WWE Raw Recap: Analyzing the Rock's Painfully Mediocre 'Rock Concert'

As the Rock put down the microphone and raised his fist in the air while the hot Cleveland crowd chanted his name, one simple thought crossed my mind.  

That's it?

When the WWE's Attitude Era was at its peak, I always considered myself a Steve Austin guy. The Rock was funny, unique and damn good, but just not my cup of tea. Despite that fact, I have been glad to have the Rock around for the past year, and am excited for his WrestleMania 28 main-event match against John Cena.

That said, I don't have the blinders on when watching the Rock cut a promo. I don't hate John Cena, I don't love the Rock. I appreciate good work in the ring, whether it be on the mat, or on the mic.  

Late Monday night, the Rock sported his typical style and delivery, but the fire and edge that made him the People's Champion were nowhere in sight.

I grow tired of Rocky "finally coming back" to whatever city he's in. I can smell what he's cooking, and it's a pot full of mediocre jokes that sound more likely to come out of a prepubescent boy than a Hollywood superstar like the Rock.  

It took no time at all for red flags to go off in my mind—as I wrote in the Bleacher Report Raw Live Blog—when Rock kicked off his promo on John Cena by stating that Cena was like the offspring of Vanilla Ice and the purple Teletubby.  

The Teletubbies were relevant back when the Rock was actually a real part of the WWE roster—this is 2012! How much is WWE paying the Rock to appear on Raw again?  

As if a Teletubbies reference wasn't a big enough insult to the intelligence of the non-Rock mark, he'd go on to tell us "true stories" about how John Cena wants rectal exams from his doctor, and how Rocky hooks up with Cena's mom.  

I'm not sure who's writing Rocky's stuff anymore, or if he started writing it himself, but this is embarrassing stuff. The Rock is supposed to be witty and charming; he's the "most electrifying man in all of entertainment," right?  

He wasn't any of those things last night, and in case we didn't realize it, the final segment of the "Rock Concert" sealed the deal.  

The Rock, called out just weeks ago for having notes on his arm, performed a modified singalong of "We Will Rock You." Rocky fell flat on his face, barely keeping up with the words that were in plain sight on the Titantron and outright getting them wrong at some points.  

The number of fans who ate this up shocks and disappoints me. If it were any other WWE Superstar up there, fans would be quick to grab their pitchforks and torches, and take to the streets of the Internet, calling for this Superstar's head. 

What say you, Bleachers? Has the Rock lost his touch? Do I need to lower my expectations?