Spoilers for Raw - wrestlemania host revealed

I... am... electrified. Seriously guys, shivers.

Loads of talking points there:

1) "I promise you I will never leave again. Simply put, The Rock is back." What the hell does that mean? If The Rock is back on the roster then business just picked up 1000%.

2) Huge shoot on Cena. That throws up the possibility of the most wished for match in a decade. Can we get John Cena vs The Rock on the card? Do what you want with Miz. Triple threat with Orton and Punk? Who the hell cares? The Rock just came home and everything has changed in a heartbeat.

I know that Rock is quoted as saying he would never return to wrestle and was more suited to the host position but I can't (or WON'T) believe that the stuff about never leaving again was a lie. Yes he'll still make movies but can you imagine 6 months a year maybe of The Great One? Please tell me I didn't dream tonight's Raw. Greatest night of wrestling I've ever seen. The Super Cena Era is over! Long live The People's Champion!

i loved the you cant see me urine take brilliant hopefully end of pg fingers crossed and would be up there with the greatest mania matches if he faced off with cena

Was a great moment! I marked out. You might want to change your title, btw, because spoilers in titles aren't allowed til Tuesday evening, I think or Wednesday mroning, and nobody should be deprived of this mark out moment!

Yeah very fair point. If anyone can tell me how to do it then it shall be done Just had a play around but I can't find a button for changing titles.

Just checked out the Q and A session he did on WWE.com after the show went off air. Nothing earth shattering but a bit more on the Cena stuff.

It's 5am and I'm not even slightly tired, and I can still feel the goosebumps. The Rock is the ultimate entertainer.

That was simply immense!! Even though the pop was great i cant help but think the great one deserved better. The PG era may have something to do with that, im not against it, but i reckon about 30/35% of people werent that sure just who he was or what he means to the WWE.

However that being said you have to hand it to Vince Mac....he gets slated alot across the wrestling forums but when push comes to shove he a) knows how to get people talking & b) can always deliver when it matters. There are alot of people who have had negative things to say about WWE's product in recent times but I cant help but think that they are pushing things in the right direction...especially in the last couple of months. The Rocks return and the rumours ( i think definite) of an immenint return for Triple H show that not only do WWE know what they are doing but past greats are more than willing to step forward and push the production in the right direction. I expect both Triple H and The Rock to play a huge part in the next 12-18 months as the company goes from strength to strength in its transitional period. It is clear that they are stepping ever so slightly away from the PG era....all be it not completely...but enough i think to satisfy the older audience. We dont want all out blood and guts but a bit of menacing language and behaviour goes someway to increasing the persona & overness of both the product and certain characters.

Anyhow...back on to topic...I was so close to turning off the TV when they showed female legs before the commercial...i couldnt help but think...'oh god he has missed a trick again'...however I had a beef pot noodle so decided to stay awake and finish it. Thank god i did because I got to witness the mark out moment of the year...scratch that past 8 years as the great one.....FINALLY.....I said FINALLY...came back to monday night raw!!!!

I have no problem with Cena and actual think his character is more of a problem because of the product rather than anything...however he is not a patch on the rock. My favourite 'on mic' superstar without a doubt is CM punk ....i actually place him in my top 3 of all time.....but even he comes no where near generating the excitement or buzz of the great one. I literally had goosebumps. And i dont care what anyone says...it simply was that incredible.

Ive read plenty of stuff about him being a sell out and in some cases can understand peoples frustration at the timing of his departure from WWE...however I dont think he owes anything to the WWE. He transformed wrestling like no one before him (and that includes..yes controversially Hogan and Austin) and if people are honest with themselves he never stopped loving the company or the fans. He just accomplished everything he set out too achieve as he has said many times before! Unlike many he chose the right time to get out...put people over...and has chosen the right time to come back....

He said in his interview he will never leave again and to a degree I believe him.(He obviously will but i think he will always be a backstage presence from now on). I also loved the John Cena tease.....I know that he has said he will never wrestle again...but i think the mega billing that a ROCK V CENA match would create would be enough to persuade him...and even if he doesnt he may well get involved in a match! Pure speculation but could he have something to do with a Cena turn...I think so!...

