Finally, The Rock Has Come Back To Boston

It was an electric moment in Boston's own TD Garden: as Mick Foley was giving hometown hero John Cena the 'This is Your Life' treatment, the People's Champ stormed into the ring to his signature music and proceeded to deliver a huge Rock Bottom that left Foley prone on the mat. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson left the ring without saying a word, but the message he left was indelible: the Rock was back.

I've been an on-and-off casual wrestling fan since I was in elementary school in the glory days of pro wrestling: the Monday Night Wars between then bitter rivals WWF and WCW. I don't know why the sport (and yes, I'm going to refer to pro wrestling as a sport, even though it is largely scripted) appealed to me, but I've always appreciated the theatre and in-ring interplay between talented wrestlers. Don't get me wrong, bad wrestling can be atrocious, but matches between great performers can be a unique and special mix of high-level athleticism and storytelling. The Rock, as you can see below, is one of these great performers and is the self-proclaimed 'most electrifying man in entertainment'.

Wrestling is unique in that it is the sport, in my opinion, that most involves the fan. Wrestling fans vary wildly in almost all aspects, including the kids who idolize the performers and believe the whole thing is real and the older, wiser fans who know the action is scripted but still tune in. WWE fans also contribute to the action through their fantastic use of signs that deprecate the fictional reality of the sport in very funny ways. Without the in-ring talent, however, the crowd is a resource that can go unused. The great wrestlers don't only have the physical attributes to become superstars, but the microphone skills to keep the diverse crowd hanging on their every word. From Stone Cold Steve Austin's iconic 'What?' chant that is still heard on nearly every episode of Monday Night Raw to the multitude of famous Rock one-liners, the WWE has had its share of catchphrases. But the real test of microphone skills for a WWE superstar comes not in making people laugh or boo, but inducing the crowd into becoming another integral part of the overall performance. A great wrestling crowd can make a good match into a classic, and makes the in-ring action, whether it involves fighting or talking, better and more exciting. The crowd reactions are real, but can at times flow so well with the in-ring action that it seems like a fake soundtrack. The best part of any huge match, move, or announcement is the 'pop' that a true fan favorite can get if he and his fellow entertainers work the crowd right. These moments can be absolutely electrifying. In my opinion, nobody made better use of the crowd as a tool to make his performance truly shine like the Rock does. And as he showed on tonight's episode of Raw by making it seem like no time has passed since the Attitude Era glory days, it's nice to have the Brahma Bull back in the WWE.

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