By Jason Powell, Torch columnist emeritus

The following is the first half of Jason Powell's "On Topic" editorial page from Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter #789 (cover-dated Dec. 19, 2003), published online in its entirety in both PDF format and online text format online for the first time this afternoon. It is packed with insider news, exclusive columns, Wade Keller's cover story, a Torch Talk interview with Bill Apter, and more. Click on the "VIP Info" button just below our main logo above to get full info on a VIP membership. Hundreds of compete back issues are posted online for VIP members already...

There were unsubstantiated rumors last week on the internet that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson had rejected the idea of working a match with John Cena at WrestleMania XX. The immediate reaction among many was that if true, this was an indication that Rock's success in Hollywood had gone to his head. Some of those same critics implied that Rock was putting himself ahead of what is best for the company.

From where I sit, if any WWE wrestler has earned the right to turn down a match of any kind, it's Rock. No other WWE wrestler in a position similar to Rock's has been nearly as generous when asked to elevate other wrestlers by putting them over in the ring. Whether it's been Chris Jericho, Booker T, Goldberg, or even The Hurricane, Rock has gone above and beyond the call of duty by putting them over in televised matches.

Given Rock's status as a rising star in Hollywood, he was in a position where he didn't have to do favors for anyone. He could have simply balked at the idea of putting any of those wrestlers over, and Vince McMahon would have simply adjusted his plans accordingly. Regardless of whatever contractual obligations Rock has to WWE, he has enough clout that he could have rejected the idea of putting anyone over. Rock was and still is working on his own terms, yet time and time again he has voluntarily agreed to do what is best for the company.

Perhaps Rock is sick and tired of being the only veteran who's willing to put over the younger wrestlers the right way. Who could blame him? After all, what's the point of trying to create a new star when the other main eventers don't follow his lead? What did Hurricane's win over Rock do for his career when other wrestlers failed to follow suit? Where did Booker T go after he pinned Rock? Right back to the mid-card, same as he started.

The only wrestler who has beaten Rock and gone on to receive a main event push is Bill Goldberg. And even Goldberg needed Triple H to put him over a few months later before the WWE viewers started to accept him. Creating new stars is a team effort. A mid-card wrestler can become an overnight sensation by defeating one main eventer, but his star will fade quickly if he doesn't follow up by scoring wins over other established names.

In other words, John Cena could pin Rock at WrestleMania XX and really take off as a babyface, but Cena's star power wouldn't last long if he followed it up by losing to Triple H, Undertaker, Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, or the other top wrestlers. Until Rock has some reason to believe that doing what's best for business will actually result in new stars being created, what's the point?

Another possible explanation for Rock's refusal to work with Cena is that he simply doesn't want to take away the rub wrestlers should get when they beat him. If Rock were to go out in January and put over as many people as he did during his last stint, the wrestlers who beat him wouldn't walk away any stronger. It would simply reinforce the message that was sent last time, which is that Rock loses to anyone and everyone now that he's just a part-timer. As strange as it sounds, Rock is actually in a position now where he needs to win a few big matches before his losses will mean something again.

If Rock verbalized that logic to WWE officials when he passed up the match with Cena, it's even possible that they countered by offering to let him beat Cena. If so, it's also possible that Rock still passed on the match because he didn't think it would be good for Cena's push to lose to him at WrestleMania. If Rock feels he needs to win at WrestleMania XX to regain his credibility, then perhaps he simply passed on the match because he didn't want to halt Cena's momentum. By passing on the match, it's possible that Rock is doing what he usually does - put the best interests of the company and his opponent ahead of his own.

Then again, maybe Rock is only in this for the money. Maybe he doesn't want to work with Cena because he knows the match won't be positioned as high as another match with a proven star would be. Even if that is the case, how does that make Rock any worse than the other veterans who have been jockeying for their WrestleMania XX positions since the moment WrestleMania XIX concluded?

Or perhaps Rock is concerned about how a match with Cena will affect his Hollywood career. Maybe he senses that there is no way he can look good coming out of a feud with a verbal hard-hitter like Cena. It's no secret that part of Rock's motivation behind working this next stint in WWE is to stir up interest in his upcoming films. His goal is to regain the segment of the audience that resents him for choosing Hollywood over wrestling. The last thing he wants to do is fight a losing battle with Cena. It's not that Rock couldn't hang with Cena on the mic, but what good would it do either wrestler if the fans were to turn against one of them?

