I don't know why it's so hard for you all to believe that Cena is going over Rock at Mania.
I don't know why it's so hard for you to believe your being worked. That's not a shot, don't take it as one. It's a generalization.
I don't believe anything you guys are talking about being unplanned or unscripted. The Rock's "notes" on his hand were there on purpose. Cena came out on purpose. Using smark words like "promo"and making it seem like a shoot as much as possible is by design. JR going out of his way to spread the "news" that there's tension between the Rock and the E furthers this point.
Here's how I see it:
The E is going for a split crowd. A year ago it seemed suicidal. Two weeks ago it seemed suicidal. Ten minutes left on Raw this week it seemed suicidal. The Rock had the crowd eating his asshole the whole promo, and if you think the Rock needs notes to cut a promo, your undercutting the Rock and you just might be Blue. Dude has never needed notes, didn't need notes after a multi-year absence when he returned last year, didn't need them around Survivor Series, so I don't know why he would need him now. He's up there with Piper as one of the greatest improv promos ever. It's a brilliant nuance to brilliant booking.
So, the crowd was busy eating the Rock out and shitting on Cena by Rock's command. Cena comes out, cuts ANOTHER great fucking promo (where are the Cena haters, btw?) and the Rock fucking sold it like the pro he is. They FINALLY broke the barrier between Rock's assumed superiority (why they can't do this with their full time, non-Cena non Attitude era wrestlers is beyond me) and Cena's role as the whipping boy by humanizing the Rock. Rock proved why he is where he is in life with this promo. His nuances, facials and body language, you can't teach that. You have it or you don't. Rock has it, it's why his movie career has been as absurdly successful (it's not about what kind of movies he makes, it's the fact of the matter that he is a highly bankable, in demand star and no amount of stupid nay saying can disprove this) as it has been. With Cena's awesome promo and Rocks ability to sell a verbal beating, the E got the split crowd they are looking for heading into Mania, humanized the Rock and put some momentum behind Cena.
The E is getting as much hype around this match as possible and doing an excellent job at it. One of their biggest successes is their ability to work the hardcore, smark fans. They got people talking when Daniel Bryan choked Grish with the tie and they worked the fuck out of us this past summer with Punk. Most smarks won't admit they were worked, but from what I witnessed here and abroad, most of us got worked. But everyone on the internet feels they know how to run a successful wrestling promotion and can't stand being worked. There's not one thing going on in this feud that isn't planned, if you think so, you're being worked. BUT...it's good to be worked. It's what takes us from smarkism back to where we need to be; markism. We question, wonder and theorize as opposed to critique, criticize and complain. Wrestling is exciting and refreshing right now as opposed to formulaic and predictable.
All that being said, the E is getting the split crowd they wanted. A crowd hasn't been this split since Austin-Rock at 17. The only thing is this split wont carry over to Mania, it's in the Rock's hometown, Cena is going to get martyred by the crowd. Anywhere else besides Miami and perhaps New York and this goes down perfectly to the E's delight. I don't see it happening, but I hope I'm wrong, there's no fun in watching a show you know the end outcome to.
As well, I wholeheartedly agree with the logic that Cena needs to win. There is no reason or value in having the Rock win. I know he isn't going to refuse the job. This man has put everyone he has worked with over in some form or fashion from the WWE's cramming Triple H down our throats in late 99 when he wasn't ready, to the Hurricane, Jeff Hardy and Goldberg in his last full time run just like he didn't come back because he needs the money, he came back because he legitimately loves the sport that made him. Hogan wouldn't of come back to wrestling if he hadn't as bombed as miserably as he had in Hollywood, let alone he picked up his asshole politicking ways when he returned. Rock remembers where he came from, is loyal to those who made him the star he is and is giving them a shot in the arm when they desperately need it.
Again, all that being said, with some of the terrible decisions the E has made over the last decade and the fact that Triple H points it out so much lately that there is a premium on the Attitude Era superstars, meanwhile burying the roster they have now, I don't know if the E is smart enough to do what is right and risk making a Hollywood movie star look like a WWE superstar despite the fact that the movie starr came back to be a super star one more time. They've proven it by having Jericho get beat up by a 50+ year old Mickey Rourke, Show jobbing to a guy 75% smaller than him, and then revisiting that again this past monday. I hope they do whats right, I know it won't be on the Rock's request to have him win.
And THAT's why I don't believe Cena will go over. Admittingly, though, I am 50-50 after Monday. I for one, am excited as fuck for this match and can't wait for the next Raw and every Raw until Mania. It is fucking good to be a wrestling fan right now.