Regardless he is back and I cant wait to see the.... Jabroni beatin
Pie eatin
Trail blazin
eyebrow raisin
peoples champ
THE ROCK

I agree with everything you said there about him. He probably won't stick around after Wrestlemania but can you imagine the box office draw of Cena vs The Rock? Forget Rock v Hogan, forget Cena v Orton, hell forget HBK vs Undertaker. This would be truly immortal Hulk Hogan vs The Ultimate Warrior stuff, an all time classic. Surely it's set up too nicely for them to miss out on it? It all depends on Cena losing the elimination chamber in my opinion. If he doesn't become the #1 contender then we're on. There's nowhere else for him to go.

I agree totally on the goosebumps as well. I'm still wired ha! Looking for a video online now so I can watch it again. When the Cena shoot started I thought I was dreaming. I don't know how much of a hand Dwayne had in writing that promo but whoever masterminded it clearly understands perfectly the frustrations of those viewers who want a break away from the Cena dominance of the past half a decade. The Rock was never unbeatable and he never had 12 month title reigns. Bring back those days! Where a heel could beat a face clean, like Triple H or the American Badass version of The Undertaker. Nowadays Sheamus and CM Punk have to cheat for a win over Cena and it just looks pathetic when it's week in and week out.

Anyway I'm ranting. The Rock has made me very very nostalgic!

Levi -

I actually disagree with you. I can see him sticking around for some time to come. I dont think he ever fully stepped away from wrestling, just think he knew that it was best he stayed away from the product for a period of time so that it could revolutionise without him. Like i said...many people gave him stick for leaving the company but I actually applaud him...he put people over before he left and he never had a bad word to say about WWE. Always willing to come back and boost its ratings when needed (whether for self gain or not he could of chosen other media outlets to promote himself). He always mainted he would come back in some form but stressed the importance of the timing. And I have read his books and many interviews and the one thing he always stressed was the need to sustain the limelight on those who would take the company forward rather than having it shine on generations past. I dont believe, and as u stated dont wish to believe, that this is simply a flash in the pan moment. I will happily take his word for it and believe that he is back for some time to come.

As for the promo their is no way in the world that anyone but Dwayne wrote that. He always maintaned, heck demanded, that he had control of his writing. I doubt very much that has change. As an interesting side note I think the limit on the wrestlers writing their on stuff, rather than the whole PG, thing has been what has effected the product in recent times. I remember the Brock/Angle segments (humorous ones) where it was all PG yet highly entertaining and enjoyable.

Like i stated earlier I dont mind Cena too much and actually think he has been a slave to the product of the company. Im pretty sure that whilst he has enjoyed his success he perhaps understands and sympathises with the more adult orientated viewer (as he put across so well in his 'farewell' speech). Im sure he didnt want to be so dominant but due to the quick nature of this 'transitional' period he became the only real shoulder to carry the WWE throughout. Yes there was Triple H, Undertaker, Kane, Shawn but all were/are getting on and couldnt compete or sell the company in the way he has been able too.

As for the needle between the great one and the purple one....I do think there is something genuine their but also think their is great respect between both of them. I actually think The Rock regards Cena quite highly. And have heard him praise the way in which he has handled/had to deal with being the face of not just Raw but the company as a whole. A match between the two would as u have said transcent the sport to new heights. I hope, but cant see, it happening. But as I have said I do think that Dwayne will be a big part of a forthcoming Cena heel turn, be it directly or indirectly!

Don't get me wrong, there's no bigger fan of The Rock in the world than I am. We're all equally devoted And I respect totally that he went away to follow an acting dream but wrestling is in his blood and here he is. But if he isn't going to wrestle, and I can't see it happening, then his role going forward is going to be a bit limited. And to be fair I'm not sure I'd even want him in that role of mic work and the odd rock bottom for months at a time. He's in too good a shape for that. That job is for Kevin Nash or Stone Cold or Mick Foley. If The Rock is going to stay then he has too much to give to end up being a GM. That's why logically I have to assume he isn't here long term. Can't wrestle if he stays, can't stay if he doesn't wrestle.

