WWE: The Rock Isn't the Problem or the Solution, It Comes Down to Creative

One of the days’ top news items is based on a statement from Stone Cold Steve Austin that he believes The Rock has earned the right to “come and go as he wants,” according to an interview with The LAW (h/t Wrestling Inc.)

It’s not a groundbreaking sentiment, but hearing it come from the mouth of Rock’s chief rival and contemporary, one of the biggest and most respected stars in the industry’s history, it resonates with many.

This comes on the heels of various reports claiming that The Rock is not popular backstage (here from one anonymous wrestler via PWInsider.com, h/t WrestleZone and another from Wresting Observer, h/t 411mania.com). The anonymous wrestler claimed that he’s a prima donna that doesn’t associate with the talent and that he backed up Cena's comments in the shoot interview last month.

Now, understand that this is still professional wrestling. As a fanbase, we are conditioned to question the legitimacy of everything. This is the company that pushes employees to get on Twitter and post in character. In most cases, even media appearances are done in character. I’m fairly confident much of the backstage rumblings are an example of the WWE working the IWC.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that members of the full-time roster shouldn’t be frustrated with their current situation. If there is any animosity regarding the development of this year’s WrestleMania card, it shouldn’t be directly attributed to The Rock. It shouldn’t be directed at Triple H or Undertaker.

It needs to be directed at Vince McMahon and his resistance to building new stars in the same vein he allowed these mega draws of yesteryear rise to their current prominence.

I have no problem with The Rock being in the main event at WrestleMania this year. I don’t even mind him announcing that he’ll be involved in the show next year in New Jersey. I hope to attend that show and my experience would greatly benefit from The Great One’s participation.

The greater concern is that the company is overly reliant on the Rock to draw a buyrate, while neglecting to develop the “next Rock,” the “next Austin” or the “next Triple H." 

This spins into the news from weeks ago that the company is concerned about the lack of star power currently on the roster. This sounds like a giant “well duh” to this readership, but apparently years of building each and every episode around John Cena, gutting the midcard and removing the importance of the tag titles has finally caught up with them.

We see a talented group of performers. Ziggler, Rhodes, Del Rio, Swagger, Ryder, Kofi and the bunch can be that next generation if given the time. Nobody thought when Triple H was a Connecticut snob and Steve Austin was a bald Million Dollar Man that they’d be the all-time greats we see today. There are golden nuggets littered through the roster that just need to be unleashed.

So we need to ignore the pumped up fluff soundbites about how the “Rock acts entitled” or “Rock draws, so shut it,” and recognize that the issue isn’t whether or not the Rock on the card, but how is it detracting from attention given to the rest of the roster.