is based mainly on milking nostalgia from the attitude era while those guys are still alive. WWE also thinks they can still make money on him.

This theory has legs cuz he can at least KINDA still go in the ring, he's big as shit so he 'looks good' in the ring up against the current guys. Compare that to situations in the past when the previous era guys got to a point where we had to tell ourselves a lot of lies to believe they were supposed to be still in matches with younger dudes, having their dated offenses being sold, and winning with finishers that had become transition moves if that.

Add in that from about 1996 to 2008, US wrestling was filled with psycho high spots (damnit Hardy Boyz!), ouch suplexes (see what you did, Benoit! Effin Kurt! We shoulda never shown them those All Japan Best of the 90s compilations!), chairshots (damnit Foley!), prop moves galore (remember when every main event or big shit match had a 'break the table' spot...damnit Shane!).

With that, Hogan, Flair, and most of the other 80s guys were all but screwed in that environment with their chops, random slams, legdrops, slow-cook submissions, and 'wear you down over the course of 40 minutes with glorified rest holds' tactics. I remember Hogan having to do powerbombs through tables to win matches late in the WCW run. Damn. I'm happy you can do an armbar without the crowd getting restless nowadays.

Besides that wrestling 101 type stuff, Rock's currently a celebrity and special attraction wrestler who is eating TV time from full-time dudes while also hogging a title, exposing the fact that titles are storyline props (and that the WWE's current writings are NOT wrestling people). His 'celebrity' is supposed to be drawing folks into watch more WWE, but the fact that he's not interacting with anyone other than Cena pretty much negates that. Add that he isn't on every Raw and yeah...pooches screwed. Brock's half-ass schedule and being hemmed up with 'I don't even really be wrestling anymore' ass HHH...same thing...ahhh...dead horses...

Like rappers have done since Jay made it lucrative in the mid-90s, saying 'hey y'all..folks don't understand..I'm effin great!' and having other voices generally agree is another thing that has made the Rock, HBK, HHH, and Taker all legendary and valuable.

Back to the 'what has Cena been doing beside waiting for the Rock': I forgot about Cena getting his ass kicked by The Shield for a little while too...but that was lumped into the 'CM Punk is scurred that he can't keep beating Cena so he got his heel game tight' storylines.

He was also almost creeping but not really creeping with nerdy fine AJ Lee (who I'd love to have gonzo sex with all through my house). Turning real life into a storyline cuz of Cena freakin all da honeys backstage? Awesome.

Jimaveli

>I really don't think WWE gives a SHIT about any of their
>titles, or their product. or even giving lip service to this.
>
>>The problem is he's against Cena who NY is also not fond of.
>>
>>I mean I can't even fathom such an epic f-up. If I'm Hunter
>or
>>Steph I'm reading Rock's publicist the riot act.
>
>looking at this from the POV of a dude who hates the
>"SuperCena" booking but not Cena himself, and has no context
>of why "The Rock" is supposed to be great
>
>The Rock clearly *is* the heel in this scenario
>
>and John Cena has been eating his proverbial shit for the
>better part of a year. There's no reason for Rock to keep the
>belt, either (which is one reason why I hate this matchup but
>I digress).
>
>I mean, you would WANT Cena to win.
>
>(part 2 of this is that I really feel Rock is in "Wizards"
>Jordan mode right now... his promos/timing are off. He can't
>adjust to the "PG Era" and his rants used to have AMAZING
>context. He just seems to be on the outside looking in, rather
>than the inside looking out, which is understandable
>considering he has a new job.)
>
>What I'm hoping happens is Cena plays the role of Rock in
>Rock/Hogan I @ Wrestlemania X8, and ends up like Stone Cold
>Steve Austin in Wrestlemania X7.
>
>The problem is, there is NO one thing that Cena could do other
>than exist on screen to be hated. He doesn't even have any
>sort of anything going on with other wrestlers. I can't even
>tell you who he's feuded with besides Rock in forever. Miz? or
>one of the midcarders?
>
>There's no one that could run in and "cheat" for John Cena
>(though if that happened...that would kick ASS).
>
>I have a feeling like this really should be like the
>Rock/Hogan matches but it just isn't gonna play out like
>that.