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 Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 9:40 pm
DISC-1
The full title of this 3 DVD set is ‘The Rock: The Most Electrifying Man In Sports Entertainment’. The set does not contain a documentary as such, instead including small portions of information on relevant feuds between matches. These are provided by an unknown voice-over man and are accompanied by many highlights and stills.
The opening package outlines Dwayne Johnson’s wrestling heritage via grandfather Peter Maivia and father Rocky Johnson. It also takes a quick look at his early bouts including his WWF debut at the 1996 Survivor Series pay-per-view.
vs TRIPLE H (WWF Raw. February-13, 1997): This match was for Triple H’s – ooops sorry, it was technically Hunter Hearst Helmsley at this stage – InterContinetal Title. The bout is a nice mix of this, that & the other initially with both combatants being rather careful not to make a mistake. HHH taunts the then Rocky Maivia, which fires up the rookie and he lets fly with a couple of nice dropkicks that eventually results in some ringside action. A missed clothesline against the steel post then leads to HHH targeting his opponent’s arm back in the ring, as The Honky Tonk Man joins in on commentary after the commercial break. Trips gets multiple 2 counts with predominantly knee-based offense, before the 2 trade sleeper-holds.
Rocky makes the spirited comeback, even scoring with a top-rope cross-body, but then falls victim to a reverse neck-breaker, pile-driver & superplex, all of which gain the champion near-falls. When H then goes to lock on a pedigree, Rocky collapses. However, it appears to be a ploy to lull the champ into a false sense of security since a subsequent roll-up sees a new titleholder after 13 minutes (excluding commercial time). For what was a television bout that involved a youngster who had only been in the promotion for 3 months, this was surprisingly solid. The story of the match, with the more experienced Triple H dominating, was well put together & showcased the fighting attributes of Maivia well. The title change was a genuine surprise too, which gave the bout something a little extra. Match Rating: 7.5
The anti-Rocky chants which grew around American arenas over the months is then outlined as is Rocky’s cocky reference to himself in the third person. The Rock – as he was now called – then completed his heel turn by joining stable The Nation of Domination and eventually ousting leader Faarooq.
vs OWEN HART (WWF Raw. April-6, 199 cool : This bout was for The Rock’s InterContinental Title & he was accompanied to the ring by fellow N.O.D members Mark Henry, D-Lo Brown & Kama. It’s back & forth to begin with as Owen slightly gets the upper hand with his extra pace. When Kama trips Owen up, all 3 ringside N.O.D members are sent to the locker-room. When the action continues after the distraction, Rock gets 2 counts with a DDT & people’s elbow. Owen then gets the same result with a swinging neck-breaker & spinning heel kick. When he subsequently hits an enziguri, Owen locks on the sharp-shooter. However, Chyna interferes with a baseball bat shot to cause the disqualification at just the 6 minute mark. Pretty good while it lasted, but that wasn’t very long. One rating point for each minute. Match Rating: 6
The next compilation package shows Owen Hart joining The Nation of Domination and the subsequent feud that the stable had with the Triple H led DeGeneration X.
vs TRIPLE H (WWF Raw. June-22, 199 cool : This was an opening round match in the King of the Ring tournament and the heel Rock attacks prior to the bell. Rocky has the best of the opening minutes gaining 2 counts with a DDT, suplex & people’s elbow. As Trips evens things up, the 2 head to ringside where Triple H distracts the referee long enough for Chyna to DDT The Rock. A subsequent cover only gets a 2 count though & Rocky responds with a sleeper-hold. Chyna then causes another distraction which is supposed to allow Trips to pedigree his opponent, but a Rock low-blow leads to a fishermans suplex for the 3 count after 8 minutes. The aftermath sees a melee between DX & The N.O.D. Not too bad of a match overall with entertainment being the name of the game over match quality. To that extent, it did its job as a tv bout. Match Rating: 6.5
The Rock did not go on to win that year’s King of the Ring tournament, tapping out to Ken Shamrock in the final bout. The Rock was receiving more & more cheers as 1998 progressed and he was basically forced to turn face. This upset Vince McMahon and the 2 practically feuded leading up to a 16 man tournament at Survivor Series to fill the vacancy left by ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin’s firing while WWE Champion. In the final match at the ppv, The Rock met the heel Mankind, who had previously been seen to be doing some of Vince’s dirty work.
vs MANKIND (WWF Survivor Series. November-15, 199 cool : The bout begins at a snails pace & the crowd are practically silent until the 2 head to ringside where The Rock hits a couple of suplexes & they eventually head into the crowd. Vince & Shane McMahon then march to the ring to add further tension to the situation, as the 2 combatants struggle to mesh successfully in the ring. The best action occurs at ringside where The Rock scores with chair shots galore & Mankind lands with an apron elbow-drop to the floor. Foley then leg-drops Rocky on an announce table, but later misses his target from off the middle-rope & sends himself through the Spanish announce table.
