestlemania 13 during the Rocky Maivia (c) vs The Sultan Intercontinental Title match, the fans were audibly cheering the Sultan over Rocky, even though the Sultan 1) was the heel, 2) was never particularly over himself. This is where the Rocky fatigue became unmistakable. There was definitely some variation of a "Die, Rocky" sign visible on camera at WM13. and having been there in attendance that night, I can tell you my entire section was pro-Sultan. Rocky got a pop when he beat Triple H for the IC belt in February, but I think that was due to surprise and people enjoying seeing Triple H getting the justice he deserved. A month later, everyone was just sick of the Young Kid Doing His Ancestors Proud act. It started out OK. "Who the hell is this new guy we've never heard of who just wiped out Crush and Goldust?" People could get behind that. Then he was booked to look like a sap who won in fluky ways. That same match against HHH, there's Rocky sucks chants at the very beginning.
|
|
Venti
Unicron
Posts: 3,000
|
Post by Venti on Dec 17, 2021 11:16:52 GMT -5
It kinda sucks because I actually really like the Rocky Maivia character. I'm a sucker for the pure good guys, and I thought he was really good at that.
But it was just the wrong era for that. The people wanted rebels and badasses.
Thank God he really found his groove as a heel and became a legend.
|
|
|
Post by "Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik on Dec 17, 2021 11:57:41 GMT -5
He definitely was getting booed in some cities. It wasn't like a massive movement or anything like we saw with Reigns or Cena. The bigger problem to me was when there weren't boos, there was indifference. It just wasn't working and they smartly pivoted.
|
|
petef3
Don Corleone
Posts: 1,783
|
Post by petef3 on Dec 17, 2021 12:06:30 GMT -5
This was also 1996-97. Just the fact that there were visible/audible boos for any babyface was the rough equivalent of the Roman Reigns Rumble reaction in 2015. That wouldn't change for another year or two.
|
|
msc
Dennis Stamp
Posts: 4,462
|
Post by msc on Dec 17, 2021 12:18:04 GMT -5
It's been a while, but from memory, you can see the crowd cheering for Owen during parts of the (quite good) IC title switch match in May 97 despite Owen being one of the biggest heels on the roster and the number one heel Bret Hart being at ringside (along with Bulldog trying not to laugh at all of Owens antics on camera!).
Certainly Mankind gets cheered over him at their Cold Day in Hell match.
|
|
|
Post by jason1980s on Dec 17, 2021 12:29:02 GMT -5
I stopped watching wrestling in late 1996, early 1997 though I feel like it was only WWF because I remember lots of WCW Nitros from then. I do remember listening to the free scrambled PPV of Survivor Series 1996 but don't remember much of Rocky until he returned in Summer 1997. I kind of liked those sappy gimmicks at the time so I'm sure I would have liked Rocky Maya-Via (as JR called him). Times definitely were changing with guys like Austin and Mankind stepping things up. A character like Rocky was a bit past the times.
I am so glad that he literally became BIGGER than wrestling itself and am glad he wasn't bitter with how things went when he first started and it's always a tearjerker when he gives back to someone who helped him when he was growing up or first starting.
|
|
tafkaga
Samurai Cop
the Dogfather
Posts: 2,127
|
Post by tafkaga on Dec 17, 2021 14:36:40 GMT -5
I didn't take him seriously. He was like a dorky Tatanka.
|
|
|
Post by Cyno on Dec 17, 2021 14:58:16 GMT -5
It wasn't anything as loud as the Cena or Roman Reigns backlash, but it was significant in an era where crowds almost always went along with the heel/face alignments outside of the usual exceptions (a la Bret in Canada). Like a lot of things in WWE's revisionist history, a lot gets embellished for the sake of a better narrative. But the element was definitely there. The heel turn saved his career.
|
|
|
Post by Confused Mark Wahlberg on Dec 17, 2021 15:15:03 GMT -5
It was a rejection of pineapple hair.
It was hair-ist.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2021 15:17:00 GMT -5
Me and my friend legit thought he sucked.
I remember when he started to get over and one of those friends suddenly got super into him, I was like WTF? Then within like a few months he was as popular as Stone Cold.
|
|
|
Post by jason1980s on Dec 17, 2021 15:50:52 GMT -5
As big a Jim Ross fan as I am, I feel like some hate had to do with him. Jim was at a crossroads of his career, IMO, from his early 90s high pitch that still very much favored wrestlers who may better fit in WCW to his slower, lower pitched voice after issues with bell's palsy. A guy like Rocky, a natural athlete and of course a football player, was a Jim Ross favorite, as were Furnas and LaFon who were about 20 years too late to be of interest to WWF fans. It seemed to be Jim Ross, more than Vince, who was trying to put Rocky over.
|
|