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Official The Rock vs. CM Punk Discussion Thread

823K views 9K replies 1K participants last post by  Nimbus 
#1 · (Edited)
wwe.com said:
Perhaps the parade was premature. Perhaps the celebrating, the humble tweets to The People and the legions of Team Bring It, and the proclamation that FINALLY, The Rock was WWE Champion once again jumped the gun by just a bit. Maybe, just maybe, The Rock put the horse before the cart when he celebrated his latest triumph on Raw Roulette, because CM Punk is not done with The Great One by a long shot.


How could he be, either? When a Superstar holds the WWE Title — Punk’s “life’s work,” in his own words — for 434 days spread across three calendar years, he does not just simply throw up his hands and call it a good run when the prize is taken from his clutches. So it was of no surprise when, during The Rock’s celebratory address to the WWE Universe as its new champion, The Straight Edge Superstar himself declared would be evoking his rematch clause – “granting” Rock a rematch was how he earned it – at Elimination Chamber. It was also of no surprise that The Rock gladly accepted.

But once again, maybe Rock is counting his proverbial chickens too early, because for all CM Punk’s feverish boasting in his final days as champion, he was right about one thing after the Royal Rumble: Hedidpin The Rock. It was one-two-three in the middle of the ring, although it took a sneak attack by who we can only assume was The Shield to weaken The Brahma Bull enough for Punk to make the pin. And it was only after Mr. McMahon restarted the bout that The Great One found enough of a second wind to silence CM Punk and put The Straight Edge Superstar to sleep, claiming his eighth WWE Championship in the process.

So at Elimination Chamber, the most brutal pit stop on The Road to WrestleMania, The Rock will face his own personal demon yet again. And The People’s Champion will have to be very, very careful, because CM Punk does not make the same mistake twice, and he is very, very angry. The very real opinion exists — depending whom you ask — that Punk should still be WWE Champion. And with it, the very real possibility exists — should The Rock think one victory equals winning the war — that The Brahma Bull’s parade could end as soon as it began and that CM Punk will be champion again, with history in his hands for the third time.


Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson said:
Over 100 years of Heavyweight Champions.

3 generations in my blood.

New WWE Champion.

My honor. TEAM BRING IT.


wwe.com said:
Attitude Era original Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will compete in his first World Title match in more than a decade when he challenges WWE Champion CM Punk, the longest-reigning WWE Title holder of the past quarter-century, at Royal Rumble on Jan. 27.

The WWE Universe has anxiously awaited The Great One’s return to the WWE Title picture since he announced his championship opportunity on Raw 1,000 last July. Though there was no guarantee at the time whom The Rock’s opponent would be, the always-confident Punk fired an opening salvo that night, cutting down The Rock with a clothesline before knocking him out with a picture-perfect Go to Sleep. The following week, The Voice of the Voiceless defended his actions by suggesting The Great One, having been “gifted” a WWE Title match, viewed victory at the Royal Rumble as a foregone conclusion.

Whether a real or perceived slight, the implication that The Rock places himself on a higher plane than the current WWE Champion was seemingly all the motivation Punk needed to make sure he would still have the title on Jan. 27.

In the half-year since Raw 1,000, The Second City Saint stunned WWE fans by aligning with Paul Heyman and ratcheting up the vitriol of his speech. More important than either of those details, he has — by hook or by crook — maintained possession of the championship gold. Having turned back challenges by John Cena and Ryback in recent months, The Best in the World now looks ahead to testing himself against the seven-time former WWE Champion who vowed in 2012 to regain the title.

For The Rock, an A-list Hollywood action star and third-generation Superstar who has sports-entertainment coursing through his veins, the Royal Rumble title match represents the start of a potential career renaissance inside the ring. Since March 2004, The Most Electrifying Man in All of Entertainment has competed in only two sanctioned WWE matches, teaming with John Cena to shred The Awesome Truth (The Miz & R-Truth) at Survivor Series 2011 and overcoming the Cenation leader at WrestleMania XXVIII.

But by vying for the most treasured prize in sports-entertainment, The Rock is committing to more than another appearance as a “special attraction.” Rather, he is setting his eyes on again becoming WWE’s gold standard.

