theFRANCHISE

I didn't like the first Dean Ambrose promo and gimmick I saw during a dark match with Ted DiBiase. The second one was much, much better and sold me on what MC said about him. So, in retrospect, I'm glad I was wrong when I called him a Brian Kendrick rip-off -- still don't like the dirty jacket, though!

Looks like we'll have to wait and see next week to know for sure. SmackDown won't be a good indication since they can always edit the crowd reaction. My guess is that the audience was voicing their disappointment that the World Title match only went 18 seconds. The irony is, had the match gone a normal length, there's a chance Bryan would still be a heel. But, because of the perceived injustice, especially since Bryan-Sheamus was knocked off last year's card altogether, the audience didn't like how things went down this year and they're letting the writers know it.

I listened to the segment in the car as I drove home -- yeah, I marked out in the car. No biggie. lol. This opens the door for several storyline avenues. And for the people on Facebook and Twitter that complained that there was no resolution to any storyline tonight? That's exactly the point -- you always want to leave the audience with more questions than answers at the end of each show, week-to-week, while gradually answering some questions along the way.

To see The Rock as WWE Champion one more time, even though it's completely unnecessary, would be phenomenal. That'd mean at least one month of him as a full-time guy -- a couple of house show appearances, more physicality on TV, and maybe even a free TV match or two! I didn't even need to see Rock win last night, but that was the ultimate icing on the cake for me in every way. I've already gotten everything I've wanted out of Rock's return and this is all just like getting extra birthday presents.

I think there's room for squash matches on big PPVs if they serve two purposes: 1) They enhance the storyline 2) They allow for more time for other, bigger matches I felt the Daniel Bryan squash only served one of those two purposes, and that was to allot more time for other matches...and that horrible Brodus Clay segment, as well. It didn't enhance the storyline much, as they could've done the same exact thing on RAW or SmackDown without the title on the line and still ended up heading the same direction on paper, obviously minus Sheamus' title win. A Cody Rhodes squash at the hands of Big Show would've done nothing to hurt Rhodes' character since he would've gotten his comeuppance and Show would've been given a positive WrestleMania moment. It also would've given the writers an opportunity to either elevate Rhodes to the main event immediately, or to prolong the feud and continue giving Rhodes the rub alongside an established star like Show.

If they really wanted to go for the quickest title change, they should've done it with Big Show and Cody Rhodes. It would've made more sense and would've given Show a positive WrestleMania moment to counter all of the embarassing ones he's had. Plus, Rhodes is more over than Bryan, so Rhodes can regain his momentum quicker. Honestly, it showed in the poor build that the writers didn't care about this World Heavyweight Title match, so we shouldn't have been surprised that things went down in such a manner.

According to live reports, the crowd was heavily into the match and were vastly pro-Rock. It didn't come across well on TV because of the acoustics of the outdoor venue, which was the same problem with WrestleMania XXIV in Orlando. Incidentally, the atrocious Brodus Clay segment was apparently a big hit with the live crowd even though it didn't seem to get much of a reaction on TV. Merchandise aside, I think this could still build towards a Cena heel turn -- and it doesn't necessarily have to be soon. I would prefer for it to be a slow burn, where we see layers added onto the character so that there's a logical foundation. This could be achieved either through a losing streak or a dubious winning streak where Cena crosses the line a few times (think his attack on Jack Swagger, minus Swagger's burial). I don't want them to go through with a trilogy of matches, but the seed has been planted since they wouldn't let the company's poster child go without redeeming himself from such a devastating loss. Daniel Bryan will get at least one rematch by virtue of every champion's storyline rematch clause. I could see them rebuilding him as a main event heel, though, especially with his impending feud with A.J. and a different male babyface.

