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“When I got the news this morning, I screamed,” she told WWE.com. “I even teared up, I’m so thrilled.”
Although the WWE Universe best knows her as the ring announcer for SmackDown, Garcia – an accomplished musical artist who is working on her sophomore studio album – has graced the WWE Universe with songs before, including two goose-bump-raising renditions of the national anthem on The Grandest Stage of Them All. With her performance April 1, Garcia will pass Aretha Franklin for the most musical performances at WrestleMania.
Away from the ring, Garcia has stayed busy concentrating on her second album, which follows 2007’s “¡Quiero Vivir!” Unlike that release, which featured primarily Spanish language tracks, Garcia’s forthcoming album is entirely in English. The album is expected to drop sometime this year, Garcia told WWE.com.
Earlier this month, however, Garcia gave her fans a sneak peak, releasing the album’s first single – “Ur Girl (Til the End of the World) – on iTunes, as well as a video for the song on YouTube. Additionally, Garcia will take the stage in Miami the week of WrestleMania, performing at the Gibson Miami Showroom on March 28.
"The fans have really loved it, and they've told me they can’t wait for the whole album to drop,” she told WWE.com.
And, just because Garcia will be singing “America the Beautiful” at WrestleMania does not preclude her from weighing in on who will win the “Once in a Lifetime” match between The Rock and John Cena.
“The Rock’s my guy,” she said. “I worked with Rock for many, many years and we did a lot of really cool, fun interviews backstage together, so I have to go with him.”
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The WWE Tag Team Titles will be up for grabs when champions Primo & Epico defend against both The Usos and the new tandem of Justin Gabriel & Tyson Kidd in a WWE Tag Team Championship Triple Threat Match, which will stream live on WWE.com and YouTube this Sunday at 6:30 ET/3:30 PT.
The high-stakes bout is a major test for the champion cousins, though not unfamiliar territory for Primo. At The 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania in 2009, Primo & Carlito defeated The Miz & John Morrison to unify the WWE and World Tag Team Championships. Just as he did that night, Primo will be stepping onto The Grandest Stage of Them All, with the WWE Universe’s eyes on him and the titles up for grabs. Only this time, he’ll have Epico by his side and the wild card of Rosa Mendes in his corner.
For Jimmy & Jey Uso, the bout is a major opportunity to live up to their storied legacy. Sons of the famous Anoa’i wrestling family, The Usos descended from a long line of former World Tag Team Champions, including Rikishi, Rocky Johnson and Yokozuna — the legendary Superstar the brothers will be inducting into the WWE Hall of Fame the evening before this match. With various members of their extended family cheering them on and memories of Yokozuna in their minds, Jimmy & Jey Uso realize that this is a match they cannot lose.
The team of Justin Gabriel & Tyson Kidd doesn’t have the familial ties or legacy of The Usos or Primo & Epico. In fact, they just formed a team this week. But that won’t stop them from putting it all on the line in this WWE Tag Team Championship Triple Threat Match. Respected rivals, the underrated talents forged a partnership following a grueling singles match on “WWE Superstars.”. Agreeing that they’d have a better chance at making an impact in WWE if they worked together, both Kidd and Gabriel see this match as a way for them to put their names on the map.
These three young, hungry teams will be the first Superstars to enter the ring in Miami’s Sun Life Stadium for WrestleMania XXVIII and the WWE Universe can watch it for free on WWE.com and YouTube Sunday night.
Will WWE fans witness new tag team champions during this live stream WrestleMania pre-show? Or will Primo & Epico leave The Show of Shows with their titles? Find out Sunday night when WrestleMania XXVIII emanates live from Miami, starting with the WWE.com live stream pre-show at 6:30 ET/3:30 PT.
