Each week, the ISB endeavors to enlighten our readers by offering the unedited words of the Warrior Scholars of the squared circle, for who among us cannot benefit from the wisdom of Macho Madness, Hulkamania, or the American Dream? The instruction we offer should be considered carefully, meditated on, and applied to one’s own life for the enrichment of the self and others.
I don’t claim to know much about wrestling, but gosh-darn it, I have always liked the Rock’s particular brand of smack-talk!
Well, you’re not alone Tim C; there’s no way Dwayne would’ve became as popular as he did based purely on his (non) ability to wrestle.
The Rock has to be the best ever working a mic.
I don’t know where this “Rock can wrestle” bollocks started, but it really needs to end now. Yes, he’s not as good as Flair or Hart or Michaels, but he’s not Sid, Nash or Luger either. He’s an above average wrestler who can work a classic with the right opponent, and adapts well to whoever he’s wrestling. Seriously, go check out his matches with HHH at Judgment Day 2000, Angle at No Way Out 2001 or Jericho at No Mercy 2001 and then STILL tell me he can’t wrestle.
With that off my chest, I will say that this is one of my favourite Rock promos. Chris picked out the best bit for here, but I do love his line about how Hunter got his push: “You’ve got a two foot nose, you turn it sideways and you stuck it straight up VINCE MCMAHON’S ASS!”
Also, best Cole put down is from Royal Rumble 2000: “Have a tall, frosty glass of SHUT UP JUICE!”
That would be “Rock can’t wrestle”. Rather underminded my own point there.
“They kept you at the bottom of the barrel because you absolutely suck.” See, that sounds like the kind of thing I’d hear in real life, which makes me wonder if life is becoming more like Wrestler Wisdom, or if Wrestler Wisdom is becoming more like real life. I’m not sure either option is good.
OK, I’ll just come out and say it: I enjoyed The Tooth Fairy.
(Certainly more than Mr. Nanny or Suburban Commando.)
“Rudy-poo”. Man, I love the Rock.
haha i actually remember watching this one
I forgot about “Rudy Poo.” He lifted it from “Iceman” King Parsons, but he made better use of it.
And yes, Rock absolutely could wrestle. He wasn’t a guy who could carry a shit opponent to a great match, but it’s also not like all his good matches were the result of hard work from his opponent. Quite frankly he didn’t even need to be a good wrestler given how much he connected with the crowd, but he definitely was.
All right, I’ll admit he’s better than some and maybe even better than average (given a big sample group) but it doesn’t change my opinion that his massive popularity was more about his personality… which holds true to quite a few of the really big name superstars now I think about (especially those who’s popularity transcends wrestling into general pop culture, like Hogan). Which is far from saying he didn’t deserve his popularity. I love the Rock. I used to ask people what they thought about something only to tell them `It Doesn’t Matter What You Think!” all the time, back in the day ;). I might start doing that again…
Do it, Earl. Do it and report back. Do it for THE ROCK.
The Rock NOT being in the WWE is one of the main reasons I don’t watch any more.
“Turn that sumbitch sideways and stick it straight up your candy ASS!”
Adler, tried it on my wife. Didn’t go down so well. Then again, you thought it was going to go bad for me, didn’t you?
It Doesn’t Matter What You Think!
Nothing will ever beat the glory of The Rock’s rock concerts.
Seriously, at one time WWE had the Rock AND Stone Cold Steve Austin AT THE SAME TIME AND THEY SPOKE! Plus they had wrestlers like Angle (before he went crazy), Jericho, others-who-can’t-be-mentioned-because-they-DID-go-crazy… it was a few years of awesome-sauce.