Now I’m not an ex wrestler, I’ve never been in the Biz. I know quite a bit about wrestling,. but that doesn't make me a historian, nor an expert. Some of my friends may disagree due to the fact that I usually do pretty well when it comes to trivia. I wouldn’t call myself a ‘Smark’ Cause I think that’s insulting to the industry. I would proudly call my self a ‘Mark’. A mark is a person who can be easily conned, it originated in the Carny world, as did modern Pro Wrestling. In the last couple of years, so called Smarks, meaning Smart Marks have called anyone who cheers, whatever they don’t like a mark. WWE Mark, Cena mark, TNA/Impact mark’s. The reason why I am Proud to be a mark, is because. I’m a fan of Pro Wrestling. I buy the Cups and T Shirts. I watch programming. I like good Guys, and bad Guys, but when I go to a show. I cheer for the former and boo the latter. So I’m a mark. This blog post is from the position of a mark. Not an expert, or someone knowing the in’s and out’s of the biz. I wanted to talk a bit here about the 2/20/12 Raw, and how it relates to promo’s. I tweeted a couple of weeks ago something to the effect of. “Oh no not another HHH - Taker match.” . But then the next week, HHH came out and started talking about why he didn’t want the match with Taker. In less than 10 minutes, while talking about how he’s not gonna wrestle the Taker. About why he’s not gonna wrestle the Taker. Somehow I suddenly wanted to see this match. For about a year we’ve been speculating on who would face Taker in what we guessed would be his last Mania. We( me and my friends) wanted anyone but HHH. After all they’ve already fought twice at Mania. Yet in 10 minutes, of a promo where HHH was not I repeat NOT, Trying to get a match over. He made us want it more. Than Taker came out and did a video package(which I’m guessing he put together inside his head with all his Magical Powers, and not By WWE creative), And I wanted to see the match even more. Than the Next week, HBK came out. And these 2 tore the house down with a great 2 way Promo. And after Last night, we have the match in Hell In a Cell. A theme that has been Prevalent in these promo’s has been, ‘the end of an era”. clearly they’re talking about the Taker’s career. But at the same time HHH, HBK, and Taker, together in these promo’s made me go from a match I didn’t want to see, to a match I had to see. This why I’m a mark, but more importantly. This why these two are the end of an era. Without throwing a single punch. They have made people want to spend money on this match. They talked them into the building, truly a Lost art in Pro wrestling. I hope Folks in the back were taking notes.
Which brings me to the Next Promo I wanted to talk about. John Cena’s promo on the Rock. Or Dwayne. A lot of fans on the internet, and at live events don’t like Cena. They say he can’t wrestle, and they’re probably right. But I think he wrestles good enough. His promo’s are generally in the category of watching some bad movie where your expecting the star to say, “Look at me I’m Acting”. Actually you could be talking about Cena’s own movies which he himself poked fun at last night. However I truly love the movie Legendary. But last night something changed. I could sense the hate in him. The hate that Kane had been talking about, He has embraced it. But not against the fans. Against the Rock. I should point out here that I am a Huge Fan of the Rock, and also that I don’t hate, or dislike Cena. I’ve also never been a huge fan of Cena either. I do cheer Cena at live events because I saw this little kid crying once cause everyone was booing his hero. I thought back to when all the grown ups told me how much Hulk Hogan sucked, Or how much better Thesz, Bruno, or Backlund were. I thought back to my teens when everyone told me that Bret Hart sucked(yes even here in Canada). I remember how I felt then, so When I saw this kid Crying I started chanting for Cena. People looked at me a little weird than noticed Why I was doing it. and a few started Chanting "Lets go Cena" with me. The Little boy only about 5 or 6 years old, had stopped crying, His Grandpa who had brought him mouthed Thank you to me. It was a great feeling.
But I digress back to last nights promo on Raw. It did more to promote this match than any previous promo, by Cena or the Rock. I felt the Passion of why Cena Hates the Rock, I felt the Passion for Cena being a ‘Professional Wrestler”. For the first time I felt that Cena does want to go to war with an opponent, that he truly does hate the guy he’s fighting. Once again this is why I’m a mark. I’m willing to suspend that disbelief for the product and allow it take me to a special place. In the 8 or so years that Cena has been around the WWE. I’ve never felt like he meant a promo before last night. I think Cena is a fan of Pro Wrestling. In being a fan I think that he has taken some notes, from Taker, and HHH, from CM Punk, and yes even from the Rock. The Rock has all his fancy catchphrases but at the same time, he has a Passion that makes you want to see him kick ass, or get his ass kicked. Cena finally achieved that status. I want to see Cena vs. The Rock, and for the first time in a year. I want to see John Cena win. John used to have a catchphrase back when the fans used to cheer him. He said that this was “Real Recognizing Real”. I liked that Catchphrase, and Last night, John Cena. You were Real, and I’m Recognizing it.
