The Rock: The People's Chump

The Rock, the Great One, the most electrifying man in sports entertainment. He is The People’s Champ. And he is also the most overrated sellout in pro wrestling history.

While all of his fans catch their collective breath and prepare to hurl a litany of insults in my direction, let me assure you of a couple things.

For starters, this is not a hate piece.

I’m not bashing Dwayne Johnson, the wrestler turned actor formerly known as The Rock. I have no stake in this, no proverbial dog in this debatable fight. I have no problem with Johnson personally, as I have never met the man, so this is strictly business.

Also, despite my opinion of the man as a character and talent, I will say this—he was a good worker.

Johnson could go. There’s no doubt about it, during his heyday in the WWE, that he was among the top five best wrestlers in the company, if not arguably THE best.

I cannot deny his talents in the ring and will not dismiss his skill and ability in his matches and on the mic.

But, as entertaining as he was, the fact is, his act became a little tired.

I’ve never heard the words monkey crap used as much in my life. Of course, constantly telling guys to shove items straight up their candy a** grew pretty stale as well. Six years of the same routine with little deviation was just too much for me.

The truth is, without his ability to work a crowd, would "The Rock" have even gotten over in the first place?

I’m not disputing the fact that a lot of times, all it takes is the right catchphrase at the right time. Stone Cold Steve Austin and Degeneration X are prime examples of that.

But unlike Johnson, Shawn Michaels was recognized for his ability in the ring long before the Heartbreak Kid persona was created. Granted, having an enhanced character and personality helped push Michaels further up the ladder. But he didn’t need a total character change in order to be taken seriously as a wrestler.

Another difference between Michaels and Johnson is the fact that, like Austin, Micheals had to work for his spot in the company.

Michaels and Austin came up the hard way. They paid their dues in the business, started off at the lowest level, and worked their way up. They each earned every accomplishment they gained in the WWE.

The Rock was trained, joined the USWA, and then moved on to the WWE. All of this happened in 1996.

The Rock, with his attitude, his smirk, and his good looks, was custom made for “sports entertainment.”

He was a raw, inexperienced rookie who was fed into the WWE machine and rolled off of the Superstar assembly line. He was manufactured, and consistently pushed, by Vince McMahon and he became famous because he insulted the fans and cursed other wrestlers.

He did nothing to get to the level that he attained. I had a problem with it then and I have a problem with it now.

Accepting that he became a part of the WWE and had permanently gained main event status, I was willing to let it go and just take it for what it was. But, then he left for Hollywood and my opinion once again began to sour.

Yes, it’s easy to attack Johnson for his decision to leave the business for the big screen. After all, is a worker supposed to stay in the ring until he’s in his sixties, and can’t walk because of a dozen different operations?

Is he required to do all of that, and endure the constant pain that comes along with that life, while watching his money dwindle away because he’s hanging around for one more “last” run? Is that life necessary for fans to consider that guy a legend and embrace him as someone with true heart for the business? Of course not.

But to still consider this guy one of the greatest of all time, when he was only in the business for six years full time, is something that I just can’t accept.

And the fact that some fans are so anxious to see him come back that they are convinced that he is the mystery general manager on RAW when it’s obvious that he’s done with wrestling, is just too much.

No, I do not expect Johnson to spend the rest of his days hobbling around in a wrestling ring in some small town American Legion Hall. I don’t begrudge a wrestler moving on and doing better financially for himself and his family. Go with God.

But the fact is, Johnson was a football player who was not picked up by the NFL and decided to fall back on the one sport that, thanks to his father and grandfather, he had an open door to—pro wrestling.

Once he got there, he did his part and became good in the ring, and established himself. Then, the bright lights of Hollywood began to shine in his direction and he saw his way out.

I’m a wrestling fan. First and foremost. If The Rock had stuck around in a non-wrestling role, perhaps as a booker, or an on air personality, then great, do your part and give back to the business that made you. I respect that.

However, the truth is, he used the business to get famous and then he took off.

I can appreciate what he accomplished in the ring, but I cannot recognize him as being one of the greatest of all time with a true love for the sport. That’s not him. And I simply can’t do it.

If you smell what The Tom…never mind.