I was surprised and on the verge of tears when it actually happened. It felt like I was 12 years old again. Amazing. I think it was done for three reasons: 1) If Cena won, Miami would riot. Not kidding. 2) They might be foreshadowing a Cena heel turn after all. 3) They're likely setting up that rumored trilogy of matches, with the next two rematches taking place at SummerSlam and WM29. Overall, I was satisfied with the PPV. Much, much better than last year. The booking of the World Heavyweight Title match was curious and there was too much time devoted to the Divas match and Brodus Clay segment. I give WrestleMania 28 an 8.5/10. I'll definitely buy the DVD and probably the Blu-Ray alongside it.

I co-sign all of your predictions and I agree that I don't see any swerve coming. We want one, but it just won't happen. And again, a Cena heel turn probably won't happen if he's got all of those Make-A-Wish kids in attendance. It'd be a huge PR mess unless he talks to them before the match about the swerve -- but WWE wouldn't risk upsetting those kids and their parents, and they especially wouldn't risk the heel turn getting leaked on the Internet prior to the match. Meanwhile...I'm JACKED for this Brock Lesnar signing! While I'm happy to see Lesnar back in any capacity, I'm hoping they don't drop the ball with his one-year deal like they did Goldberg.

The more I think about Rock passing the torch to Cena, the more I realize...maybe it doesn't have to go down that way since there is no torch to pass. Cena is already the face of the company. He's already one of the most decorated wrestlers in WWE history. He's already been booked with the credentials of a Hall-of-Famer. He's already (arguably) had his WrestleMania moment. And yet, while Cena still needs this victory more than Rock, it's not a career-maker for Cena. Maybe I'm just grasping at straws because I see no way that I can be satisfied with an expected Cena victory unless Cena turns heel -- and we know that won't happen with all of those Make-A-Wish kids confirmed to be in attendance as his guests. I mean, yeah, they can have a great match, but part of me will be eaten up inside that Rock will have done the job for a guy who didn't need it.

Rock has said he wants to participate at WrestleMania every year, schedule permitting, so I'd like to see Rock-HBK at some point -- perhaps as the main dream match at WrestleMania 30? They hadn't worked together previously, and part of that was due to backstage politics as a result of the Hart-HBK animosity since Bret Hart had handpicked Rock as one of the guys he took under his wing just prior to leaving the WWF. I also wouldn't mind seeing another Rock-HHH match, though that could probably be booked for SummerSlam instead. I also wouldn't have any complaints about Rock-Austin IV at a future WrestleMania.

I wouldn't mind seeing another HBK match, but it'd have to be the right circumstance. I'd also want it to be at WrestleMania 30 as opposed to 29, as I feel that WM30 should be the event where they pull out all the stops and have everything come full-circle.

Kane has to retire with The Undertaker. That's the way it has to be done. They wrestle one last match, Taker defeats him, then Taker pulls off some stunt that makes them both disappear and they both finally "rest in peace."

From a business standpoint, it makes sense for Cena to beat Rock. Cena is a full-time wrestler, Rock is not. Cena is the young buck and the face of the company, Rock is not. The wrestling business dictates that the professional thing to do is to have the old lion pass the torch to the young lion, just as Hogan did for Rock. However...I don't care about the business right now. The business is in shambles. So, if Cena is told to lay down for Rock, I wouldn't be against it -- I just don't see it happening. Cena needs this victory more than Rock does. Cena's victory would validate everything they've done with his character throughout his career. Rock's victory would do nothing for him other than give him another WrestleMania moment, and it wouldn't even surpass his victory over Hogan and his retirement of Austin. And yet...the fan in me doesn't care about Cena's legacy. Cena's done an excellent job over the past month, but it's been too little, too late.

This is what went down after the show and exactly why I felt I got my money's worth:

Objectively, I felt the show was mediocre, but I'll have to see how it came across on television. Very little was done in the way of advancing the major storylines and there was barely any wrestling. That said...that was the MOST FUN I've had at any WWE show! Once again, I've almost lost my voice. Seeing Rock in-person, especially during his post-show segment with The Miz, made it all worth it. And yes, I teared up a little when Rock came out; seeing little kids go ape for him was what cemented the moment for me. I especially started to get choked up after the show when he saluted the crowd and I saw all these people stick around just to see him. Amazing, amazing night.