Hey, I know. Rock and Cena could work a WrestleMania match if they ended it with a happy finish. You know the one. The two feuding babyfaces rip on each other going in only to gain respect for one another, then embrace at the end of their big match. The wrestlers are happy. The fans are happy. Everybody's happy. The only problem is that this is the same finish Rock used with Hulk Hogan two years ago. That finish would also be totally wrong for Cena, since he's a rebel who's supposed to be lashing out at the norm, not embracing "The People's Champion."

If Rock really did balk at the suggestion of wrestling Cena when several options were offered to him, wrestling fans owe it to him to hear his side of the story before they pass judgement. He's the one WWE wrestler who has proven time and time again that he will do what's best for business. This is the same Rock who put over wrestlers who no other main eventers would. He's the same Rock who last year went out and recruited Goldberg with the thought in mind of doing a job for him. And although he won the match, this is the same Rock who played a huge part in rejuvenating Hulkamania one last time.

Maybe Hollywood has gotten to Rock's head. Maybe he does think that he's above working with John Cena. Maybe he is protecting his spot. Maybe he is just in this for the money. Whatever the case may be, Rock has more than earned the benefit of the doubt until he decides to explain his reasoning.

WHAT ELSE IS IN THIS NEW 2003 BACK ISSUE JUST POSTED FOR VIP MEMBERS...

COVER STORY: Details on Evolution's clean sweep of the men's Raw titles at the Armageddon PPV and the rationale behind why each title change took place.

TOP FIVE STORIES OF THE WEEK: Hunter's title win, Foley's tease of a return, Michaels's show-stopping weekend, locker room scuffle, and more - with unreported insider details on a number of the biggest stories of the week including what was behind the controversial Foley angle on Raw and whose idea it was.

TORCH TALK with Bill Apter, part two: So what is the deal with this guy? The national newsstand magazines became known as "Apter mags" because his face was everywhere. This week we continue our series of "Torch Talk" installments to learn more about how Apter became pro wrestling reportings's most well-known personality over the last 25 years.

THIS WEEK with Wade Keller: Keller ranks the entire Raw roster in order, breaking it down into a tier by tier analysis, with insight into why each wrestler is getting or not getting a big push. It's the eight year this listing has been put together. Next issue features the Smackdown roster rankings.

JASON POWELL: Torch assistant editor Jason Powell argues that Rock has more than earned the right to pick and choose who he wants to wrestle... Plus he rebutts the Keller's Take suggesting Shawn Michaels could use a complete makeover...

WWE NEWSWIRE: A double-length section packed with previously unreported details on many major stories from the past week including tons more details on the Guerreros-Haas/Benjamin locker room incident last week, even more details on the near plane crash for WWE talent on the Smackdown tour, the future of Goldberg, Jonny Fairplay Survivor scoops including whether there is interest in him by WWE or TNA, Hulk Hogan and WM20, a list of a number of wrestlers who are unpopular in the locker room and why, what Steve Austin is doing that predicated his taking time off this month from WWE, the reason behind Raw's improvement behind the scenes and what it says about WWE's internal structure, the inside word on Kevin Nash's future in WWE, which wrestlers upset management this week, the Rock-Cena "controversy," the story on Matt Hardy's lack of push since jumping to Raw, and more!

TNA NEWSWIRE: Insight into Vince Russo and why he's so hot at Jeff Jarrett right now, which wrestler is losing standing with management because of his appearance, TNA videogame news, TNA TV clearance news, and more.

END NOTES with Wade Keller: Random Thoughts on Mick Foley behind the scenes, Shawn Michaels, Sting, Jeff Jarrett, and more.

BACKTRACK: The article that turned Jim Cornette from a Torch-ally to a Torch-hater.

MITCHELL MEMO: Part four of Bruce Mitchell's fascinating series of "Liner Notes" providing background and insight into the Ric Flair DVD segment by segment - a must read for those who have purchase or plan to purchase the Flair DVD. Mitchell lived through the greatest Flair moments, many from the front row, and has insider knowledge of what was going on behind the scenes during each of the eras featured on the DVD.

PLUS: Wade Keller's report with star ratings on the WWE Armageddon PPV and the Torch Staff PPV Roundtable... Quick results of major WWE TV shows and house shows and a quick TNA PPV report with Keller's star ratings and Torch staff scores...

[Rock art by Grant Gould (c) PWTorch]

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