Back in the ring, The Rock lands the people’s elbow for a near-fall, before Foley scores with a double arm DDT & locks on the Socko mandible claw. The Rock counters with a Rock Bottom for a 2 count & then locks on a sharp-shooter. In an obvious mock of the infamous Montreal Screwjob, Vince then calls for the bell & we have a new WWE champion after 17 minutes. As a wrestling match, this was rather ordinary and included way too much dead time with most in-ring action being tediously slow. However, I can recall from memory that the heel turn of The Rock was a total surprise & that cannot be forgotten. Neither can the fact that both men had wrestled 3 previous matches on the night. Vince, Shane & Rocky add to the occasion with some very good mic work afterwards and a beating up of Foley also ensues. Difficult to rate as a total package. Match Rating: 7
The next segment outlines The Rock being christened ‘The Corporate Champion’ and Mick ‘Mankind’ Foley’s face turn which eventually resulted in Foley becoming WWE Champion early in 2009. The 2 had an infamous “I Quit” match and another rematch was then booked for St.Valentines Day as a ‘Last Man Standing’ bout. A pre-ppv attack of Foley (targeting his leg) is then shown leading up to the bout.
vs MANKIND (WWF St.Valentines Day Massacre. February-14, 1999): Foley turns his back on The Rock to begin the bout & the heel obliges by attacking the injured leg. A title shot to the head by Foley sees the first 10 count started inside of 2 minutes. The 2 then battle near the ppv set, where Foley DDTs Rocky through a table that scores another 8 count. Into the crowd they head, where The Rock hits a suplex on the concrete & then another 3 on the ringside mats. After Rocky provides some commentary, he is met by a revitalized Foley who wails away with fists and then scores with an elbow-drop off the apron. The steel steps & a chair then play a major role with The Rock once more targeting the injured leg. Back at ringside, Foley takes a wicked bump after being back-dropped from off an announce table & I’m certain he doesn’t feel much better when steel steps are dropped on him from the ring above. Foley answers the 10 count though & cops a people’s elbow for his trouble, before The Rock decides to wrestle & do some mic work at the same time!
While The Rock is in mid-song (seriously), he gets caught in the mandible claw, but a referee bump allows no count to be made for quite some time. A subsequent Rock low-blow & DDT occurs, but a missed chair-shot opens the door for Foley as the action comes thick & fast. Socko is then applied, but is countered into a Rock Bottom. Stereo chair-shots then result in both men being laid out for a 10 count and the match is announced as a draw after 22 minutes. I guess that was a slightly disappointing finish to what was a sufficiently grueling match overall. I’ve never been a huge fan of Last Man Standing matches and this one had all the usual deficiencies, but it also had many strong points with both men playing their roles well. Pretty good still, although it would have been better if we could have had a winner. Match Rating: 8
vs MANKIND (WWF Raw. February-15, 1999): The night after the PPV draw, a ladder match between the 2 foes was announced for the title on Raw. Before the bout begins, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin makes his way to the announcing table to do some commentary. It’s straight to ringside & Foley’s knee goes hard into the steel steps early, as The Rock continues to target the injury with a chair inside the squared circle. A ladder is quick to make an appearance also, but Foley counters it with chair-shots of his own before landing with his own version of the people’s elbow. However, the leg injury proves too much for Mankind and Rocky brutalizes it whether it be by chair, ladder or wrestling moves.
The 2 head into the crowd next as The Rock scores with a suplex on the steel ramp & a Rock Bottom through an announce table! Foley stalls Rocky’s climb up a ladder with a low-blow though & a subsequent DDT is then matched by the same move from the heel challenger. The 2 then battle atop the ladder where Socko is locked in, but Paul Wight (aka The Big Show) interferes & choke-slams Foley to allow for a Rock win after 13 minutes. This was a relatively strong finish to what was a very good feud. Obviously, being a tv match & having an unclean finish wasn’t the perfect scenario, but the match as a whole was rather exciting. Match Rating: 8
vs ‘STONE COLD’ STEVE AUSTIN (WWF WrestleMania 15. March-28, 1999): A short compilation of highlights outlining this feud is shown prior to this ‘No Disqualification’ bout, which begins immediately when the face challenger replies to The Rock’s trash-talking with fists of fury. The Rock fights back with impressive intensity & it isn’t long until the 2 head into the crowd and then near the ppv set where Austin takes an awkward bump that looks to have injured his leg. The 2 continue to fight entertainingly around ringside for minutes on end and Stone Cold scores with an elbow that sends Rocky through an announce table. The 2 practically do not begin the in-ring bout until the 9 minute mark & The Rock marks the occasion with a Rock Bottom from nowhere for a 2 count.