WWE doesn't allow professional-looking or pro-quality cameras. I think it might also be an arena rule. Only point-and-shoot cameras allowed. Technically, cell phone cameras aren't allowed either because of their video capability, but if you're not making it obvious that you're shooting video, they usually don't care.

Tonight's the big night. Six rows away from greatness. I finally get to see my hero, in-person. It hasn't hit me yet, but I'm sure I'll get butterflies when I finally get to my seat. My only regret is that I can't bring my dad's nice DSLR camera to take high-resolution pictures. But, this'll still be a moment I'll forever have ingrained in my memory!

I haven't seen Jim Ross this animated in YEARS, but here's J.R. defending The Rock on the March 9th episode of Legends of Wrestling: LINK The full episode, "The Celebrity Effect," is available on WWE Classics On Demand. The episode has also been uploaded on YouTube. The show is hosted by Gene Okerlund and also includes guests Roddy Piper, Diamond Dallas Page, and Michael Hayes: LINK

Arda Ocal had good points about The Rock seemingly phoning it lately -- and I agree with him: LINK Granted, I'm the biggest Rock fan here because I idolize the man, but it's my idol worship that also enables me to be critical of him. I know he can do better. He's done better. But, just like I've done with my own show lately, he's relied too heavily on the old standards. I used to look forward to Rock promos for innovation, but instead, I find the same basic formula that I, myself, can (and do) replicate on my show. I don't want Rock to stop using catchphrases. I don't want Rock to stop pandering to the people. But I want Rock to stop laying down and being complacent just because he knows we'll cheer anything he says. Above all else, I don't want Rock to bend completely to the writers' will of having him go on autopilot just to make Cena look better. Speaking to this last point, if Cena deserves to be in this match with Rock, he'll prove it on his own merits -- and to an extent, his strong mic work of the past 2-3 weeks is evidence of his worthiness.

I actually thought Cena's segment did more for their feud than Rock's segment, but that's not saying much. Both segments had minimal impact on the feud and did nothing to sell the PPV. They were entertaining, sure. I liked Cena's segment better than Rock's segment for nostalgia reasons, though Rock held the crowd in the palm of his hand and gave them a magical moment to close their night (Cena's dark match with Kane aside). But, despite all of that, those segments were essentially just filler to get to next week and the following week. I'm praying that next week, when I attend RAW in Philly, they find a way to advance the feud rather than try to win over the crowd.

I'll be honest: unless this Rock Concert has some material that '03 heel Rock would use, I really don't care. I'm not down for crowd-pandering and Twitter trending tonight. I just want some good ol' fashioned smack talk -- but in musical form.

I agree, and you KNOW I'm the biggest Rock fan here. This is just giving us more reason to believe that Y2J-Punk will steal the show at Mania, as we've all predicted.

NICE promo by Y2J! Punk's alleged past (alcoholic father) is such a small, insignificant detail, but they're doing such a good job of making it important by having Y2J dastardly use it to force Punk to examine his inner core. This makes Punk an even bigger hero and Y2J an even bigger villain, and would make Punk retaining the title at Mania actually mean something. Conversely, if Y2J somehow wins the strap, it adds a bit of depth to Punk's character as the audience questions whether Punk would break his convictions and succumb to alcohol. This is just like The Dark Knight and what Joker tried to do to Batman. In other words, Y2J-Punk is executing this TDK angle better than Cena-Kane did.

That was straight-up heel Cena from '03, not the babyfaced rapper of '04. That's what I've been missing! Could it be foreshadowing? Maybe, but unlikely. Still, I wouldn't complain if this was a sign of a near-future heel turn!