In my first column of this two-part series, I declared that HHH has been the man responsible for the continued popularity and growth of the WWF, at least since the departure of Austin. I showed why I think HHH has been the man, and why he has overshadowed the Rock. But, why, if Rocky is unquestionably the most popular wrestler actively competing right now, is he not the cornerstone? Why is not the man who has been the one carrying the WWF? Why has that fallen onto HHH? As I said before, HHH has earned it and stepped up to the task. He has made it happen for himself.

But aside from that, I do not think the Rock is the right man to shoulder the WWF. I do not think he has what it takes to be another Austin. I do not think the WWF would have risen to such heights if it were Rocky (and not Austin) who had been in the forefront from 1997-1999. I have made this premise before, and I will make it again. I am a fan of the Rock's. I enjoy seeing him compete as much as the next mark. I am just making some objective observations about him and his character.

The Rock is a funny guy. Basically, his whole rise is based on the fact that he is good on the stick and can crack some good jokes. Even his finisher, the People's Elbow is just one big joke. I just think it is going to be a big, hard fall when the jokes stop. When he is no longer funny, or when the joke has played out, or when someone funnier and better on the stick comes along, Rocky will just not be able to capture a crowd as much as he is doing now. Maybe he will be able to keep up with the times, and maybe he will be able continually mold his character such that it is funny, but I do not see that happening forever. When one compares the characters and feuds of Austin and Rocky, it becomes quite clear how Austin is different in a much better way than the Rock. In a column I did last summer, For All Things American, I outlined why Austin has risen to popularity. Basically, he, and his character, embodies what most of us want for ourselves and what we wish we could be. He does not take crap from anyone, blatantly disobeys his boss, is loved for it, and instead of getting punished, is rewarded with praises and a gold belt. While Austin 3:16, "That's the bottom line," "Cause Stone Cold said so," etc, were important pieces of his character, Austin was not made by those catch phrases. He was made by what he did, and the way he acted towards others. This is precisely where the Rock is lacking.

Austin was not bettered or advanced by his feud with Vince. He WAS his feud with Vince. Everything that made him special and laudable and a hero was shown in his feud with Vince. His standing up for himself in the face of authority, not getting kicked around by a corrupt boss, etc., was what he was and what we want for ourselves. We all wish we could stand up to those who are higher up than we are and not suffer any consequences. But the truth of the matter is that if we tried to take a stand especially a violent one, we would be out on our asses with a very bad rap that would leave us virtually unhireable. Austin could not have feuded with just anyone. He needed to fight Vince. He needed to stand up for himself so that he could drink beer, cuss, shoot the bird, and fight on camera. Sure, his end goal was the WWF Title, but that gold meant more than just winning the gold. To Vince, it represented the last barrier between his corporate empire and total collapse. He felt that a person like Austin as champ would destroy his corporate image and ruin the business. As a result, he did everything to protect the symbol of his company, the thing he coveted most. Austin saw the gold as his final goal as a wrestler. But, as he began to stand up for himself, he saw it as the thing Vince wanted more than anything else to deny Austin. Austin needed to take the gold in order to beat Vince. He needed it to fulfill his dream. And when he did, it meant that he and his values had won out over Vince. That was the force driving him moreso than just winning the gold. This was a case of us versus them. We were identifying and living vicariously through Austin. He was out there fighting for hard working people. We identified with that and lived for it. His was a greater victory of us over them.

Rocky, on the other hand, is not his feud with HHH. They fought over the title belt. Everything else was just smoke and mirrors. Whatever personal problems those two developed, developed as a result of the feud over the title. Basically, anyone could have filled HHH's shoes so long as he was wearing the gold. The proof of that is the Rock's mini-feud with the Big Show. With TBS gunning for the gold, Rocky had to work his way around that obstacle. He was a foil for those competitors, but not defined by them. When Rocky took the title in April, his victory was that of one man over another. There was no greater victory of employee over abusive boss. There was no "everyman" victory to it. There was no universal identification with the character and the overcoming of his plight. It was just one man who others like and are fans of beating another man who others happened to not like. There was certainly a feel-good situation of good prospering over evil, but that happens all the time, especially in wrestling. There was no "us", because we are just people who think Rocky is a funny guy. There is no "them", because they are just a guy with a gold belt.

I certainly do not think that Austin and his character will be insanely and independently popular forever. Just as Hogan and his 80's character proved, national sentiment changes. The Austin character will one day become dated and out of style. I also think there will come a day when the Rock's character will go out of style. But it will happen when Rocky stops being funny or entertaining. Austin's character will go out of style when the people change.

With Austin gone, and Rocky not being able to be the guy that the WWF rests on, HHH unknowingly took on that load. I do not think that the WWF would be where it is today if HHH had not been given the ball. If Rocky had grabbed the strap last Fall and HHH had never been pushed to the forefront, then I think the interest in Rocky, and as a result, the WWF would have waned. But as I said in the first column, HHH had the ball and he scored big time.