Pros and Cons of The Rock's Rumored WrestleMania 31 Opponents
The first brick of the road to WrestleMania 31 has yet to be laid, but speculation swirls around who The Rock may clash with at the premier event.
Triple H, Brock Lesnar and Rusev have all been named as possible foes. There's a case to be made for each man.
With as rare as a match featuring The Great One is and with WrestleMania being the biggest stage in the business, who the former world champ faces is a major decision. One can either go the route of having him face old rivals or a new adversary, play it safe or be bold.
There's no guarantee that The Rock will step between the ropes at Levi's Stadium in California. But he's a far safer bet than Stone Cold Steve Austin or CM Punk making it to The Granddaddy of Them All.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestling Inc), there is a good chance that The Rock works next year's WrestleMania. The report does bring up concerns that movie producers will have about The Brahma Bull getting injured. Don't tell that to WWE fans, though.
Until the WrestleMania match list is finalized, rumors are going to circulate, especially when it comes to an all-time great like The Rock.
Rusev
Rusev's latest America-trashing session inspired The Rock to make an unexpected appearance. To the delight of fans at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., The Rock tossed out an array of catchphrases, insulted Lana and Rusev and eventually tossed The Bulgarian Brute out of the ring.
That was ample fuel for rumors of a future collision between The Rock and Rusev.
Backstage news added to that. F4WOnline reports (h/t Wrestling Inc) that WWE officials wanted to keep Rusev strong and had The Rock avoid hitting him with a Rock Bottom or The People's Elbow. The report also notes that while a Rock vs. Rusev match is doubtful, it could be a possibility at WrestleMania.
It's a possibility that would change Rusev's career forever.
Pros
Being paired with The Rock at WrestleMania instantly puts Rusev on a higher tier. That battle is a valuable opportunity that every other emerging star will be envious of.
The Rock's last five WrestleMania opponents are as follows:
- WrestleMania 29—John Cena
- WrestleMania XXVIII—John Cena
- WrestleMania XX (teamed with Mick Foley)—Ric Flair, Batista and Randy Orton
- WrestleMania XIX—Steve Austin
- WrestleMania X8—Hulk Hogan
That's a total of three current Hall of Famers, two future locks in Orton and Cena and a strong candidate for future induction in Batista. Putting Rusev on that same list adds to his star power and provides him with a career highlight, win or lose.
The Rock facing Rusev is a means to build toward the future.
If Rusev were to knock off The Rock, he would charge forward armed with incredible momentum. WWE would be using The Great One's star power as a means to elevate an up-and-comer.
Multiply what defeating Chris Jericho did for Fandango by 100.
It's a fresh, unexpected matchup that will have fans curious. They'll be wondering if WWE would actually have Rusev win, or if he would be able to thrive in that hot of a spotlight against that huge of a star.
Cons
The Rusev option is the most risky.
There's no guarantee that this match would increase viewership. Fans may not be invested enough in Rusev to see him battle The Rock.
WWE can't be sure Rusev can deliver in this spot either.
Lesnar and Triple H have spent much of their careers in the headlining spot. They are proven commodities; Rusev is a powerhouse with potential.
There will be questions as to whether Rusev can lead the way in this match. The Rock would be better suited tangling with a ring general. It would be two years since his last match.
Can the rookie Rusev handle the pressure that this bout will bring? Will fans respond to the idea of it with a collective shrug?
The uncertainty of how those questions will be answered will have WWE approach this potential match with caution.
Brock Lesnar
A match many thought they would see at WrestleMania 30 gave way to Lesnar toppling The Undertaker while The Rock sat at home.
When the next WrestleMania arrives, Vince McMahon is reportedly thinking of having these two go at it, having two of the biggest stars in wrestling history collide. According to a report from F4WOnline in August (h/t PWMania), McMahon was pushing for Lesnar to face The Rock, while Triple H preferred to have Roman Reigns take on Lesnar.
The reasons McMahon would be leaning in that direction are plentiful.
Pros
Both The Rock and Lesnar are stars beyond the wrestling world. The Rock's acting career and Lesnar's UFC run make both men more famous than anyone on WWE's current roster.
Add both men's part-time status, and this match feels mighty special.
It's the kind of grand spectacle that WrestleMania is all about. It's a clash between two former cornerstones of the franchise.
There's a history between the men to exploit as well. Lesnar became the youngest world champ in company history when he defeated The Rock at SummerSlam 2002.
Over a decade later, each man's legend has grown. For them to revisit that rivalry assures WWE a multitude of eyes on its biggest shows of the year. Placing two proven draws at the top of the card makes plenty of sense financially.
Cons
What does WWE do with the world title if The Rock wins it? It's already been tough having Lesnar come and go as champ. Fans aren't going to be thrilled about another part-timer taking home the gold.
And while this match promises success in the present, it does nothing for the future.
Both Lesnar and The Rock are likely to be gone after this, maybe for good. WWE would have then given barrelfuls of hype to a pair of wrestlers that won't be competing on its programming afterward.
When WrestleMania 32 comes around, WWE will be in desperate need of marquee names. If it can't fulfill that need by signing short-term solutions again, it has few options to choose from.
Having Reigns face Lesnar at least gives the rising talent a chance to become a megastar. Going with Rusev vs. The Rock helps the former to continue his ascension. Lesnar wrestling The Rock instead potentially robs two up-and-comers of major opportunities.
Triple H
Add Triple H's name to the list of potential opponents for The Rock. According to F4WOnline (h/t WrestleZone) is discussing the possibility of having The Rock face Triple H in WrestleMania 31's main event.
The COO planted the faintest of hints that their long rivalry isn't over. In an interview with Michael Cole, Triple H said that it is "tough to turn off the competitive juices between" him and The Rock.
Does that translate to a showdown at WrestleMania? There's certainly no shortage of history to build upon there.
Pros
Rusev and The Rock have only been enemies for a few days. Lesnar and The Rock have had just a few confrontations. Triple H, though, has shared bad blood with The Brahma Bull for over a decade.
Their feud goes back to the '90s.
That makes another match between them one that would bring back a flood of memories. The promo video for that bout could flash back to their Ladder Match, battles inside a cage and the main event of the first SmackDown.
No one on the roster has that kind of history with The Rock.
Like Lesnar, Triple H is a reliable option. He's a household name, a WrestleMania veteran and a star who would help WWE bring in the casual fan.
Plus, it promises to be an entertaining match. Their chemistry over the years has been great. WWE knows full well the kind of explosive power combining these elements has.
Cons
We've seen this movie before. It's been awhile since they have met in the ring, but Triple H and The Rock have battled so many times over the years that there's a feeling of deja vu surrounding this matchup.
The same argument against The Rock taking on Lesnar—it doing nothing for today's stars—applies here as well. Last year, Triple H aided Daniel Bryan's career by losing to him.
A fight with The Rock means that both he and The Great One can't elevate anyone else in that same way.
A Triple H vs. The Rock match means there is one less spot on the card for Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Cesaro, Rusev, Seth Rollins and any of the NXT prospects who debut between now and then.
If that bout were to be the main event of WrestleMania 31, that robs Reigns of a potential chance to be in that spot for the first time.
If The Rock does decide to return to the ring, WWE has a number of paths it can send him down. One road is a familiar one, the sure bet lined with star power. Elsewhere, WWE can go down uncharted territory with him, having him to encounter a gladiator who he has yet to clang swords with.
And then of course, there's always the option of having him go up against Cena again, for a Thrice in a Lifetime matchup.
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