Despite suffering two broken ribs while rehearshing for ABC's Dancing With The Stars, Menounos suffered two broken ribs. Not only has the host of Extra continued to dazzle the judges and avoid elimination on DWTS, but she confirmed that her injuries would not keep her from competing at WrestleMania. When asked on Twitter if she would still team with Kelly Kelly against Eve and WWE Divas Champion, Beth Phoenix on Sunday, the greek grappler replied simply from @mariamenounos, I wouldn't miss it! The Glamazon has proven herlsef remorseless by crushing her opponents on her way to the top. How much danger is Menounos in headling into this WrestleMania matchup already injured?
Maria Menounos is stepping back into the squared circle again, and this time it'll be on The Grandest Stage of Them All. The host of NBC's Extra will team up with Kelly Kelly to take on Divas Champion Beth Phoenix and Eve at WrestleMania XXVIII on April 1.
It's a match two years in the making, as Beth and Eve have been caught in a bitter rivalry since late 2009. Menounos, who scored a shocking pinfall over Phoenix in an Eight-Diva Tag Team Match at WWE Tribute to the Troops in December, may face her toughest challenge yet in Miami, as both Beth and Eve want to teach a stern lesson to the versatile entertainer and competitor on Dancing with the Stars.
Menounos had invited some WWE Divas to chat with her on Extra, but Beth and Eve were nowhere to be found on the guest list. Instead, first it was Alicia Fox and The Bella Twins, and most recently Kelly Kelly, who got the call. The Glamazon seemed especially angered by Menounos' choice in Divas, claiming that "she doesn't respect the WWE Divas Champion."
A master intimidator, Phoenix took extreme measures to make sure Menounos couldn't simply shrug off The Glamazon's complaint. Beth and Eve flew out to L.A., crashed the set of Extra during a Kelly Kelly interview and got physical with Menounos before being pulled off by security. But Maria would not be rattled by the heated scuffle, and accepted Beth's challenge for WrestleMania without hesitation.
Beth has long taken exception with the fact that Kelly Kelly is the Diva most embraced by the media while The Glamazon has impressively held the coveted title for over five months and counting. Eve, on the other hand, feels entitled to fame, power and everything else she desires, and hasn't been afraid to break Superstars' hearts as she high-heel steps her way to the top. The determined vixen hasn't cared about losing friends, either. She continually shrugs off Kelly Kelly's harsh criticism on Twitter and it remains to be seen if the two will ever be able to mend their fractured relationship.
Menounos has performed quite admirably in WWE action, as she also was on the winning side of a Six-Diva Tag Team Match on the Oct. 12, 2009 edition of Raw. Menounos, a guest star that night, didn't back down from The Glamazon in that contest as well, giving Phoenix a slap in the face that was never forgotten. However, Beth and Eve have looked more dangerous than ever lately and ready to show why they're the cream of the crop in the Divas division – and why the entertainment show anchor doesn't belong in a WWE ring, let alone at The Show of Shows.
Will Menounos be able to prove the dominant duo wrong? Can Kelly Kelly humble Eve with physical punishment rather than tweets? Expect both scores to be settled at WrestleMania XXVIII.
One of the fiercest rivalries in WWE is set to explode on The Grandest Stage of Them All and engulf the squared-circle in flames. At WrestleMania on April 1 in Miami, the WWE Universe will witness an epic showdown when ice-cold Randy Orton battles the fiery Kane.
The fuse to this volatile showdown was lit weeks ago on the Mar. 2 edition of SmackDown. Although Randy Orton returned from injury to face Daniel Bryan, his retribution was interrupted by The Big Red Monster. After causing Orton to lose the match by count-out, Kane brawled ringside with WWE’sApex Predator. The melee culminated when Kane delivered a devastating chokeslam and the eerie words, “Welcome back, Randy.” The disturbed and enigmatic monster left both Orton and the WWE Universe confused as to the motivation behind the assault.
Several days later on the Mar. 5 edition of Raw SuperShow, Kane’s victory celebration over R-Truth was fleeting as a vengeful Viper came to the ring and hit his antagonist with a searing RKO. Orton also had a verbal rebuttal for The Devil’s Favorite Demon: “It’s good to be back.”
