I have an honest question...

[The Mackem]

'I did it...for...the Rock...'

That one promo and you knew it was doomed. If that had went better maybe it could have worked. He was in the ring with Foley and The Rock, his mic skills were not strong enough. Plus the whole race aspect to it confused everyone - is this a heel you are supposed to boo or some kind of equality fighter that you are supposed to cheer. I don't remember there being much of a reaction at all when it was revealed.

[The Show Off]

Originally Posted by The Mackem 'I did it...for...the Rock...' That one promo and you knew it was doomed. If that had went better maybe it could have worked. He was in the ring with Foley and The Rock, his mic skills were not strong enough. Plus the whole race aspect to it confused everyone - is this a heel you are supposed to boo or some kind of equality fighter that you are supposed to cheer. I don't remember there being much of a reaction at all when it was revealed.

I could have been all for bad ass Rikishi running down Steve Austin in an attempt to move his way up in the card. I could have been all for Rikishi coming out as a monster heel destroying people and leaving a path of destruction on his way to the top. I could have been followed if Rikishi became the type of wrestler that didn't care what anyone thought and just did anything and everything to make his way to the top. What I couldn't be all for was...

"I did it... for The Rock."

Talk about completely destroying the story line with one line. So instead of Rikishi being a total bad ass, or bastard or heel, he's a flunky? A fucking flunky ran over the most over wrestler in the WWF?

Rikishi saying that he did it for The Rock doesn't elevate him in people's eyes because he wasn't being his own man. He wasn't attacking Steve Austin to become a better wrestler or gain noterity, he was doing it for The Rock. Who cares?

People can't get behind a heel or a face in a main event copacity if their whole gimmick is based on them doing what they do for someone else (unless its because of blackmail and even that barley works).

If Rikishi came out and said "Yeah it's true I was the one that ran over Steve Austin, because he is a symbol of everything that I hate in this buisness. He is a symbol of the fans. The fans are the people that took me from a proud Samoan Warrior and turned be into a laughing stock dancing like and idiot, with a bunch of idiots. And I'm sick of it. I'm sick of doing what the fans want. I'm sick of being who the fans want me to be.

"So I got bitter and angry and decided I wanted to strike at them where it hurts most Stone Cold Steve Austin so that's what I did. I took him out. I put him out of action. I did what neither you (pointing to Foley), you (pointing to The Rock), or Vince McMahon could do, I put the rattle snake one the shelf. And now he wants to come back? Well, when he comes back he's going to find the WWF a less friendly place because I'm on a mission to destroy everything the fans love starting with Austin. And when I'm done with him and Austin is out of your lives for good. (he steps up to The Rock) Than perhaps its time to clear out all their favorites."

Then Rikishi leaves the ring and preceeds to attack Steve Austin upon his return and blah blah blah.

That could have worked rather than...

"I did it... for The Rock because I'm too much of a pussy to be my own man because everyone thinks I'm a joke and I should be."

That and Rikishi wasn't all that good on the mic to begin with.

[Kane Knight]

Seems I've been talking a lot about good swerve/bad swerve lately.

• It's never a good idea to lay a line DIRECTLY to one person and have it be another one.
• If you're going to do it, make sure it's someone nearly as interesting. If you advertise the death of a character on your show, and it turns out to be the guy who gets all the main characters their coffee, people will feel ripped.
• Kish may have needed a heel turn, but this is really not a good part for a dancing bear. It's kinda like they needed a snack, so they went with what was on-hand: a toothpaste and KY jelly sammich.
• ''I did it for the Rock" furthered the factor. It kind of explained his involvement, but in a way that read last minute.
• The Rock behind the wheel sets up an epic feud. Dancing bear v Legend just doesn't have the same ring.

Or, as some already said, Vince's son.