On the other hand (my one great hope) there was no need to promise he would stay if he isn't going to. The fans were lapping it up anyway and he could have made it clear he was here to deliver the best Wrestlemania of all time and ride off into the sunset, no harm done. That promise puts a new spin on it all and I'm clinging onto it. In Rocky we trust.

On the Cena match, I'd love to argue "well why bring Cena into the promo at all if it wasn't an angle?" but I appreciate it got the crowd going all on its own and doesn't necessarily mean a match. Like I said, any dream bout hinges on the outcome of the chamber. There's absolutely no way The Rock is going to get involved in a WWE title match so if Cena wins that #1 contendership then it's all over, and there's been a lot of work done to set up Miz vs Cena going back a couple of months now. The only way forward is probably a triple threat match with CM Punk and Randy Orton, or maybe even another straight Orton vs Miz match. Yes we've seen it before but let's face it, with a hinted Undertaker vs Triple H match and then The Rock vs John Cena, there's no way it's main eventing anyway is there.

To me the most likely outcome for all this is if The Rock referees Cena vs Miz. They were the only two superstars he particularly shot in his promo so that seems a strong possibility. Whatever the outcome, great to have him back and the 'Mania card just got elevated no matter what happens. He's the biggest draw there's been in my viewing lifetime and tonight proves he always will be.

Here are the highlights of the Q&A


On why he returned now: "Because I felt the time was right to so something special. Not only can I feed my own need and desire to perform. More importantly than that, do something special for you WWE fans. "

On what he missed about WWE: "The thing I've missed most is the indescribible moment that was tonight. The culmination of the fans, their energy, my energy, my desire to entertain them and their endless desire to be entertained. "

On his goals for WrestleMania 27: "My goal is to create an incredible show. The guys have prepared for this night all year and they are going to put on incredible wrestling matches and I am there to not only support their matches but work with the great WWE production team and put on an electrifying show. That means I will be backstage and in the ring creating unforgettable and iconic WrestleMania moments. "

On his favorite WrestleMania memories: "My favorite WrestleMania matches of all time were Icon vs. Icon in Toronto vs. Hulk Hogan and vs. Steve Austin in the Houston Astrodome. Both of those matches will go down as two of most memorable. I had the honor of working with two titans of WWE. "

On John Cena: "John Cena said a variety of things that came across my desk which at first I thought was interesting and then I felt was laughable because the comments really didn't make any sense to me. To be clear, not that they ever make me mad. I just thought the comments were an interesting choice of things to say. "

On Social Media: " The platforms of social media are fantastic. I started facebook seven months ago and I started twitter tonight. The facebook platform is one I'm very proud of because it has been inspiring, funny, entertaining and motivating. What I'm most proud of is that anyone can come to the page and not only read my posts but read posts from people all over the world and that's a really cool thing."

In my opinion that was one of the best Raws in a while with two real 'mark out' moments for me: one was the return of The Rock and the other was of course...





Maryse and Yoshi Tatsu kissing!

Anyway back to the point- The Rock did a great job on the mic, giving us all of those classic catchphrases he adopted during his career. I cant wait to see if he continues to appear on WWE TV in the lead up to wrestlemania and obviously how he will make this years WM special. I think the WWE may have made a mistake with the timing of this, as the Rock really overshadowed everything else that happened on the show. And with Elimination Chamber on its way this Sunday, the hype for that was really left as an afterthought.None of the matches were particularly amazing, but none of them were bad either. Overall I think that it was a great show and probably the best Raw of 2011 so far.

Legend wrote:In my opinion that was one of the best Raws in a while with two real 'mark out' moments for me: one was the return of The Rock and the other was of course...





Maryse and Yoshi Tatsu kissing!