Four days later on SmackDown, amidst the conflict between General Managers Theodore Long and John Laurinaitis, Orton and Kane again clashed, brawling as the show went off the air.
When The Viper demanded an explanation from his adversary one week later, Kane surprisingly obliged and revealed footage of a Street Fight between the two brutal Superstars from SmackDown last summer. After losing the match, Kane offered a handshake – a rare show of humanity from The Big Red Monster. Still haunted by memories of this weakness, Kane vowed vengeance on Orton and promised to decimate him on The Grandest Stage of Them All at WrestleMania XXVIII.
Two of the most uncontrollable forces in WWE are on collision course. Will Kane exorcise his demons or will Randy Orton extinguish The Big Red Monster’s flames? Or will this explosive match guarantee mutually assured destruction? The answers lie in Miami on April 1 when Randy Orton meets Kane at The Showcase of the Immortals.
Desperate times, desperate measures. With tensions running increasingly high between SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long and Interim General Manager of Monday Night Raw John Laurinaitis, the WWE Board of Directors was forced to take a drastic step. The nine-member panel released a letter stating that sole control of both Raw and SmackDown would be decided in a 12-Man Tag Team Match – Team Teddy vs. Team Johnny – at WrestleMania.
Relations between the GMs began to deteriorate at Elimination Chamber when Laurinaitis announced his intention to govern both shows. Not surprisingly, Long took umbrage to the overt power grab and told Laurinaitis so in no uncertain terms, both in person and on Twitter, where @GMSmackDown and @WWERawGM have been strident in their criticism of each other.
In an attempt to determine who might perform better as dual GM, one week before the Board released the letter, it allowed Long to run Raw while Laurinaitis took control of SmackDown. The one-upmanship was fierce with Long and Laurinaitis even competing against one another in a match that saw Teddy roll up Laurinaitis, a ring veteran, for the win. The Board decided that both men had performed their duties above expectation and that, to determine control of both shows, Long and Laurinaitis must each choose a six-man squad to compete against one another.
On the March 12 episode of Raw SuperShow, the rosters began to form, with Long naming U.S. Champion Santino Marella as his captain, while Laurinaitis selected David Otunga as his own captain. Before the night was out, Mark Henry had joined "Mr. Excitement's" troops as well. And with just three weeks until The Show of Shows in Miami, the struggle to add key Superstars to the rosters is sure to be intense. And the competition among Superstars to be selected to those teams promises to be just as ferocious.
Then, in a WWE.com Exclusive video, Teddy Long revealed to the WWE Universe that R-Truth would join Team Teddy. Truth – who has recently made noise battling alongside Kofi Kingston in tag team action and who possesses a dangerous high-octane arsenal that is more than capable of electrifying The Show of Shows – is a natural fit for the SmackDown GM’s squad. Prior to being selected, the explosive Superstar has already shown allegiance to Team Teddy’s captain Santino Marella, coming to the aid of the United States Champion on the March 12 edition of Raw SuperShow.
Upon his return to SmackDown on the March 16 episode, Christian officially announced his intentions to join Team Johnny at WrestleMania. During a special edition of “The Peep Show,” Christian invited Long and Laurinaitis the opportunity to court him to their team at WrestleMania. While Teddy refused to beg, “Mr. Excitement” stated that if the outspoken Superstar competed on his team and they won, he would get “one more match” for the World Heavyweight Title. Christian proceeded to join Team Johnny. Not to be outdone, Teddy Long countered with an exciting announcement of his own by adding Kofi Kingston to Team Teddy!
Before the March 19 edition of Raw SuperShow, Laurinaitis revealed Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger as the latest member of his squad.
