>then why doesn't he talk about that, instead of harping on
>all of the stuff The Rock has done while he's gone?

He didn't harp on the things Dwayne did while he was gone, he harped on Dwayne being gone. He spoke about his movies because... Dwayne would rather do that than be a professional wrestler. That's the point, he'd rather do *that* than *this*.

>doesn't he look at The Rock as an ambassador for WWE and for
>wrestling, instead of some kind of deserter?

Because Dwayne really isn't an ambassador. He's not quite a deserter like Brock, but he's certainly no ambassador. He doesn't hide his WWE past (how could he anyways), but he doesn't exactly play it up.

>I mean, he's got such love for the
>game that he'd realize that a rising tide lifts all boats,
>right?

It really doesn't though. In fact, Dwayne's presence hurts far more than it helps. It boosts PPV buys (though not for SS) and temporarily gives weekly ratings a boost when he's there, but that's a spot that could and SHOULD be occupied by a younger guy getting over and establishing himself. Same goes for Jericho. After Summer Slam, those guys will be gone yet again. It's hot shotting for buys and ratings that won't show any long term gains. You could have Cody Rhodes and Dolph Ziggler getting their first crack at an upper card slot at Mania, but instead we get two guys who won't be around in 9 months. I fail to see how that helps. It's better for everyone these rising young stars get that chance to elevate themselves on the big stage than it is to bring in Jericho and Rock.

>Why can't Cena say that he loves pro wrestling without
>simultaneously throwing The Rock under the bus for having the
>nerve to leave the company and become a movie star?

Oh lord, because it's pro wrestling, it's a feud, and it's leading up to Wrestlemania. How is that 'throwing him under the bus'? This is the point.

>not "effectively building the match up for non-smart fans,"

Actually, that's exactly what it's doing.

>that's making Cena sound like a weak, jealous, and ignorant
>cunt.

No, that's just what it sounds like to 20-something men who hate Cena and love Dwayne.

>Not to mention a mouthpiece for an old, out-of-touch
>company owner and his egomaniacal son-in-law.

But nobody but smarks are even thinking like this. Regular fans aren't even thinking in those terms.

>You have Cena come out
>and congratulate The Rock for all of his success, ***and thank
>him for being a great ambassador for the sport***, but
>emphasize that, with all due respect, the place has changed
>dramatically since he was last there. Talk about how the
>athletes in WWE are bigger, faster, stronger, and yes, younger
>than when The Rock last showed up, and that he's about to step
>into the ring with one of the new blood. He might have been
>able to plod around the ring with Stone Cold and HHH and Mick
>Foley, but this is the new breed of WWE, and he'd better be
>ready to bring it. That he can come in with all of the new,
>fresh, and funny-ass catchphrases and Tweets that he wishes,
>but at the end of the day, he's got to come face-to-face with
>John Cena in the ring.

I'd hardly call that better, mostly because Cena actually gave his true feelings, which he's said many times over the years. That's just a very bland, generic route that doesn't add ANY animosity whatsoever. I'd much rather see a man spit his true feelings than a generic 'this is the new breed!' promo that does literally nothing. This route was a personal one, even in the event he was just saying what Vince wanted him to say- hell, especially if that's the case. This 'weak jealous bitch' angle isn't present at all. He isn't harping on The Rock's outside success, he was harping on him leaving to do all that and using the WWE to further those endeavors.

>This current route -- even if you think it's the most exciting
>thing ever (probably because Cena's biting CM Punk's
>pseudo-shoot from last summer)

I think it's a quality way to go. This 'most exciting thing ever!' bit of hyperbole is unnecessary. Liking it and thinking it's OMG BEST THING EVER!!! are two different things.

>"insider knowledge" of it (and btw, the HHH resentment of The
>Rock is 100% true, as is the Rock resentment from cats like CM
>Punk)

So where is the proof of this 'HHH is jealous of Rock' claim? You just know, or what? Are you going to say it's just common knowledge? I'd say he's pretty happy where he's at.

>You and other fans might think this bullshit is cool because
>it's "real," and in a way it is VERY real, but that doesn't
>mean that it's the best path for your #1 babyface in the
>company to take going into this match. It just isn't. Just
>because "real" worked for CM Punk doesn't mean it's going to
>work for everyone else.

Shrug. It worked quite well. You don't think so. Cool. Some of us enjoyed a candid shoot promo that was well executed. It's a nice