Anyway back to the point- The Rock did a great job on the mic, giving us all of those classic catchphrases he adopted during his career. I cant wait to see if he continues to appear on WWE TV in the lead up to wrestlemania and obviously how he will make this years WM special. I think the WWE may have made a mistake with the timing of this, as the Rock really overshadowed everything else that happened on the show. And with Elimination Chamber on its way this Sunday, the hype for that was really left as an afterthought.None of the matches were particularly amazing, but none of them were bad either. Overall I think that it was a great show and probably the best Raw of 2011 so far.

the problem is though, that then night after the chamber is the 21-12 reveal.

Any longer and people wouldnt be talking about the Rock so much and the buzz wouldnt be generated.
The Ultimate Warrior in a trenchcoats return on Monday!

All the superlatives have already been said regarding the Rock returning.

I would like to say though that apart from the Rock there were some cracking matches too in Punk v Cena, Miz v Bryan, Morrison showing emotion in a match too!

I dont have sky + and there is no way im waiting till Thursday to watch this.
Will any sites have a stream up today that i cant watch tonight?

Anyways, got 3 meetings at work today, so a low profile by me today im affraid, but will be back tonight

Maryse kissing Tatsu?

WTF....Lucky girl

someone please tell me more

Can I just say to everyone how much better does this look than the train wreck of threads on 606 at present.

Y I Man wrote:I dont have sky + and there is no way im waiting till Thursday to watch this.
Will any sites have a stream up today that i cant watch tonight?

Anyways, got 3 meetings at work today, so a low profile by me today im affraid, but will be back tonight

Has every single WWE show the day after, and in great quality, great site.

http://www.desirulez.net/wrestling/

Hero wrote:Can I just say to everyone how much better does this look than the train wreck of threads on 606 at present.

to be fair though, the train wreck has been created by most of the posters on here!

I echo most of the sentiments on here. I went into work late today just to watch this. What a great curveball having those female legs getting out of the limo. The Rock looked like he had never been away. He is in absolutely phenomenal shape too. I can really see a match between Cena and Rock, but don't think at this years WM, the short span of time would not do it justice to get the Rock back in ring shape.
I can't wait to find out what the Rock meant by he will never leave? If I was vince I would give Rock a blank cheque and tell him to stick on whatever figure he wants, and give the WWE one more full time year from Mania to Mania. Think of how much the up and comers like Miz, A-Ri, DiBiase, Drew, etc could learn from him on how to excite the crowd. It would even raise the game of the established main eventers and bring the best out of Cena, Orton, HHH, Punk, Edge etc.
I can't wait to go home and watch this tonight again.

Just watched it now. Even though I knew what was going to happen I got shivers down my spine when his music kicked in. Marked out like crazy! Was good to hear all his catch phrases again and he looks in incredible shape

Best raw I have seen in months and the rock returning is without a doubt the best reception someone has gotten in years. Eat your heart out Cena

Everyone is saying it is the best in ages but I felt it was a really poor RAW. Apart from the return of you know who I felt it was dire.

The show had no flow and didn't feel like it was leading up to Sunday for me. The fact that they had to use the show to put over a SD feud also annoyed me. Ziggler , Edge and Del Rio shouldn't have been there.

The Punk v Cena match was good but the ending was a bit dodgy for me - why would they have a nexus armband on - this would surely get Punk thrown out of the Chamber match. It should have been an arm appearing to help Punk with a Nexus arm band. This seen and Punk DQ'd. Then pull the person out to reveal it as Sheamus or someone else who was in the chamber match trying to get Punk DQ'd.

The best bit for me was JoMo who looked amazing. His intensity looked really good and I hope he can keep it up in the weeks to come.

Even though I had read the spoilers, his return was fantastic. The lights being switched off etc added to it...I was stunned

Do you think there will be a battle to be the champion of the people? Cena vs The Rock at WM? What a fight that would be. Ive never known any man to turn the "Cenation" against Cena in what sentence, but The Rock did it.

Favourite quotes - "You can't see me...Well, what are you doing, playing a game of peek-a-boo?"
"You run around here looking like a bowl of fruity pebbles!"

Is this the return of a non-PG WWE as well?! Please say yes !!!

I have to say after just watching it, I got chills. Absolutely epic