For nearly eight years, World Wrestling Entertainment lacked a certain electricity. That changed when the company promised to reveal the very special guest host for WrestleMania 27 on the Valentine's Day 2011 edition of Raw. "If ya smell...what The Rock...is cookin!" exploded over the PA system and the Great One walked onto a WWE stage for the first time in nearly a decade. Fans exploded, both surprised and elated to see the Hollywood box office star back in the world of sports-entertainment. He milked the reaction, and rightfully so, before addressing an audience more-than ready to hear what wrestling's most electrifying star had to say. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOq30BTMfLY He insulted John Cena, discussed his role as host at WrestleMania and ran down the normal array of catchphrases. For that one night, the ridiculousness of his words or the weak Twitter trends he generated did not matter. All that mattered to fans, both smart and casual alike, was that The Rock was back and WrestleMania 27 was suddenly shaping up to be one of the most star-studded in recent memory, thanks in large part to the presence of one of the most recognizable stars in the world. His return injected the lethargic WWE product with energy and excitement much needed as the company prepared for the biggest show of the year and fans benefited exponentially.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
