[DesolationRow]

Originally Posted by Nabz™

"F4Wonline.com reports that The Rock is scheduled to win the WWE Title at the 2013 Royal Rumble pay-per-view and then defend it against John Cena at WrestleMania 29."

OMG!!!!!11 SO SHOCKED!!!!!!!!!!!!111

Originally Posted by Ram Jam

Maybe this is just wishful thinking on my part, but if Punk and Austin were to ever meet in a dream match, I'd like to think Punk would go over. If all the rumours are to be believed, didn't Austin basically refuse to job to Hogan as he felt it should have been Hogan passing the torch and endorsing the next generation?

I dunno. I'm just not sure Austin would come back in 2013+ and refuse to do what he thought Hogan should a decade earlier.

I think that if Austin/Punk had happened in the last two or three years, Austin would very possibly have gone over since Punk was frankly not in a good position from which to receive much reward for going over. That has changed, though, as he became one of their elite main-eventers (though obviously not being on the same exalted tier as Cena/Rock/Trips/Taker/Brock), and as Austin changed the finish to his match with Rock at Wrestlemania XIX to ensure that the man who was staying around would go over, I would think he'd probably almost downright insist that Punk go over. He's almost 50 years old with a body that is shot and hasn't had a match in nearly a decade. Punk losing to him, particularly after he hypothetically loses to The Rock at The Royal Rumble, would kind of wipe out his kayfabe "Best in the World" status, seeing as he's in his early-to-mid-30s.

[Kansas City]

Quite frankly I think it probably should be Cena-Rock II, with Cena winning. I am no Cena fan, but really had no business going over the company's guy at the biggest show of the year. Although I am quite excited that Punk has got his due, and much needed injection into the picture. I think a Triple Threat Match is highly likely for Mania.

I could see this - Cena wins the title from Punk, Cena vs. Rock II happens at Royal Rumble with Punk getting involved and causing debauchery. Triple Threat at Mania.

[DesolationRow]

As for Rock at the February PPV or not, I say this is a good chance to scrap the entire Elimination Chamber concept as it's long in the tooth and has become kind of a pain in the ass in the booking on The Road to Wrestlemania. WWE's trying to establish new names near the top, so having the championships change hands five or six weeks before Wrestlemania doesn't make the sense that it could have/sort of did for a few years in there when there was a comparative army of heavyweight top names. Now they're attempting to establish different guys, and that's why the Chamber was so painfully superfluous this year with both champions having to retain to set up their Wrestlemania matches as WWE was working hard on CM Punk, Sheamus and Daniel Bryan. It's not like a few years back where Taker could drop it because he's going to have his Streak match anyway, so might as well fling it to Jericho for his Edge program or have Triple H win it so that his match with Orton at Wrestlemania makes complete sense (talk about ass-backward booking when you think about it, but it does kind of work if you don't dwell on it) and Edge to take the WHC so Cena can chase him and it. It's also completely poorly-timed as we all know since it de facto devalues The Royal Rumble match which comes only three or four weeks before it. Oh, you didn't win The Royal Rumble? Well, if you're a main-eventer or even a prominent upper midcarder, chances are you can get another shot in the Chamber. Not to mention, it's obvious that workers have run out of new ideas for the Chamber match, it's just kind of tedious now, and it creates injuries (Barrett's arm was definitely "softened up" for the injury that took him out for half a year the next night, it's a breeding ground for concussions and ridiculous gashes on workers, and what for, when there's rarely any heated feuds to speak of in the matches themselves, barring the occasional Punk/Orton deal a year and a half ago).

I would like to see Rock have to defend the championship at the February PPV. There is the 30-day clause. They can get around him not defending it between then and Wrestlemania (CM Punk didn't defend his championship on TV between those two PPVs this year, for instance, though he did work house shows continuously defending it), but it kind of says something bad about your product when the WWE Champion is "above" defending the championship at a pay-per-view.

Of course, one thing everyone's forgotten about is the rematch clause and you'd think that if Punk is still champion with one epic 14-month reign going into The Royal Rumble, he more than your average champion these days would have earned that rematch clause stipulation? Maybe throw Daniel Bryan in there for a triple threat, to make this past week's promo prophetic. It would be complete "filler" in many ways but it would be cool to see. If Punk's feuding with Austin going into Wrestlemania, Austin can "screw" him out of the match or if it's Triple H, same thing, whatever.

[The-Rock-Says]

Fuck I totally forgot about 'Kayfabe' rematch clause. Rock and Punk could go at it on another PPV.

Rock getting 2 wins. FUCK YEAH. That sounds great.

Book it, Vince.

[Choke2Death]

Originally Posted by The-Rock-Says

Fuck I totally forgot about 'Kayfabe' rematch clause. Rock and Punk could go at it on another PPV.

Rock getting 2 wins. FUCK YEAH. That sounds great.

Book it, Vince.

They do forget it when it doesn't fit their plans, though. But yeah, Rock beating Punk again at Elimination Chamber would be awesome!

[crappywaffle]

The Rock winning the WWE title gives it instant media attention and a hell of a lot more prestige than it's had in years

[#PushKofiKingston]

Originally Posted by codyj123_321

is a slap in the face to everyone in the locker room. He is off in Hollywood doing movies and whatnot for the past 7 years and then he decides to come back and just gets a title match? I understand what he has done for the company, one of my favorites, but what about the guys that are busting there ass day in and day out? He is never on Raw except once or twice every few months when it fits into his scedule. How does he even merit a title match with having 2 matches in the last 7 years? Yet, guys like Rhodes, Christian, etc that are great talent is stuck in the midcard getting little to no push at all.

Christian is boring as hell! He was boring was WHC and recently as IC champion. He's not WWE Champion material. Rhodes is very good but WWE hasn't done anything to build him up as a credible WWE Championship. Honestly, The Rock deserves to be WWE Champion over both of them because 1 he's the bigger star and 2, he's a helluva lot more entertaining than both.

[GillbergReturns]

Originally Posted by Choke2Death

They do forget it when it doesn't fit their plans, though. But yeah, Rock beating Punk again at Elimination Chamber would be awesome!

I tend to think Punk will demand his rematch and Triple H will come out and say the rematch clause doesn't specify a time period and it's not something that you can dictate the terms on.

He mentioned that as well sometime last year.

This starts Punk v Triple H because I doubt there's going to be a rematch and I don't see Rock at EC. It's been said that his schedule is not as open as it was during last year's Mania stretch.

[God Movement]

Rock beating Punk two times in a row? No thank you. That really helps no-one at all.

[Choke2Death]

Originally Posted by God Movement

Rock beating Punk two times in a row? No thank you. That really helps no-one at all.

So what, it'll be enjoyable to watch for those of us that aren't obsessed with trying to be the booker of the shows.