When WWE legend The Rock got a chance to plug his new film on Raw he blew it by calling exiled UFC flop CM Punk – He should not get a call back
In the creative doldrums of 2007 to 2010, fans were desperate for The Rock to come back and put a stop to endless John Cena wins - not anymore
FIVE weeks before WrestleMania 33 and the biggest news story in professional wrestling is that The Rock tried to call CM Punk in front of a live Raw crowd.
Rock was there filming scenes for upcoming WWE Studios movie Fighting With My Family, based on the life of British superstar Paige and her (sort of) famous wrestling family.
Rock made the phone call as Raw went off air.
The eight-time WWE champ explained that the scenes, with a character based on Punk’s real-life wife, would be shot in front of the live crowd crowd.
That news prompting the fans to break into an obligatory CM Punk chant, before The Rock left a voicemail for the superstar.
It’s typical of the self-aggrandizing behaviour we’ve come to expect from Rock’s WWE returns.
Fans should be grateful they weren’t subjected to this grandstanding on the Raw broadcast, from the man who ate up 20 minutes of WrestleMania 31 putting himself over.
And then another 25 minutes at last year’s ‘Mania (six seconds of which were spent destroying Erick Rowan’s career in the shortest WrestleMania match ever).
If the rumour and innuendo spread across wrestling news sites is to be believed, Vince McMahon was extremely upset about Rock’s call to the estranged Punk.
A WWE official was reported to have asked Rock to “change direction” before making the call.
In footage captured by fans in attendance, Rock is heard saying, “The mic better not be killed”.
Anyone who thinks this was a stunt to plug Fighting With My Family lives in the internet bubble where everything in wrestling is some kind of backstage conspiracy.
You don’t need the world’s biggest box office movie star to do anything more stand there to whip up a bit of publicity.
McMahon has every right to be upset.
Punk didn’t answer – he later tweeted to say he’d been walking his dog – but Rock’s stunt could have further complicated WWE’s difficult relationship with Punk.
The UFC flop is still involved in a complicated and potentially expensive lawsuit between WWE physician Chris Amann.
The Rock defended his phone call to punk by tweeting, “I work off instinct, always listen to the people and try to give em something special. Huge positive feedback from @WWE Universe. Fun night”
But it sends a clear message to the locker room. If anyone else did this, it would likely be the end of their WWE career (maybe except from John Cena).
Rock might have to face to displeasure of McMahon for now.
But the company will welcome him back at WrestleMania or the next time he can help prop up their ratings by delivering another shameless, self-indulgent promo.
For that, Vince McMahon is just as guilty. And let’s face it – this isn’t the first time The Rock’s gone into business for himself.
The last time he appeared on Raw, in January 2016, he went off script to speak with a fan - who had already been moved off-camera by security in the arena - dressed as exiled Hulk Hogan.
It got worse when he returned to the script and smashed through then-tag team champions The New Day, showing them who the real star is.
Poor Rusev suffered the same treatment during Rock’s previous return to Raw in October 2014, when he easily dismantled the Bulgarian Brute at the height of his monster push.
It’s valuable airtime that would better serve pushing and promoting WWE’s current roster as genuine superstars, instead of feeding them to someone who’s 15 years past their wrestling prime.
In the creative doldrums of 2007 to 2010, fans were desperate for The Rock to come back and put a stop to endless John Cena main events.
The crowd reaction when he eventually did return in February 2011, being revealed as the host of WrestleMania 27, is a testament to that – it’s of the all-time great pops.
But it’s a case of be careful what you wish for.
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When he first came back, it was the most exciting thing to happen in wrestling for years.
Rock verbally destroyed the untouchable Cena and gave WWE back its edge.
But Rock’s presence soon became a hindrance to WWE.
It led to two miserable main events with Cena at WrestleMania and sycophantic promos, prattling on in celebrity-chat-show-mode about how WWE was his “home” and “family”.
Fans wanted Attitude Era Rock but there’s never been any more concrete proof that the Attitude Era is gone forever.
The modern roody-poo version of The Rock wouldn’t last five minutes on the mic with the old Rock.
There’s no denying he’s is an incredible on-screen talent, dripping charisma, and tailor made for action cinema.
The Rock’s the biggest film star in the world for a reason, and he deserves every bit of it.
But if WWE is going to build its future and truly embrace its “New Era” then its time to say goodbye to The People’s Champion.
Letting him off this - like Brock Lesnar got away with his UFC drugs bust, while Roman Reigns was suspended - just reaffirms what is already obvious.
It's what does WWE serious long-term damage creatively.
Old stars of are bulletproof while current talents are disposable, as their destruction at the hands of Rock (not to mention Goldberg and Lesnar) prove.
It’s time The Rock finally doesn’t come back at all.