Is The Rock the greatest entertainer in WWE history?
Is The Rock the greatest entertainer in WWE history?
The Rock’s swansong on Monday Night Raw before returning to Hollywood was an enthralling reminder of why he is arguably the greatest entertainer in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) history.
The Rock’s predictably triumphant return
Before this segment on Raw, the 51-year-old did, of course, play an integral role in capturing the public’s attention during the build-up to WrestleMania XL. The Rock even delivered a vintage performance on the first night of the event when he teamed up with Roman Reigns in a tag team match against Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins.
The Rock and Reigns would win the match with the former pinning Rhodes following an electrifying delivery of The People’s Elbow.
Remarkably, The Rock’s physical performance at the Lincoln Financial Field was as impressive as it was in 1996 when he first joined what was then the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
Now, 28 years later and The Rock has also become renowned for his compelling storytelling ability which as touched on, was on display when he came face-to-face with Rhodes during his last WWE cameo for the foreseeable future.
Walking the walk and talking the talk
The new WWE Universal Champion had barely finished chronicling his rise to the top on Monday Night Raw when the strains of ‘Face Off’ began blaring out the speakers at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
With The Rock sauntering down to the ring, most fans thought that revenge was on the cards after WrestleMania but instead, the 51-year-old stole the show through his eloquence and not his wrestling.
Indeed, The Rock earnestly congratulated Rhodes on his win while going on to speak emotionally about the belt Lonnie, Muhammad Ali’s widow, recently gave him.
The Rock added that when he returned, he was coming for Rhodes whether he was the champion or not.
At this stage, the crowd’s jeers were almost deafening as the Rock’s tone changed to menacing but in a final twist, The Rock handed Rhodes something and told him ‘not to break his heart again’ which saw an eerie hush descend over the arena.
Coverage ended at this point and fans were none the wiser to the exchanged object.
A master of his craft
It was a masterpiece by The Rock who skillfully put the foundations in place for a feud with Rhodes upon his return.
It is undoubtedly a shame that wrestling fans will now see the back of ‘The People’s Champion’ who returns to Tinseltown to begin a new project.
In essence, these last few months have moved the needle in terms of jaw-dropping narratives and that is largely thanks to The Rock’s execution when he has a mic in his hand.
To that end, it was no surprise that WrestleMania XL was the highest-grossing pay-per-view in the history of the company when you consider that The Rock was front and center of the plot in the lead-up.
Absolutely blown away.
Love you back.
THANK YOU.Pro wrestling is in my blood.
Respect, passion, grit, love.
4L– Final Boss @HYPEBEAST @WWE @TKOGrp pic.twitter.com/0AIn76hA7Z
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) April 11, 2024
While the overall viewing numbers were incredibly positive, there might be a question to ask whether the WWE can still afford for one of its biggest names to disappear at such a critical time when competition for eyeballs is so fierce.
Surrendering the advantage?
Put another way, the WWE no longer has the monopoly on entertainment that it did even five years ago. In short, the world is changing with people inundated with options on how to be entertained.
At least, if it’s not the emergence of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) or streaming companies like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney, it’s then the rise of online casinos that can be accessed as easily.
Take this page for example which lists the best international online casinos in 2024, there are no fewer than 102 available to choose from with the likes of 7Bit Casino, Casino- X, and Boho Casino among the most popular.
In any scenario, the broader point is that with so many options available when it comes to filling spare time, abandoning what gives an organization the edge is akin to shooting oneself in the foot.
Sad to see you go
The Rock unquestionably gives the WWE a unique and precious selling point and it will be sad to see him depart as quickly as he came.
That’s the catch, though, with The Rock, as his global stardom places a premium on his time. It’s a matter of savoring every second when one of the greatest entertainers in wrestling history is in the ring.