Zack Ryder and The Great Khali officially assembled under the Team Teddy banner on the March 23 edition of SmackDown. Teddy Long came away impressed from the Broski love given to Long Island Iced-Z in Philadelphia during Ryder’s rally to join Team Teddy prior to Raw SuperShow on March 19. Ryder then wooed the SmackDown GM into bringing him onboard by recruiting Hornswoggle to carry the Team Teddy flag into WrestleMania as their side’s mascot and revealing that The Punjabi Giant also wanted to compete against Team Johnny.
On the final Raw before WrestleMania, Teddy and Johnny announced their final team members. The Miz was officially named to Team Johnny when he came to the aid of Laurinaitis, who was hit by Santino with the Cobra. Teddy named Booker T to his team for coming to help avoid being obliterated by big Mark Henry. And, Drew McIntyre officially replaced Christian, who was ruled not medically cleared to compete at WrestleMania after a brutal attack by WWE Champion CM Punk.
Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes will have to back up his words on April 1 in Miami. On that day, he’ll find out if Big Show truly is a WrestleMania bust - as he has professed time and time again - when he attempts to defend his illustrious title against the angry giant on The Grandest Stage of Them All.
For weeks, Rhodes has taunted Big Show over his win/loss record at The Show of Shows. He dubbed the giant the “Reverse Undertaker,” going on to ridicule several of the former World Heavyweight Champion's matches. He mocked Show's Sumo Match loss to grand champion Akebono at WrestleMania 21, as well as his defeat at the hands of Floyd “Money” Mayweather, one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world, at WrestleMania 24.
For the past two months, Big Show has been focused on regaining the World Heavyweight Championship that he held for 90 seconds at WWE TLC in December. Rhodes effectively ended The World’s Largest Athlete’s title hopes when he pinned the giant inside the Elimination Chamber. According to his outspoken adversary, Show blames him for not recapturing the championship gold. Rhodes, on the other hand, interpreted this event as saving Show from further floundering at The Showcase of the Immortals, fueling the fire for their impending showdown once SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long made it official on the Mar. 2 edition of SmackDown.
The giant now has his sights set on teaching Rhodes a lesson in Miami. But, something heavier is weighing on Big Show’s mind as WrestleMania approaches. Although he holds countless accolades in his incredible WWE career, the larger-than-life Superstar only has three wins on The Grandest Stage of Them All – none of them in singles competition. That being said, April 1could be his best chance at creating his ultimate WrestleMania moment, the singular image of him that will last through the ages. The giant has the opportunity to perhaps prove that his 3-8 record on The Grandest Stage of Them All is meaningless, that he should be judged by his entire body of work, which includes multiple World Championships, Tag Team Titles and, if he has his way, Rhodes' Intercontinental Title.
Rhodes also has his reasons for wanting to make Big Show look like an "April fool." He celebrated day 200 as Intercontinental Champion with the coming of March, surpassing the iconic Shawn Michaels. The second-generation grappler has made it clear he wants to become the first Superstar to hold the Intercontinental and World Heavyweight Titles at the same time. If he can make it past The World’s Largest Athlete, he will be champion for 234 days and could be considered a top contender to face either Sheamus or Daniel Bryan after their WrestleMania clash comes to a close. In addition, he wants to add to his own legacy at The Show of Shows. Rhodes defeated Rey Mysterio last year, and a win over Big Show would be quite the notch in his belt.
The Intercontinental Championship isn’t the only thing at stake at WrestleMania XXVIII. There are major implications for Big Show’s legacy and Cody Rhodes’ quest for superstardom as they prepare for battle on April 1 in Miami. The World’s Largest Athlete will look to erase his past failures with a championship victory, while Rhodes will try to embarrass the giant once more and establish himself as a top Superstar. Who will have their name etched in history as a victor on The Grandest Stage of Them All?
