The Rock’s Curious Appearance at Friday Night SmackDown
There were rumors circulating that The Rock would make a special appearance at Friday Night SmackDown in Memphis, Tennessee, and give another one of his electrifying “Rock concerts.” When he finally made his entrance, the crowd treated him like the mega babyface (heroic character) star that he has long been, disregarding his recent status as the hottest heel (villainous character) in the business.
Curiously enough, The Rock embraced his babyface persona from the start, working the gimmick as if he were still the beloved returning hero there to conquer the reigning champion. He even referred to Memphis as his “home,” which the crowd responded to with loud cheers and “I love you” messages. It was an unexpected turn of events that created a truly bizarre atmosphere.
The Rock then proceeded to entertain the fans by performing a song and holding a mini concert. He cracked his usual jokes, made fun of Cody Rhodes, and repeatedly slammed Seth Rollins for being cringe-worthy. The audience seemed to have a blast, fully enjoying the show.
However, things took a different turn when The Rock shifted his attention towards the “Cody crybabies,” referring to Cody’s fanbase. He called them whiny bitches and declared his intention to defeat their hero. He even took it a step further by addressing Cody’s mother directly, expressing his excitement regarding beating her son and making him bleed. As if that wasn’t enough, The Rock even dropped a reference to the animated film Moana, showcasing his ability to play the heel role convincingly.
It became evident that this segment was a showcase of the complex reality of the situation – the fans never wanted to boo The Rock, they just didn’t want him to overshadow Cody’s story. The WWE will have to carefully navigate this delicate line to please both sides of the audience.
Ironically, The Rock appeared cooler than Cody when he mocked him for crying on Raw earlier in the week. His passionate response to Cody’s tears was met with disdain, strengthening his villainous persona. It’s a testament to The Rock’s incredible charisma and ability to manipulate the crowd’s emotions.
One notable aspect of this segment was The Rock’s return to using his heel music and adopting the persona of “The Final Boss.” Although he stayed close to his babyface image for most of the segment, this subtle shift might be a hint of the inevitable turn towards a full-fledged villain. It seems that the WWE is strategically positioning The Rock as close to a babyface as possible in order to quickly transition into a highly anticipated match once morest Roman Reigns following WrestleMania.
Nevertheless, the question remains – is it a wise choice for The Rock to pander to the crowd while portraying a heel character? It’s a subjective matter that divides opinions among fans and industry pundits.
LA Knight’s Time to Shine
LA Knight, who hasn’t been given much television time recently, finally had a moment to shine on the latest episode. Once once more, he received a tremendous pop from the crowd, indicating their continued love and support for him. This was an entertaining promo, featuring Knight using some classic Kevin Nash lines to taunt his rival, Styles, before challenging him to a match at WrestleMania 40.
Styles wasted no time and interrupted Knight’s promo, attacking him from behind with a chair and accepting the challenge. This match promises to be a lot of fun, and it presents a great opportunity for Knight to showcase his skills once morest an opponent who can definitely deliver on the grandest stage of them all.
The fans can’t wait!
All the Rest
- I’m still a bit confused regarding Nick Aldis’ decision regarding the Six Pack Ladder match for the Undisputed tag team titles at WrestleMania 40. It appears that he has chosen to find teams for the match through mini tournaments. However, the explanation provided by the WWE and the promotion of win-and-in bouts for Monday Night Raw next week seem contradictory and unnecessarily convoluted. Despite these confusing circumstances, the match itself is shaping up to be a six-team battle, with Legado del Fantasma facing New Catch Republic for the opportunity to advance to WrestleMania. Personally, I’m disappointed with how Pretty Deadly was treated in this process.
- The highly anticipated Jimmy vs. Jey Uso match for WrestleMania took an interesting turn when Jimmy accepted the challenge in a backstage interview. His passionate promo and promise to put his little brother in his place added fuel to the fire of this sibling rivalry.
- Randy Orton’s match once morest Grayson Waller was made more entertaining by the presence of Logan Paul on commentary. Logan expressed his dissatisfaction with Nick Aldis for not finding him a WrestleMania opponent, setting the stage for a future confrontation. Sure enough, Austin Theory attacked Orton following the match, but Orton was saved by Kevin Owens. In a surprising twist, it was announced that Paul would defend the United States championship once morest both Orton and Owens in a triple threat match at WrestleMania.
- Santos Escobar’s victory over Dragon Lee was relatively swift, with Escobar pinning his opponent clean despite Lee dominating most of the match. The real excitement came when Carlito made a post-match appearance, assisting in the beatdown of Escobar. This was followed by Rey Mysterio’s long-awaited return, much to the delight of the crowd. Rey challenged Escobar to a singles match next week, generating tremendous anticipation.
- The headlining match between Bayley and Dakota Kai was marred by interference from Damage CTRL, resulting in a disqualification. Naomi’s unexpected involvement on Bayley’s behalf indicates that she has chosen her side in this feud, despite Bianca Belair’s attempts to sway her. The outcome of this clash might have significant implications for WrestleMania.
This episode of Friday Night SmackDown was solid, showcasing multiple intriguing storylines and setting the stage for explosive matches at WrestleMania.
Grade: B
