[creepy]

So, this Mayweather asshole is getting $20 Million to wrestle at WM? What the fuck? Are you kidding me? If this is Shane's doing, which I think it is, how long before he runs the company into the ground after Vinny roids up for the last time?



$20 Million?

[Batman]

Yeah, I'm boggled.

And I'm enjoying the Show/Floyd feud.

But is it going to the main event? If not why would they pay more for it than for the main event?

Holy crap.

[Mikey]

I'm just trying to figure out why he's being booked as the good guy. That's a more pressing concern to me than the payday he's getting; they can waste their cash however they want so long as the writing makes sense. I know, that may be asking too much.

[williamssl]

The creative folks have their work cut out for them. People just naturally think "white guy good, black guy bad". Telling this story credibily and in way that builds interest, momentum and payoff was gonna be challenging enough. So this "contra to popular thinking" booking might be too much for the writers.

[National Champion Chris Cole]

The way they were hyping it on Monday sounds like they are planning on this being the Main Event a la LT vs Bam Bam.

[The Jewish Cunthead]

I'm pretty sure Tyson got a nice payday in '98... but I guess... it's better... than 20 million.

[Mikey]

Exalt to Solly Balboa! Let's give you the Nobel Peace Prize now.

[The Jewish Cunthead]

In all seriousness, this match doesn't jive with me. Instead of trying to re-create Butterbean-Gunn or Monsoon-Ali, why not go for broke and make it Rock-Mayweather? The hype alone would pay for it.

[Lucky]

Because Rock wants nothing to do with wrestling?

I missed any new developments to the angle last night but Mayweather IS the biggest drawing PPV athlete in the world. So paying him $20M seems no sillier than paying Trump $20M.

[The Canadian Content]

luckylopez said:

Because Rock wants nothing to do with wrestling?

And that's why he'll be inducting his father and grandfather into the HOF this year?

[National Champion Chris Cole]

I hope Rock shows up the next night even if it is only to say "Finally The Rock has come back to Wrestlemania."

[The Canadian Content]

It's WM weekend -- he'll probably say it on Saturday.

[Lucky]

psychofish said:

luckylopez said:

Because Rock wants nothing to do with wrestling?

And that's why he'll be inducting his father and grandfather into the HOF this year?

Is that confirmed yet? Ok, granted, "nothing" is a bit much. He'll show up at a non-wrestling black tie event to honor his father and grandfather. But Rock's been pretty clear over the last few years that he thinks wrestling can give him nothing and can only hurt his career and that he doesn't want to waste any of that risk on an occasional RAW Anniversary appearance or special RAW comeback when they swing into town. Which is not criticism of him. I could care less what he does. Just saying, Rock ain't getting in the ring with Mayweather. Those days are long done. And he's not spending a month on RAW.

[The Canadian Content]

It was confirmed on RAW.

[Lucky]

Ok, so he hasn't vowed WWE off. But this is a pretty extreme case given its his father and grandfather being honored (and to hear it be told they're only getting inducted to bribe Rock back in). This will be the first time Rock will be on WWE TV/whatever since 2004. Besides the taped promo for the Trump match last year. He's gone out of his way to avoid WWE and he's outright SAID that in the media. "The Rock" is all but dead. Dwayne Johnson is wisely trying to stay the fuck away from the shitty business that everyone else laughs at.

[salmonjunkie]

Can't blame him. I know people who still won't take him seriously as an actor because he was a wrestler.

One such person finally saw the Rundown and admitted, "ok, he wasn't too bad in that."

[Lucky]

Yeah, really. This isn't a criticism of the guy. I don't blame him for wanting to keep himself separated from a cesspool of an industry that seems worse than porn. That is a laughingstock to any legitimate sports or entertainment culture in this country. That is filled with drugs and criticized by media and politicians and has leadership that clearly doesn't give a shit if its people live or die. A company that just got booted off the 5th network despite good ratings just because it was wrestling.

Rock by his own admission never really had a passion for the business. It was an opportunity that presented itself when football failed him. And he was able to make a fortune and become a celebrity off of it, and then it opened the door to a new and better business opportunity. He wisely chose that path, and from the second he did every intelligent adviser he had was probably telling him to put distance between himself and the WWE. And in the last few years he had garnered enough Hollywood cred to be able to ditch the name and the WWE. Its just smart. Getting in the ring would just set him back.

[The Jewish Cunthead]

Yeah but could he stay away for a $20M payday? I know he's not making that kind of coin for his movies just yet.

[Lucky]

It would hurt his movie career a lot, though. He's worked hard to gain cred. As Thai point out, lots of people see him as a wrestler and not an actor. Returning to wrestling for a high profile match, especially one that is designed to be a big mainstream draw and attention grabber, is a bad move for his acting career.

If he cares more about the money grab than the career? Then sure, maybe he takes it. But for the last couple of years he's apparently been willing to pass on whatever money they offered him for the good of the acting career. Although maybe the WM figure would top it and find his price.

Also, didn't you just advocate them spending $40M on Rock and Mayweather? Dear Lord.

[The Jewish Cunthead]

Huh... did I just shell out $40M? Oops. Forget Mayweather and give the money to the one who you know will bring in more buyrates. As for Rock's cred, I don't think a one-time appearance is going to hurt the grosses of a "Game Plan" sequel or what have you.

[Lucky]

It will hurt whether he gets a "Game Plan" sequel. If you don't think wrestling has a stigma on it and that stigma makes it hard to sell a wrestler as a real actor? Don't know what to tell you. And he may not be worried as much about Game Plan as he is Southland Tales.

And really, with Mayweather WWE is looking to tap into a group of fans it doesn't otherwise. Rock doesn't do that. At best he taps into the group that WWE isn't pleasing. And to acknowledge that its even a sizeable amount of interested wrestling fans who WWE has turned off would be more self awareness than WWE possesses.

[The Jewish Cunthead]

Oh I know it has a stigma but it's not like he's in the running for the next Scorsese flick. He makes silly, cartoonish movies so what's the harm in running him out there once a year?

Believe me, I totally get it from his POV. Being a movie star is a killer gig. No risk, no travel. I can't fault him for that.

[Lucky]

Yeah, but he wants to do more than the stupid shit. He did Walking Tall. He did the Richard Kelly freaky film that got booed out of Cannes (if you're unfamiliar with Kelly and Southland Tales but watch Entourage, Kelly is who Billy Walsh is based on and Tales got the reception that Median did). He tried to do the film about the Hawaiian king. He did Be Cool that was supposed to be more than it was. This is a guy who very clearly wants to be taken seriously. He can't get the gigs. Even him trying to negotiate to be in a superhero film (Shazam!) is basically an attempt to get into a raised level of respect.

He WANTS to be in the next Scorsese flick. Its just a very slow process for him, in large part because of his wrestling background (because really, his acting has been at least as well regarded as Marky Mark's).