As he’s done repeatedly over the course of his World Heavyweight Championship reign, Daniel Bryan once again found a way to walk out of a WWE arena with his title in hand Sunday night at WWE Elimination Chamber. In a sadistic stipulation where the odds of winning are 6-to-1 for each of the competitors involved and only get worse if competitors enter the Elimination Chamber sooner, the submission specialist overcame The Great Khali, Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett, Big Show and Santino Marella to retain his title and send him on a collision course with Royal Rumble winner Sheamus at WrestleMania XXVIII.
After the brutal Elimination Chamber Match ended, Sheamus — who is guaranteed the title opportunity of his choosing at The Show of Shows thanks to his Royal Rumble Match victory — arrived and delivered an emphatic message to Daniel Bryan. With a punishing maneuver that slammed the champion to the mat, Sheamus ended all speculation as to what title he has in his sights come WrestleMania.
And following the events of Feb. 17’s explosive SmackDown where the World Heavyweight Champion spit directly in The Great White’s face, a Sheamus-Bryan title match on The Grandest Stage of Them All possesses special intrigue.
But this rivalry has deeply seeded roots, as just one year ago The Celtic Warrior defeated Bryan to win the United States Championship. That bout proved crucial in Sheamus’ career, as not only did he claim the U.S. Title for the first time, but the win snapped a losing streak that dated back to King of the Ring months earlier. Further, before entering the match, Sheamus vowed that if he didn’t defeat the submission specialist, he would quit WWE.
That didn’t happen, and these days the two-time WWE Champion seems almost invincible and is focused once again on Daniel Bryan and a prize that has eluded him thus far in his career — the World Heavyweight Championship.
The events of the Feb. 17 episode of SmackDown played a crucial part in setting all this into motion. That night, Bryan’s forfeit “victory” over Randy Orton — who was unable to compete due to a concussion — led to a surprise announcement.
After Bryan demanded ring announcer Lilian Garcia to proclaim him the winner of the non-match against WWE’s Apex Predator, SmackDown General Manager Teddy Long entered the arena. To the great delight of the WWE Universe, Long scheduled Bryan to compete that night against none other than The Great White Sheamus.
A despondent Bryan did his best to avoid the Celtic Warrior, but when Bryan tried to escape the ring, satisfied with a count-out victory, Sheamus was there to thwart the champion’s oft-played tactic. Back inside the ring, however, Bryan dug deep into his bag of tricks, playing mind games on his opponent and exploiting The Great White’s white-hot temper. When literally backed into the corner, Bryan slapped Sheamus, clearly riling his opponent.
What happened next proved to be one of Bryan’s vilest moves to date. While seated on the top rope, Bryan spit in the face of The Great White, inciting Sheamus’ fury and leading to The Celtic Warrior’s disqualification. Officially, Bryan was able to add yet another victory to an already impressive list.
While a number of those victories have been controversial, Bryan’s record since cashing in Money in the Bank cannot be argued. He continually finds ways to win, successfully defending his title against all challengers over the course of his championship reign. But will Sheamus, one of the hottest Superstars on the roster and already possessing a big victory against Bryan, finally end that reign?
Last year, the scheduled U.S. Title rematch between Sheamus and Bryan was bumped from the WrestleMania pay-per-view and was witnessed only by the WWE Universe in attendance and those who purchased the home video. This year, the two will share the main event spotlight with the World Heavyweight Championship on the line. Find out who walks out of Miami as the champion April 1 at WrestleMania XXVIII, only on pay-per-view!
During his rise to WWE Champion, CM Punk blasted the WWE establishment every step of the way. Even the very McMahon family name was not safe from his verbal barbs. His blistering and often shocking criticisms created a buzz that had not been seen in the WWE Universe in quite some time. The Second City Saint proved he could achieve success by doing things his way.
But is The Straightedge Superstar really the best in the world at what he does? Not if you ask Chris Jericho, who will face Punk on The Grandest Stage of Them All.
Certainly Jericho presents one of Punk’s greatest challenges to date. The recently returned Superstar has 22 championships to his credit – 30 if you include his title wins in WCW and ECW.
