The Rock returned to WWE for a multi-month run earlier this year, and despite some initial fan backlash over how he was being used, his presence ultimately proved to be the one of the driving forces in producing one of the greatest WrestleManias of all-time. Once he found his new heel character, he cooked every single week, delivering must-watch segment after must-watch segment, much to the delight of almost everyone. I say almost everyone because rumors swirled that some wrestlers backstage weren’t super happy about The People’s Champ getting extended screen time and special treatment, but a longtime WWE producer just offered an on the record reality check for anyone who might be in that boat.
Shane Helms, better known to WWE fans as The Hurricane, has quietly turned himself into one of the company’s most reliable producers. He works with talent to pace out their matches and in-ring segments and has developed a very positive reputation with wrestlers and management. He’s not, however, one to sugarcoat things, and when he was asked about some people allegedly feeling The Rock is taking people’s spots, he did not hold back. Here’s what he said during his appearance on the Behind The Turnbuckle Podcast with Jonathan Coachman and Tommy Carlucci…
The Rock ain’t taking nobody’s spot. The Rock’s spot is solidified. If he wants to show up, that’s his spot. That’s just how it’s gonna be, and people have to recognize that. That’s the same in any form of entertainment. You go to a comedy club. If Dave Chappelle shows up, somebody might get bumped. That’s just how it’s gonna be. That’s just how it is. When you got the level, stars have gravity. That’s why they’re stars. Nice little metaphor there. And when you got the kinda gravity that The Rock has, that’s gonna bring in these outside eyes and attention that he brings in, man. That’s just part of the game and you gotta learn to accept that.
To be clear, the alleged complaints were less about The Rock getting screen time and more about the amount of screen time he was getting, as well as him getting the green light to swear. The mega-star and WWE legend was regularly getting thirty minutes or more of SmackDown’s two hours for his Bloodline segments with Roman Reigns and company. That’s a huge chunk of time and typically longer than any one person normally gets.
He also got a ‘Mania match that went almost forty-five minutes, almost three times longer than anyone else’s. But the numbers that led to that screen time spoke for themselves. Fan feedback was extremely positive. The ratings were up, and WWE was selling out 10,000 to 15,000 seat arenas every night. It’s impossible to argue the company isn’t in a way better position now than it was before he came back.
No one is just handed thirty minute segments of television time in wrestling. The way it typically works is you fight to get some time on television, and in an ideal world, a character with some kind of storyline or interesting gimmick. Then, you make the most of whatever time you do get. If people like whatever you’re doing, you tend to get more time or you get repackaged into a character that has more upside, like we saw when Max Dupri was turned into LA Knight (yeah).
The Rock didn’t just sign with WWE and immediately get handed the keys. Go back and watch WrestleMania 13. You’ll see him fight The Sultan in some meaningless random midcard match no one cares about. Eventually, however, he was given thirty seconds on the microphone, then a minute, then two minutes until he slowly but surely found the Rock character and turned himself into one of the biggest stars in the entire business before conquering Hollywood.
I’m so stoked The Rock came back to WWE. I initially assumed we’d get some watered down nostalgia and a bunch of catchphrases, but instead, he delivered one of the best stretches of his entire career. I happily watched every one of those thirty to forty-five minute segments, and anyone in the back who has a problem with that should take The Hurricane’s reality check and start focusing on how to make the most of whatever time they’re getting because The Rock has earned his.