Hell-bent though The Rock may be on introducing a new generation of WWE fans to The People’s Champion, there is no discounting Punk’s deftness once the bell rings. Controversial endings to several high-profile title defenses may have tarnished The Second City Saint’s reputation in the eyes of some critics, but they have done nothing to change the fact the WWE Championship still sits around his waist. Before his seedier side came into focus in late summer, Punk spent much of 2012 disposing of WWE’s best and brightest, ranging from Chris Jericho and Daniel Bryan to Dolph Ziggler and Kane. How will the WWE Champion match up against one of the pillars of The Attitude Era?

As the WWE Universe excitedly counts down the days until Jan. 27, the back-and-forth between two of WWE’s most compelling talkers is bound to pick up steam. It will not be until the Royal Rumble, however, that the trash talk gives way to the gravity of a game-changing WWE Championship bout, the likes of which hasn’t seen in years. Will Royal Rumble mark the rebirth of a championship Brahma Bull, or will it only underscore what Punk has claimed all along, that he is untouchable and in a class by himself?
The Rock explains why he wants WWE Title

WWE part-time star The Rock revealed why re-capturing the WWE Title is important to him in a new interview with WWE Magazine. It's a statement that has been missing from WWE television leading up to the Royal Rumble PPV.

"It starts with recognizing what the WWE Championship represents to me," Rock said in the February 2013 issue. "Every time I hold that title over my head in victory, it not only signifies the fact that I have delivered the absolute best entertainment that I could to the WWE Universe, but that I'm taking a moment to live an experience that all the generations of wrestlers in my family strived to achieve.

Rock continued, "There is no other award that I could receive that's as deeply ingrained in my blood and history as the WWE Championship - and that's why it means so much to me."

At the same time, Rock said that after his first WWE Title reign - which came in 1998 - he decided that he would never allow his possession of or lack of the WWE Title define his career.

"After my first WWE Championship run came to an end, I made a conscious decision that night that I would work harder than any other Superstar in the locker room to become the type of WWE entertainer who, if I never had another championship run again, it would not define my career. I never wanted to rely on a title run for success."

Rock's next statement reflects his recent approach to mixing "entertainment" with "seriousness." Rock concluded, "My goal was to get to a place where I relied only on what I could bring to the table in terms of being entertaining and having a one-of-a-kind - and electrifying - connection with all of the WWE Universe."

[ FYI: Rock's interview is part of a cover-feature on Rock in the latest WWE Magazine. ]

Link - http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/WWE_News_3/article_68014.shtml














 
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#4,532 ·
Re: Official The Rock WWE Championship Discussion

Da Barrett Barrage looking to sell Wrestlemania!
 
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#4,546 · (Edited)
Re: Official The Rock WWE Championship Discussion

Didn't see Raw this week but did they actually advertise him for next week? They usually run ads for weeks hyping his return, I actually like that they've made it a bit more low-key this time. Hopefully they don't show him backstage until he actually comes out to the ring either.

Also glad to see I was dead right with this post back in October when people were saying Ryback shouldn't win at HIAC because they needed to do Punk/Rock

http://www.wrestlingforum.com/raw/6...go-ryback-should-beat-him-8.html#post12174299

Like I said as soon as the Rumble gets here people will be complaining that Rock shouldn't be the one to end Punk's reign because he's already a star/doesn't need the rub/not a full timer/doesn't care about the business or whatever other stupid reason they can come up with. I'm pretty sure the only person some people will be happy ending Punk's reign is Dean Ambrose
Already seen a lot of posts on here about how Rock shouldn't end Punk's reign and it should be a young guy/someone who needs it getting the rub. These marks are hilariously predictable.
 
#4,572 ·
Re: Official The Rock WWE Championship Discussion

Already seen a lot of posts on here about how Rock shouldn't end Punk's reign and it should be a young guy/someone who needs it getting the rub. These marks are hilariously predictable.
Well said. Then if Punk retains at the Rumble and challenges Undertaker's streak at WM and they'll whine about how he needs to end the streak and retain the title to put over "a young star" afterwards, then when that time comes, they say he needs to defend the belt against Triple H at SummerSlam and get his "return victory" (as if his untalented skinny fat ass is owed one) and the cycle goes on.
 
