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One of the more fascinating underlying stories come Mania 28 will be how Rock handles the pressure. Just as intriguing will be how well Cena handles it. This is a huge match for both men for different reasons. For Cena, this is his chance to finally have that defining match at Wrestlemania. That’s another column for another day, but Cena has yet to have that universally accepted, all-time classic at the show he loves the most. The Rock has a couple of those to his name, which is why this is such a huge match for him. The beloved PEOPLE – myself included – are expecting something on par with Rock vs. Hogan from 2002. So, Rock has got to live up to his own legacy. There won’t really be any excuses, barring some sort of injury, either. Cena is one of the top wrestlers in the WWE and is without question a big game performer. Rock is not nearing 50 years old as was Hogan ten years ago, but is a rather sculpted and still quite physically fit 39 year old. Anything less than a classic will be a disappointment, in my eyes. Lucky for us, The Rock is going to be motivated. Few wrestlers in the history of the WWE have ever exuded such a passion for performing on wrestling’s grandest of stages. Remember those pre-Mania videos that aired prior to Mania 18 and 19, where the wrestlers talked of their passion for dancing with the lights on brightest? It was Rock who always gave the most poignant response, talking of his “passion to be the absolute best that the industry has ever, ever seen.” From Manias 15-20, no one’s body of work outshined the Great One. He had the match of the night with Austin, performed very well in the main-event a year later, had one of the best matches in Mania history with Austin in round 2 of their Mania series, followed that with one of the all-time great matches with Hogan, helped Austin to a great finale to his career, and capped it off with a fun performance alongside Mick Foley against Evolution in 2004. While Shawn Michaels was gone, Rock became the guy to watch at Wrestlemania – that guy that you knew was going to do something special. A big part of that was passion, which Rock will bring with him to Mania 28. So, I’m confident that Rock will be up to the challenge, but that is still an enormous amount of pressure that goes with trying to live up to a reputation built nearly a decade ago. 8 years after his previous match, Rock has developed a whole new kind of following and one that I suspect will be watching him perform in the ring for the very first time. He’s built a reputation in Hollywood and I’m sure a lot of his new peers are curious to see what all the fuss was about regarding this “Rock” persona. The mainstream personality that shed “The Rock” has come full circle, but as he rounded the mid-point he picked up a lot fresh pairs of eyes and I wonder how that will factor into his preparation and performance. The Rock comes off like it’s all going to be for fun, but the in-character interviews about Cena tell the story of a man anxious to get back in the squared circle and steal the show. This may well end up being the best hyped match in the history of the WWE. Over a year’s worth of build-up, dating back to February 2011 by the time that they reach Miami in April 2012? Only in a fan’s wildest dreams could they envision a story playing out over that time span. I wonder if a call to Hulk Hogan would be in order for Rock? Obviously, the pressure will be different. It’s not as if Hogan had another career to go back to should his match with Rock at Mania X-8 have bombed. At the end of the day, if Rock vs. Cena turns out to be a failure, then Rock goes back to making millions of dollars per picture. In fact, he’ll go back to his life in Hollywood either way. Yet, I think about the third generation superstar that dreamed of being the definitive greatest of all-time and I think Rock has got to be itching to put the stamp on his career. There is an expression that you always want to leave the people wanting more, but that’s what the people in the industry say. We – the fans – don’t like being left wanting. We’re a fan base that demands your best in top matches like this and Rock can’t afford to disappoint us. We hold the power to determine his long-term legacy and help shape how he’ll be remembered. If he goes out and knocks one out of the park against Cena, then he might very well elevate himself into rarified air. Shawn Michaels is Mr. Wrestlemania and I’m not sure anyone will achieve consistent excellence quite like him, but The Rock is on the short list for the guys that sit next to HBK on the Mania throne. I believe Rock wants to be right there with Michaels as a guy that can arguably make up half of the top five Mania matches in history. The recipe for success at Mania, based on years of studying every little thing about the Show of Shows, is motivated performers, a great crowd, and high level execution of the story told. All that is in question, if you ask me, is the execution and we won’t find out about that until April. However, I think both Rock and Cena like the pressure that will come with a match of this magnitude and Rock will impress everyone watching around the world – including Cena standing across the ring – with how game he’ll be. His legacy may be at stake, after all…
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