A steel chair then gets involved & Austin knocks out the referee accidentally. The distraction allows the heel champion to score with many chair-shots as a 2nd ref comes down to make a 2.9 count. The pace finally slows when Rocky locks on a resthold & The Rock gets another near-fall with a Samoan Drop. Frustrated, The Rock then rock bottoms the referee, but turns around to walk straight into a Stunner! By the time a 3rd referee gets down to the ring though, The Rock kicks out at 2.9. Vince McMahon then enters the ring & helps victimize Austin, until Mankind wanders down in his own referee’s outfit. Another Rock Bottom is landed, but a people’s elbow misses & Austin is able to score with a Stunner for the decisive pinfall after 17 minutes.
After a long celebration, Stone Cold pleases the crowd with a Stunner on Vince. For some reason, I recall this match being longer, but I guess that’s because the action hardly let up during the first 10 minutes as each man really brought the intensity during that timeframe, meaning that this felt realistically personal. Considering the duration, it would have been better if there was a little more in-ring action and the last few minutes were a little over-booked. But this was still a very entertaining WrestleMania main-event when all was said and done. Match Rating: 8.5
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Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 10:09 pm
DISC-2
In the 3 months after WrestleMania 15, The Rock had turned face into “The People’s Champion”, while Triple H had split off from DeGeneration-X.
vs TRIPLE H (WWF Raw. July-5, 1999): This was a steel cage match & the way J.R was talking, pinfalls & submission were not a means to victory. It’s pretty much fists, elbows & clotheslines for the opening 3 minutes. A HHH knee shot allows him to head for the cage door, but when he isn’t able to escape, Chyna hands him handcuffs. The weapon is used to land a few shots to the head, but Rocky counters being cuffed to the cage with a low-blow. The Rock then hits an arm-drag from the top-rope, but his subsequent escape attempt hits a major dead-end when Chyna knocks the referee out & slams the cage door on Rocky’s head. Triple H then casually walks out, but no bell is rung as the ref is unconscious. This leads to the 2 combatants dueling it out at ringside for a couple of minutes before they head back inside the cage.
Rocky dominates at this stage hurtling H’s head into the cage multiple times & then landing with a Samoan Drop, DDT & top-rope ax-handle. Trips fights back with a knee & clothesline though & the 2 are soon battling atop the cage where the heel wins the battle with a Chyna-assisted chair-shot. However, on his way down to the ring, HHH crotches himself on the ropes & by the time he reaches the door, The Rock has climbed down the cage to earn the victory. This was a solid & entertaining cage match which had the crowd successfully involved for practically all of its 14 minute duration. That is also a good running time for a television bout of this magnitude. Match Rating: 8.5
A nice little highlights compilation shows longtime adversaries The Rock & Mick ‘Mankind’ Foley joining forces to become “The Rock ‘N’ Sock Connection”.
THE ROCK & MANKIND vs THE UNDERTAKER & THE BIG SHOW (WWF Raw. August-30, 1999): This match was for the tag-team titles currently held by ‘Taker & Show. The face team attacks The Big Show prior to the bell, before TBS dominates Foley, earning a 2 count with a power-slam & then locking on a bear-hug. The phenom also causes some destruction on Foley at ringside, before Paul Bearer comes out to lead The Undertaker back to the locker-room. A Foley low-blow leads to the eventual tag in to The Rock at the 6 minute mark, but he is greeted by a huge choke-slam for a 2 count. However, a missed elbow-drop leads to Socko & a subsequent ref bump allows The Rock to score with a chair-shot & double people’s elbow which results in new tag champs after 8 minutes. A pretty average tv bout that at least had the live crowd involved, but really proved nothing else. The heels dominated at least 75% of the action & then just lost when ‘Taker walked off. Match Rating: 6.5
Finally… An extended package showcases The Rock’s magnificent mic work, especially his use of the word “SmackDown”, which eventually went on to become WWE’s 2nd major television series.
