WWE: A match with Roman Reigns could salvage The Rock’s career
I know: The Rock needing anything or anyone – even Roman Reigns – to “salvage” his WWE career sounds ridiculous, but hear me out for a second.
Legacies are important in sports. Even in a sport as silly and questionably sporty as the WWE. And when I bring up legacies, I mostly mean in accordance to lasting impressions.
First impressions in general are always important and there’s even a great deal of importance when it comes to the middle portion of things, but that lasting impression makes all the difference in how people get remembered. The lasting impressions are where legends are made.
A big reason why Kobe Bryant gets hailed as one of the greatest players in basketball history is because despite having a midling run during his final years where he lost his run, he dropped 60 points in his final game gainst the Utah Jazz, leading the Lakers to a 101-96 win.
Meanwhile, take someone hailed as the undisputed best ball player of all time in Michael Jordan and recall that he only dropped 15 points in his final game, losing to the Philadelphia 76ers in an embarrassing 107-87. As much as we like to pretend his Washington Wizards comeback run never even happened, it leaves a big stain on his legacy.
The same can be said for The Rock, someone who is always going to be praised as one of the greatest wrestlers to lace up a pair of boots, but rarely gets praised as the greatest ever. That honor typically gets bestowed on Stone Cold Steve Austin, who we all remember fondly for having a tremendous swan song against The Great One at WrestleMania 19.
The Great One’s own swang song, however, wasn’t so great. His final match, if we don’t count that 6 second waffle of a “match” against Erick Rowan at WrestleManai 32 – was a disappointing sequel to his Mania 28 match with John Cena.
At Mania 29, not only was the rematch merely a repeat – move for move – that lacked the same magic, The Rock injured his abductor and the top of his quad off his pelvis, per a word with The Daily Express. This happened about 15 minutes into what was supposed to be 45 minute slobberknocker, which explains the disappointing performance, to be fair.
The match itself wasn’t even the kicker. The kicker was watching the visible disappointment in The Rock’s face as he bowed his head in while raising Cena’s hand after the match to a chorus of boos. Our final image of The People’s Champ in his wrestling trunks is going to be as he did the best he could to put over the next generation’s top star, only to discover that it wasn’t what the people wanted to see.
That final image is what stops us from praising The Great One as the greatest one to ever step inside the ring. But a match with Roman Reigns could salvage this.
It’s a dream match that has weasled its way into conversations for years now, but it once again feels relevant now as The Rock said during an Instagram Live Q&A session (h/t WrestlingInc) that he is “always open” to such a match taking place, it provides hope for The Rock’s legacy.
There would be something admirable and special about seeing The Rock deciding to put over the company’s newest top star right before riding off into the sunset for good.
Next. Heath Slater has an encore coming. dark
His last couple matches weren’t very befitting for a former eight time WWE Champion, but putting over the future for someone more likely to get a positive reaction from the crowd gives us the lasting impression that his career deserves. It’ll give us a final match befitting for someone who should be argued as the GOAT.