On top of his accomplished resume, Jericho brings a fire within that perhaps Punk has yet to encounter while defending the coveted WWE Championship. Not only is Jericho back in WWE, he’s angry.
In the Raw Elimination Chamber Match, Punk knocked Jericho out with a kick to the back of the head, rendering him unable to compete any further in the match. And at the end of the night, Jericho delivered a scathing account of what went down in an exclusive backstage interview.
One day later – still seething after what happened at Elimination Chamber – Jericho earned the right to challenge Punk at WrestleMania after winning a 10-Man No. 1 Contender's Battle Royal on the Feb. 20 edition of Raw SuperShow. The match was arranged by none other than Punk’s favorite nemesis – WWE EVP of Talent Relations and Interim Raw General Manger John Laurinaitis.
Will this latest power play by Laurinaitis finally be the one that helps dethrone Punk? Or, will The Second City Saint manage to yet again thwart Mr. Excitement’s best laid plans.
With both Punk and Jericho claiming to be the best in the world, they’ll now get a chance to prove it at WrestleMania XXVIII. Regardless of who wins, the WWE Universe is sure to witness an epic confrontation on The Grandest Stage of Them All.
On April 1 in Miami, find out who earns the right to truly call himself the best in the world.
At WrestleMania XXVIII, two of the most decorated figures in WWE history, The Undertaker and Triple H, will engage in battle once more – this time, inside the diabolical Hell in a Cell and with Shawn Michaels as special guest referee.
After initially resisting The Deadman’s challenge to a WrestleMania rematch – dismissing it as bad for business – WWE COO Triple H has finally relented. If The Game succeeds in his years-long quest to end The Undertaker’s closely guarded WrestleMania Streak, he will have achieved the ultimate victory, to the perhaps-irreparable detriment of the esteemed Undertaker “brand.”
Adding a wrinkle to this match is the involvement of HBK as referee. Can Mr. WrestleMania - a Superstar who has lengthy histories with both Triple H and The Undertaker - be trusted to officiate the match objectively?
Hinging on this match are not only the professional legacies of two true icons, but also the future of WWE as a whole, Triple H claims.
Although there is always a temptation to write off terms such as “legacy” and “icon” as hyperbolic, in the case of The Phenom and The King of Kings, such deference is more than merited.
Their bodies of work speak for themselves. The Undertaker and Triple H have collectively logged 39 years in WWE rings. Combined, they account for a remarkable 20 WWE and World Heavyweight Championship reigns. There’s not a single major Superstar of the modern era – from WWE Hall of Famers Shawn Michaels and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin to future Hall of Famers The Rock and Mick Foley – who hasn’t fallen to The Phenom and The Game at one point or another.
With both battle-tested veterans in the twilight of their respective careers and a tinge of finality hanging in the air, The Undertaker and Triple H undoubtedly view WrestleMania XXVIII as an all-or-nothing equation. For The Phenom, it's about improving The Streak to an unparalleled 20-0, and keeping the one prize that has belonged only to him. As for The Game, he may never have another chance to snap The Streak and snare that one prize which has eluded him all these years.
Yet, when these two august legends collide inside The Deadman’s domain – a stipulation suggested by The Game – the paramount concern for both Superstars could well be survival.
The Hell in a Cell structure is a fitting venue, considering the histories of the participants involved. The Phenom and The Game have ventured inside the Cell more times than anyone else. Even though the heinous cage is most closely linked to The Undertaker – he fought HBK in the very first Hell in a Cell Match, in October 1997 – Triple H has actually proven more victorious, racking up a 6-2 record compared to The Undertaker’s 5-5-1 record.