vs KANE (WWF SmackDown. December-30, 1999): This was a ‘No Holds Barred’ match & the masked Kane was accompanied to the ring by Tori. The Rock’s explosive intensity keeps him in the bout early on, as the 2 head up the steel entrance ramp. Finishing moves are countered, with Rocky winning the battle with fists that see Kane fly off the stage to the floor. The Big Red Machine fights back with a choke-slam through a table however, as the 2 eventually head back to the ring. There, an accidental clothesline on Tori by Kane allows The Rock to hit a chair-shot & Rock Bottom to end the match after just 5 minutes. This match started excellently with The Rock showing how intense he can be… Even the battle on the entrance ramp & through the crowd was good. But then it just ended… Way too prematurely. Match Rating: 6.5
vs TRIPLE H (WWF Backlash. April-30, 2000): An informative package outlines the storyline that saw Triple H marry Stephanie McMahon and basically begin running the company. Triple H had also won the WWE Championship & was accompanied to the ring by Steph & Vince. To make matters worse for The Rock, Shane McMahon was the special guest referee. ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin was also supposed to be in this match, but Vince announces prior to the bout that Austin is not here & won’t take his place. Vince causes some early havoc at ringside by sending The Rock into the steel steps, before Triple H gets numerous 2 counts with some knee-based offense. H then applies a headlock that seems to last forever, before Rocky makes a spirited comeback & a double clothesline allows Vince to interfere with a title shot that leads to a near-fall.
HHH then takes a hard fall to ringside where he hurts his shoulder & The Rock follows up with a DDT, but Shane won’t make the count! The 2 combatants then climb an announce table where The Rock scores with a low-blow & then a double Rock Bottom on Trips & Shane that totally obliterates the desk! Back in the ring, Vince distracts Rocky and HHH hits a low-blow & pedigree, but by the time 2nd & 3rd referees Patterson & Brisco make it to the ring, The Rock kicks out. It then becomes even more of a handicap match as Vince scores with a chair-shot to Rock’s head, as the new refs hold back the title contender.
The predictable Stone Cold appearance then occurs however and he runs through all the heels with chair-shots as the crowd goes bonkers! The Rock then follows up with a spine-buster & people’s elbow, while Earl Hebner comes down to make the count and crown The Rock as new champion after 19 minutes. Overbooked to the extreme, this match often got ridiculous & was pretty much a vehicle to get the maximum crowd response to the various things which occurred. To that extent, it was obviously entertaining & a couple of nice spots also helped, but this wasn’t anything too special wrestling-wise. Match Rating: 7.5
vs SHANE McMAHON (WWF Raw. May-1, 2000): This was a steel cage match for The Rock’s title which took place the night after ‘Backlash’. Of course, the McMahon family was all at ringside, as well as Pat Patterson being the referee inside of the cage. Shane attempts to make a quick escape, but is eventually forced to face a barrage of shots from the Rock. Distractions from the outside see Shane sneak in some offense, but a DDT quickly puts paid to that. Triple H then stops a Rock escape attempt with a stick, but once the face pries it away, it gets broken across Shane’s back. The 2 then battle atop the cage but Patterson low-blows Rocky, before being disposed of with a Rock Bottom. The Rock then throws Shane back to the mat hard & follows up with a people’s elbow. However, his escape attempt is halted as the cage door strikes his head with a bit of help from outside ref Gerald Brisco.
A one-armed Triple H then attempts to take care of Rocky, as once more Earl Hebner makes his presence felt at ringside. With distractions everywhere, The Rock climbs the cage & retains his title after 9 minutes. More over-booking, more pandering to the live crowd & more ok (but nothing special) wrestling. This time, the variation was really only that this was a cage match. Match Rating: 6.5
A compilation package next highlights Kurt Angle’s emergence in WWE & his eventual title win at ‘No Mercy’. The Rock feuded with Kurt for months on end into 2001…..
vs KURT ANGLE (WWE No Way Out. February-25, 2001): Super crisp action kicks things off with both men looking in top shape & putting some real feeling into even the simplest of moves. After failing to lock on an ankle-lock, Kurt hits a couple of impressive suplexes, before Rocky replies with a throw of his own. The Rock then applies the sharp-shooter, but Angle manages to get to the rope, only to walk into a Samoan Drop for a 2 count. A superplex then gets the same result for the face, before he takes a tumble to the floor & hurts his leg. With both men down, The Big Show comes down to ringside and choke-slams both competitors & the referee. The bout continues with a new ref & Rocky scores with a title shot while Earl Hebner is distracted. It only results in a 2.9 count though & Kurt soon fires back with an ankle-lock that is held on for at least a minute before Rock gets to the ropes.
