Have WWE enthusiasts grown tired of The Rock?
That might be the situation as recent reports suggest that the wrestling organization could modify their upcoming WrestleMania plans for the beloved wrestler-turned-actor-turned-wrestler once again, due to intense backlash from the WWE loyalists.
The potential alteration arises after The Rock’s WWE SmackDown segment on Friday became the most disliked video EVER on YouTube, accumulating over 500,000 dislikes in just 36 hours. Out of the video’s current 4 million views, only 97,000 fans have expressed their approval – not an ideal scenario for the WWE’s efforts to revive their superstar.
The controversy revolves around the fact that The Rock made an unexpected return and is likely to wrestle against Roman Reigns at the upcoming WrestleMania, sidelining fan-favorite and anticipated opponent, Cody Rhodes. The Rhodes vs. Reigns storyline had been building up for over a year, and Rhodes had just won last month’s Royal Rumble, which should have secured him a shot at the world titleholder, Reigns. However, The Rock’s appearance changed everything.
Just last night, there were chants of “Rocky Sucks” when Rhodes entered the ring for a segment.
The WWE executives are clearly taking note of not only the social media backlash faced by ‘the most electrifying man in sports entertainment,’ but also the negative response from the live audience, as The Rock was booed during a wrestling event on Saturday. For a company accustomed to scripted moments, let’s just say that wasn’t part of the plan.
This is the latest setback that Johnson has encountered in recent months, following the cancellation of his NBC show ‘Young Rock’ last year and his underwhelming debut as ‘Black Adam’ in the DC Universe, which fell far short of box office expectations.
But could fans truly be done with The Rock? We hope not!
It was only a few years ago when The Rock was the most adored Hollywood celebrity who could do no wrong. His appearances in the Fast and Furious franchise helped propel it to blockbuster success. He also starred in Disney’s The Jungle Cruise. And let’s not forget the rumors and frenzy surrounding his potential presidential run.
But now? He’s doing damage control by taking to Twitter and attempting to spin the fact that he now holds the record for the most disliked video in YouTube history, claiming that the cheers for his return were ‘explosive’ and ‘undeniable.’
Times have changed since The Rock’s heyday in the wrestling world during the 2000s and 2010s. The internet reigns supreme – for better or worse. And if you think Taylor Swift’s fans are intense, you haven’t seen the ones who paved the way for the Swifties’ havoc. Wrestling fans were the original disruptors.
One thing about The Rock is that he shares a similarity with Alex Rodriguez in their deep concern for their public image and personal brand. If The Rock continues to be booed and targeted by wrestling fans, it doesn’t matter how many times he claims not to care. Because the truth is, he absolutely does. But will it be enough for the WWE to change course and allow Cody Rhodes to face Roman Reigns, bringing joy to the vocal minority or perhaps the majority of wrestling fans?
We have two months until WrestleMania to find out.