#4,560 ·
Re: Official The Rock WWE Championship Discussion

I really don't want Cena/Rock II if its not for the WWE Championship. I don't mind the match and welcome it if WWE Title is involved, if not I don't see the point
 
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#4,604 ·
For Christ sake...it's not about The Rock "needing" a title run or Punk "needing" to beat The Rock. It is about what the WWE title needs and what the WWE needs as a company.

Punk has done all he can to boost the title. The Rock, on the other hand, is the only person who can elevate it even higher than it currently is. And he is the only one who can garner the title mainstream attention.

It only makes sense that he carries it for a few months.

If the WWE knows they only have one more shot to have someone of The Rocks pedigree have a title run, then why the hell wouldn't they capitalize on it?

Again, the outcome of this match is NOT about what the title will do for the wrestler, it is about what the wrestler can do for the title.


Sent from my iPhone using Verticalsports.com Free App
 
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#4,667 ·
Re: Official The Rock WWE Championship Discussion

^ good god i love ur sig
 
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#4,678 ·
Re: Official The Rock WWE Championship Discussion

I don't see how dates can link up with Rock winning the belt. You think if he lost the belt, he'd just not show up? That isn't The Rocks style. If ANYTHING he'll lose it and it will eventually set up a feud either for the future between Punk and Rock (maybe even Wrestlemania next year, who knows), as well as setting up whoever The Rock is facing at Mania, which at the moment is starting to look like Cena considering the reports of Brock/HHH II.
 
#4,694 ·
Re: Official The Rock WWE Championship Discussion

I think he should lose at RR to make Punk look strong then just win it at EC that way it doesnt make Punk look weak and its a shorter title run so people can shut up about a part timer holding the title.
 
#4,695 ·
Re: Official The Rock WWE Championship Discussion

I think he should lose at RR to make Punk look strong then just win it at EC that way it doesnt make Punk look weak and its a shorter title run so people can shut up about a part timer holding the title.
That won't stop people from complaining. Besides, he's pretty much taken up a full time schedule for the RTWM from the looks of things.
 
#4,888 ·
Re: Official The Rock WWE Championship Discussion

Wait, you guys don't like Punk as champion and would have preferred another insufferable title reign by Cena last year when Punk returned? Remember when Cena won the title from Rey? Remember?

What if Punk didn't return then? Who would have been the best worthy opponent for Cena? Del Rio or Sheimoose?

Yea sure they fucked up his reign slightly, and be great-full that Cena doesn't have the title and getting shoved down our throats for another 2 years. Yea Cena did Main Event most of the year with matches with Laurenaitis but heyy...

I think I'm one of the only one seeing Rock/Cena/Punk at mania and I actually DON'T want to see that. Anything involving Punk and Cena in the same ring would have either a good outcome or shitty. They need a VERY strong finish. Also since Rock's becoming a full number till Mania, that shouldn't be too hard. We also don't need the fucking golden posterboy in every fucking PPV Main Event.
 
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#4,921 ·
Re: Official The Rock WWE Championship Discussion

Those of you who say Punk "needs" to go over Rock, or Rock cannot hold the belt at all before Mania either
-Haven't watched the product before 2003
-Are hardcore analysts instead of just wrestling fans
-Are ironically the same ones who bash the PG state of the WWE as Punk in his current state represents what's wrong with the current product(not as much as Cena)
-All of the above.

Bottom line is if the WWE wants any positive press heading into Mania, if they want more fans to come in(especially the older fans who they've completely alienated over the years), Rock "needs" to be champ.
 
#4,951 ·
Re: Official The Rock WWE Championship Discussion

Really looking forward to The Rock's appearance. I really don't care in which direction the WWE is going. As long as The Rock is involved I am grateful.
In 2010 I never imagined to see The Rock have one more match, I 2011 he made his huge comeback, in 2012 I saw my childhood idol live in Miami, Florida - the place where the loudest pop ever happened IMO - in 2013 he is back big time. I still think I'm dreaming with all the dates on which he is going to be there.
I hope the haters shut the hell up once and for all. He is once again proving what a workhorse he is and tries to give us one hell of a ride till Wrestlemania.
I get ready for tonight. It sure will be electrifying.
 
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