With both men looking as if they are on their last legs, The Rock scores another 2.9 count with a spine-buster & people’s elbow. An Angle low-blow evens things up however and an exposed turnbuckle shot followed by an Angle Slam seems to signal the end of the bout. However, The Rock somehow kicks out, scores an exposed turnbuckle shot of his own & then lands with the Rock Bottom. But apparently Kurt kicked out (he didn’t, but Hebner stopped the count anyway). So The Rock hits another Rock Bottom and we have ourselves a new champion after 17 minutes. This bout started excellently, with Angle seemingly bringing the best out of Rocky’s wrestling ability. Ignoring the halted count, the final 3-4 minutes were impressive here with the result looking up in the air to the very end. It is a shame that the few moments around The Big Show’s run-in looked to put the match off the rails momentarily. Match Rating: 8.5
In 2001, WWE bought out WCW and The Rock was off filming the motion picture ‘The Scorpion King’. Upon return, The Rock challenged Booker T (who used an identical finishing move) for his WCW Title.
vs BOOKER T (WWE SummerSlam. August-19, 2001): Booker is accompanied to the ring by WVW owner Shane McMahon, who causes an early distraction to halt a rampaging Brahma Bull. A Samoan Drop scores a near-fall for Rocky & he gets the same result soon after with an atypical roll-up. Booker stems the tide at ringside & then continues his offense into the crowd. It takes an absolute eternity for the 3 to get back into the ring (double countout anyone?) and Booker gets 2 counts with a spin-kick & flying forearm when they finally do. The pace then slows to a snail’s pace as Booker locks on a resthold. The Rock counters into a sharp-shooter out of nowhere, but Shane causes a distraction to make Rocky break the hold. A subsequent DDT gets a 2 count for The Rock, but Shane scores with a title shot while the ref is distracted. Speaking of distractions, the APA clears the ring of Shane, as Booker scores with a bookend for a near-fall.
The Rock explodes into action from there however as a flurry of offense dominates the champ & a people’s elbow looks to have the job done. But Shane recovers to break up the count, only to be Rock Bottomed himself. Booker then scores with an ax-kick, but in playing to the crowd with a spinaroonie, it gives The Rock time to recover & hit the Rock Bottom for the decisive pinfall after 15 minutes. This match stalled a few too many times and had too much dead time over its not-so-long duration. It was especially tiresome when Booker was in control & he actually made The Rock look quick! It still had its moments however and was definitely nothing too horrible. Match Rating: 7.5
With The Rock holding the WCW Title and ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin holding the WWE Champiosnhip, a tournament was held to crown an undisputed champion. Chris Jericho caused a huge upset by defeating both men on the same night in late 2001 to become that man and The Rock soon set his sights on redemption.
vs CHRIS JERICHO (WWE Royal Rumble. January-20, 2002): A pony-tailed Jericho does some trash-talking & mocking prior to the bout & it predictably fires The Rock up as he begins with supreme intensity, even gaining an early 2 count with a Samoan Drop. Y2J evens things up & then works his way on top with a top-rope missile dropkick scoring a 2 count. A head-lock is then applied, but Rocky is able to work his way out & hit a nice superplex. A subsequent throw gets a 2 count, but Jericho gets the same result when he answers with 2 lionsaults. Rocky fires back with a sharp-shooter, but interference by Lance Storm & Christian distracts the referee from seeing Y2J tap out. It is then mock central as Jericho hits a Rock Bottom & attempts a people’s elbow, but Rocky counters the latter. To the announce table we then go where The Rock hits a Rock Bottom that sends through the table & to the floor!
