Hi all,
There’s a new word being touted around the WWE Universe (apart from YES!) and that’s Legitimacy. Since Brocks return a couple of weeks ago there have been references from both him Cena and Laurinaitis as well as countless references from the announcers so it’s clear that this is something the WWE want us to take note of as something different post Cena/Rock.
I’ve read and listened to a number opinions that have shown concern for this ‘Legitimate’ angle, stating that if the WWE push the ‘realness’ of the Brock/Cena feud then will it make the rest of the roster seem more fake and prevent some stars getting over with the fans? This is certainly something to consider and comes down to the booking. Having their intense in-ring brawl a few weeks back followed by the Funkasaurus in the next segment certainly doesn’t help but that’s kind of the way WWE has always booked their material.
Certainly having the ‘Extreme Rules’ gimmick in the next PPV should add a sense of realism to the whole event that will limit the lighter/less real segments. It should also help put Brock over without the need for much ring work. Observations were made that Rock was a tad ring rusty and had a bit of a blow out during the Mania match and that’s with months and months of preparation and ring conditioning so it’s highly unlikely that we’re going to see much of the ‘Wrestler’ Brock at this stage and more of the ‘Brawler Brock’ I think the WWE have already set the stage for this with his recent promos.
Anyway back to the subject of Brocks Legitimacy. So the WWE is positioning Brock as a legitimate athlete and as brining something new to the roster and the question to ask is ‘Could this damage the rest of the roster?’
When Kurt Angle joined in 2000 he brought a major legitimacy in the fact that he was an Olympic Gold Medalist. Not only did this attract media attention but also elevated the roster as it added that sense of realism and legitimacy to the matches. Instead of ‘dumbing down’ Angles ability he was able to incorporate his background into his moves and style and this played off positively against his opponents, especially the more technically minded ones. In fact they did the same kind of thing when Brock first arrived in early 2000s focusing on his Amateur Wrestling background as well as his success and physical dominance.
Booking the Cena/Brock PPV match as a fight rather than a wrestling match is a good idea, even if he was completely ring fit, having Brock perform detailed spots or lay down for the ‘5 knuckle shuffle’ (I still think that’s more offensive than calling the AA the FU, perhaps it means something different in the US to over here in the UK) would totally erase the legitimacy they are pushing with his character and instantly reduce his draw for other feuds between now and Mania 29. Sure they’ve got to do some of that but the focus should be the other superstars adapting to Brocks style and not the other way round. Once they’ve established and demonstrated his physical dominace then they can remind the audience of his Amateur background and bring that more structured match style to his performances.
Does this kind of booking damage other roster members? Not really, the completely comical likes of Clay, Santino and Hornswaggle will never be put in the Brock mix so their antics can always be seen as separate to the legitimate angle they are pushing (Though what better way to raise some heel heat than to F5 a midget….just saying.) and as long as the other superstars can show versatility in their styles and match approach then some of them could really benefit.

Anyway, that’s the end of my thoughts for now. Usual comments, opinions and abuse welcome and feel free to follow on Twitter @dmayerl.
Adios