The addition of the Cell will only intensify this war. Neither Superstar has been able to shake the physical and emotional aftereffects of their No Holds Barred Match at last year’s WrestleMania. Surviving both The Undertaker’s Tombstone and Last Ride, Triple H unleashed a Tombstone of his own – as well as three Pedigrees – before having to turn to his weapon of last resort, the sledgehammer. Yet as The Cerebral Assassin prepared to strike The Undertaker, The Phenom deftly maneuvered Triple H into his Hell’s Gate submission hold, ultimately forcing an exhausted Game – who knew he had reached his limit – to tap.
A year removed, The Undertaker remains vexed by that encounter’s final scene of medical personnel carting his battered body away from the ring. Since his return in January, The Deadman has been obsessed with destroying The Game and reasserting The Streak’s dominance. Triple H, who managed to walk away from the hellacious confrontation, is also unsatisfied, having come within a hair of achieving the unthinkable.
Adding another dimension to this contest is the giant disparity in how each competitor views The Streak. Nothing has served to deify The Phenom more than The Streak, and as such, The Undertaker is intent on preserving it for posterity. Although The Game is acutely aware of The Streak’s import, his responsibilities as WWE COO cause him to cast it in another, more capitalistic light. By seemingly discounting The Streak as a mere commodity – an opportunity for licensing deals and merchandising – is Triple H inviting even more wrath from an already driven Undertaker, who assuredly sees The Streak as sacrosanct?
At WrestleMania XXVIII, the rivalry between these two time-honored warriors will finally reach its culmination. Just how far is The Undertaker willing to go to defend The Streak and, in turn, his own legacy? Can the Cerebral Assassin actually best The Phenom on the day when he appears to be at his most unbeatable? Just as important, at what ruinous price will victory be attained this time around, when they battle inside the confines of a structure made famous by The Undertaker – the unforgiving Hell in a Cell?
On April 1, the WWE Universe will get answers to these questions as it bears witness to one of the most momentous clashes in WWE history.
In the most anticipated WrestleMania clash in history, John Cena will collide with The Rock at WrestleMania XXVIII, emanating from The Great One’s hometown of Miami.
Few could have anticipated that two of sports-entertainment’s most celebrated icons would ever meet in the squared circle, let alone on The Grandest Stage of Them All. Yet, the WWE Universe will bear witness to this blockbuster collision on Apr. 1, 2012 – one year after The Cenation Commander-in-Chief and “The Most Electrifying Man in All of Entertainment” agreed to battle in a dream match for the ages.
Following a seven-year absence, The Rock returned to WWE in characteristically grand fashion in early 2010 to host WrestleMania XXVII. Although The People’s Champion was overjoyed to be reunited with his millions – and millions – of fans at long last, he was quick to take aim at Cena, sparking a very public war of words with his fellow multi-time World Champion.
The verbal jousts escalated to physical confrontation in the weeks that followed, and it became abundantly clear that the pair would cross paths at The Showcase of the Immortals in one way or another. Ultimately, in front of a record-breaking crowd of more than 71,000 WWE Universe members in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome, The Rock put an exclamation point on his rivalry with Cena by hitting him with a Rock Bottom, a maneuver that afforded The Miz the opportunity to retain his coveted WWE Championship.
The following night on Raw, these two icons faced off once again, but this time the physicality was limited to a handshake. For the first time in history, a WrestleMania main event was made one year prior to the event itself.
Cena and The Rock forged an unstable alliance to combat The Awesome Truth – an outspoken tandem consisting of The Miz & R-Truth – at the monumental 25th annual Survivor Series in Madison Square Garden. Although “The Most Charismatic Tag Team of All Time” kept their cool for the most part as they battled common enemies, The People’s Champ issued a forceful WrestleMania reminder to his temporary tag team partner after their victory when he nailed Cena with yet another Rock Bottom. The battle lines were drawn once again.
From history lessons to lyrical stand-offs, these two icons have continued to challenge one another both personally and professionally, all the while keeping the entire WWE Universe on the edge of its collective seat. Without a doubt, when John Cena and The Rock meet face-to-face at WrestleMania, it will truly be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
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