Back in the ring, Y2J is able to mount a fight-back and even applies the Walls of Jericho, but the challenger eventually gets to the ropes & lives to fight another day. A ref bump then occurs when the Brahma Bull hits the wrong person with a flying forearm. A subsequent title shot to the head only gets a 2.9 count for Jericho when new referee Nick Patrick emerges. The Rock then hits a DDT, but Patrick won’t count. Cue a Rock Bottom to Patrick and then a spine-buster & people’s elbow to Jericho which looks to have things finished off. But Y2J sneaks in with a low-blow & uses the ropes for leverage on a roll-up to get the 3 count after 19 minutes! This match took a while to get going, but eventually evolved into a really solid bout. There was some early dead time & the referee shenanigans were not really necessary, but otherwise this was a very good – if not extraordinary – match. Match Rating: 8
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Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 12:14 pm
DISC-3 Matches
vs ‘HOLLYWOOD’ HULK HOGAN (WWE WrestleMania 18. March-17, 2002): Flashbulbs engulf the stadium as the 2 stare each other down, before Hogan has the better of the opening moments. Despite the fact that Rocky was supposed to be the face in this feud, it is the Hulkster who overwhelmingly has the crowd support in Toronto on the night. Hogan continues to have the better of the action, even scoring a duo of near-falls following a suplex & cradle out of an abdominal stretch. Hulk then goes into heel mode as he chokes his opponent & throws him over the top-rope to instigate some ringside brawling that doesn’t really eventuate in anything. A referee bump then takes the official out of the equation back in the ring & it isn’t long before Hogan is tapping to the sharpshooter.
A Hogan low-blow follows & the veteran subsequently hits a Rock Bottom for a 2.9 count! Hulkster then whips Rocky with his belt, but following a countering DDT, The Rock exacts revenge with the belt before landing a Rock Bottom of his own for a 2 count. Its “hulking up” time & the unstoppable force then hits his leg-drop finisher, if only for a super close near-fall. A 2nd leg-drop misses & The Rock follows up with 2 Rock Bottoms & a People’s Elbow for the victory after 16 minutes. The aftermath sees The Rock save Hogan from a Hall & Nash beat-down. This was more of a huge crowd-involving spectacle than a quality match. Enthralling & entertaining, this really could be rated anywhere between a 5 to a 9. But it is difficult to suggest that it was not one hell of a WrestleMania moment. And some of the false finishes were pretty well booked & performed. Match Rating: 7.5
vs KURT ANGLE & THE UNDERTAKER (WWE Vengeance. July-21, 2002): This was a triple-threat match for the Undisputed WWE Championship which was currently held by The Undertaker (who was doing his biker gimmick at the time). Angle is cleared from the ring & the 2 big guys go at it. When the (not so) dead man takes a trip to ringside, Kurt sends him into the steel steps allowing Angle to then go German Suplex crazy back in the ring. Practically the entire first 6 minutes consists solely of 1 on 1 action, with the remaining combatant always taking a breather somewhere.
Out of nowhere, The Rock hits a choke-slam on ‘Taker & then locks an ankle-lock on Kurt. However, Angle counters with a Rock Bottom on Rocky, if only to be met with an Angle Slam by The Undertaker! All pinfall attempts are broken up & that trend continues when Rocky tries a people’s elbow. The action is then hectic at ringside, with Kurt Angle being busted open and then falling victim to Old School. But Kurt soon explodes into action knocking out ‘Taker with a wicked chair-shot & landing an Angle Slam on The Rock. However, he only gets 2 counts & then gets locked in the sharpshooter. The Undertaker makes the save & lands a Last Ride Powerbomb on Rocky, but gets subsequently caught by an ankle-lock.
‘Taker & Angle then go back & forth with the Last Ride being countered by a triangle choke. Rocky soon enters the fray & gets a 2.99 count with a Rock Bottom on ‘Taker. The 3 then take turns hitting finisher after finisher before The Rock finally scores the decisive pin with a Rock Bottom on Angle at the 20 minute mark. It may have taken a while to move into top gear, but once it did, this was a tremendously entertaining match that had viewers on the edge of their seats. The false finishes were everywhere & predominantly well-performed as these 3 overcame some style differences to put together a great match.
Match Rating: 8.5
vs EDDIE GUERRERO (WWE Raw. July-22, 2002): After finally winning the Undisputed WWE Championship, The Rock was surprisingly challenge by Latino Heat Eddie Guerrero the very next night on Raw. A non-title match was made & Eddie attempts to use his greater speed to bamboozle the champ in the opening minutes. The Rock does well to weather the onslaught with arm-drags & throws, but Latino Heat eventually works his way on top and scores a near-fall with a picture perfect drop-kick. Any attempt by Rocky to gain control is cut off at the pass by Eddie, who too often goes back to a resthold.
When The Rock makes his eventual comeback, he gets a 2 count with a DDT, but a subsequent Rock Bottom attempt is expertly countered by Eddie into a pinning predicament which scores a crowd-popping 2.9 count. Unfortunately for Guerrero, a subsequent frog splash attempt misses its mark & a people’s elbow finishes it off after 9 minutes. This was a solid television bout which unfortunately contained a few too many restholds for such a short match. Eddie added some impressive pace & technicality which is always a positive in Rocky bouts, so this was definitely better than your average television match. Match Rating: 7.5
As 2003 began & WrestleMania approached, The Rock knew he still had one feat to accomplish before making movies full time. It was a feat at which he had failed at twice before; Defeating ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin on the biggest stage of them all.
vs ‘STONE COLD’ STEVE AUSTIN (WWE WrestleMania 19. March-30, 2003): A much more intense Rocky greets Austin upon his entrance to the ring and after a brief stare-down, the 2 are soon at each other both in & out of the squared circle. Stone Cold wins out at ringside & then remains in control back in the ring, even if he tests the referee’s patience. The Rock eventually works his way into the bout via a couple of chop-blocks & some further knee-related offense which includes a sharpshooter. Austin doesn’t take too kindly to Rocky wearing his vest & throws a barrage of offense at his opponent, even scoring a 2 count with a Rock Bottom! However, The Rock gains revenge with a Stunner for a 2 count of his own. The real deal then follows & knocks the movie star out of his boots, but by the time Austin makes the cover, The Rock is able to kick out at 2.
A low-blow then allows Rocky to hit a belated people’s elbow on the 2nd attempt, but it only results in yet another false finish. A Rock Bottom gives us yet another 2.9 count and so does a subsequent retake! A 3rd Rock Bottom does score the decisive pinfall however, after 18 minutes of action. Another great WrestleMania spectacle, although it definitely wasn’t the best structured match I have ever seen. There was quite a bit of dead time over the duration and Rocky practically dominated the final 3 or so minutes. The intensity was great throughout however, while these 2 always put on a great show for both the live crowd & those at home. Match Rating: 8
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Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 12:21 pm
DISC-3 Extras
BILLY’S PRAYER TO GOD (Heat. July-11, 1999): After addressing Triple H for a minute & squeezing in as many catch-phrases as possible, The Rock turns his attention towards King of the Ring winner ‘Bad a**’ Billy Gunn. Mocking Gunn in a prayer to God, Rocky gets a number of laughs as he still manages to cram in his catch-phrases. A very entertaining 4 minutes worth.
THE BIG SLOW (Raw. August-9, 1999): The Rock doesn’t take too kindly to The Big Show laying his hands on him during the previous week, so he does what Rocky does best; make him look like the fool on the mic. 2 minutes in length.
MY NAME IS KANE (Raw. September-6, 1999): The Rock takes the time to make fun of Kane, who had recently begun talking via an electronic voice-box. 2 minutes in length.
DOUGHNUTS (Raw. November-15, 1999): During a backstage interview by Michael Cole, The Rock is interrupted by some very well-dressed cops who he proceeds to make fun of… Even if it really isn’t all that funny. 3 minutes in length.
HERMIE (SmackDown. August-10, 2000): A 2 minute backstage interview conducted by Kevin Kelly, in which Rocky claims that Kelly is in fact a hermaphrodite (ie: has the genitals of both a man & woman).
ARMAGEDDON OPPONENTS (Raw. December-4, 2000): Another backstage interview conducted by Kelly in which The Rock addresses the upcoming 6 man Hell In A Cell title match at Armageddon. In doing so, Rocky hilariously impersonates his 5 opponents during the 4 minute running time of this segment.
THOMAS JEFFERSON SUCKA (Raw. August-13, 2001): The Rock interrupts a Booker T, Rhyno & Stephanie McMahon in-ring segment & then proceeds to make fun of Booker’s schooling. Even Chris Jericho gets in on the action to make his usual quips towards Steph. All up, 7 minutes in length.
THE PEOPLE’S STRUDEL (Raw. September-10, 2001): Fresh out of the shower, The Rock catches Michael Cole looking at his mid-section while trying to conduct a locker-room interview. Just the one minute in length.
GREAT BALLS OF FIRE (SmackDown. September-20, 2001): This time it is Jonathan Coachman conducting a backstage interview as The Rock addresses a beat-down he had received earlier. As WWE were currently in Memphis, Rocky tells a story about meeting Jerry Lee Lewis (who was seated in the front-row of the arena) & then progresses to sing a variation of ‘Great Balls of Fire’. 5 minutes in length.
COPACABANA (SmackDown. January-3, 2002): During a 5 minute long backstage interview conducted by Jonathan Coachman, The Rock asks The Coach who his favorite singer is and when he answers “Barry Manilow”, Rocky forces him to sing ‘Copacabana’. Hilarity ensues & The Rock finishes the segment off directing a funny promo towards Booker T.
CAMERA MAN (SmackDown. January-17, 2002): The Rock delivers an in-ring promo where he lists every wrestler who has said they are going to win the Royal Rumble. He then pretends to hear that the camera-man says the same thing & proceeds to take his camera and point out everyone in the crowd (if a little unfocused) who also say they are going to win the Rumble. 5 minutes in length.
THE CHARLESTON (SmackDown. January-24, 2002): In a 5 minute backstage interview conducted by Jonathan Coachman, The Rock catches Coach not paying attention & then forces him to dance the Charleston. You know; Coach did a great job as a foil to Rocky in these segments! Anyway, after literally booting Coach up the a**, The Rock addresses Chris Jericho and states his WrestleMania 18 ambitions.
”NWO” (No Way Out. February-17, 2002): In a memorable locker-room encounter, the New World Order (Hogan, Hall & Nash) meet The Rock for the first time & Rocky proceeds to make fun out of them after posing for a photo together. His Diesel impersonation always gets a laugh.
BUSTA RHYMES (SmackDown. July-11, 2002): During an in-ring segment, Rocky invites rapper Busta Rhymes to perform a duet together. As they are in Atlantic City, ‘Under The Boardwalk’ is the song of choice… With slightly modified lyrics of course. 5 minutes in length.
THE SUPERHERO (Raw. March-10, 2003): In his locker-room, The Rock begins singing a song (with heel lyrics) on Cleveland, before being interrupted by his opponent for that night; Hurricane Helms. A hilarious back & forth (well, it’s mainly Rocky) follows as the 2 discuss super-powers. Somewhere in amongst the conversation, Helms calls The Rock a “b***h” and Rocky eventually decks him. Just under 5 minutes in length.
MIAMI DOLPHINS (Raw. June-21, 2004): During a 3 minute long in-ring segment, Rocky introduces Zack Thomas & Jason Taylor of the Miami Dolphins NFL team. It’s actually a strange half-heel/half-face promo that is always a problem faced when heels return to their home city.
THE ONE-LINERS: This is a 9 minute compilation package of what seems like hundreds of one-liners that have been pieced together to make one very funny highlight-reel. They include all of The Rock’s catch-phrases and assorted other segments, some of which had already been shown on this DVD & some of which had not. A nice way to finish off the DVD.
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Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 12:24 pm
DVD Conclusion
The first thing one will notice about this 3 disc DVD set is the fact that there is no documentary portion to it. Not only that, but there is also no contribution from The Rock full stop. This is definitely a negative as not only does Rocky have a great story to tell (as can be witnessed in his book), but he is such a charismatic and likeable guy that I am certain he would have added a lot of worthwhile information & stories to the equation.
Of course, some previous DVD sets have taken advantage of having no documentary by simply including more matches that would otherwise have not been included. That is obviously the case here, but I’m not so certain it is entirely a positive. It seems to be another instance of a 3 disc set that runs about 1-2 hours too long. While the majority of the wrestling bouts are indeed worth a look, there is also a fair bit of duplication with regards to opponents and match structures.
I used to view a website where the webmaster was so sick of The Rock at one point, that he would put up weekly statistics on the amount of wrestling moves/holds Rocky would use per match. While it was obviously an over-exaggeration as it pertained to The Rock’s lack of wrestling prowess, the weaknesses do become a little more apparent after viewing match after match containing the self-proclaimed “Great One”.
Having said all that, there are a number of genuinely great matches contained on this set. I wouldn’t say there were any true classics here and it may not necessarily be The Rock making the bouts great, but they are still great to view even a decade later in some cases. Plus, that is one of the strengths of DVDs; It is very easy to pick & choose what you want to watch via the ‘Chapters’ menu.
As for the structure of the set, I like the little packages shown between each bout. They may not be extremely in-depth, but they give a good timeline of proceedings & a nice little lead-in regarding the particular feud to give you enough recollection of what is to come. At times, it seems as if each disc could have done with some of the segments contained on the Disc-3 Extras, but it’s much of a muchness really.
So when all is said & done, ‘The Rock: The Most Electrifying Man In Sports Entertainment’ is a competent 3 disc DVD set which should definitely satisfy fans of the spotlighted WWE superstar. Excluding a documentary and including too much repetition keeps it from the upper echelon of WWE DVD releases for general professional wrestling fans, however it still contains a sufficient amount of quality matches and hilarious segments to make it worthwhile viewing. I guess the charisma which made The Rock one of the most successful professional wrestlers ever is also the reason why this DVD succeeds when all is said & done.
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