In the aftermath of The Rock’s fiery promo on SmackDown targeting Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins, veteran wrestling writer Vince Russo shed light on the discomfort within the WWE locker room regarding The Great One’s use of explicit language on television.
During a discussion on Legion of RAW, Russo highlighted the disparity in treatment between The Rock and other WWE talent when it comes to adhering to the PG guidelines set by the company.
“Now the Rock comes in, and he says, ‘Screw this namby-pamby BS. I’m gonna say what I want to say.’ So he goes on SmackDown, says what he wants to say, dropping words here and there. And then you hear the locker room is in a tizzy because now there is a double standard. Rock can say whatever he wants but we can’t say what we want. I swear to God, if Cody would’ve got any more cheap heat in his promo with the language.”
Russo expressed surprise at the response from stars like Cody Rhodes, who began incorporating explicit language into their promos following The Rock’s lead. He questioned the sudden shift, especially considering WWE’s ongoing PG rating.
“I’m like, ‘Wait a minute guys, did I not say this 20 years ago?’ Did I not say 20 years ago they were nowhere near the PG-13 line? Now, all of a sudden when Rock comes in and breaks the rule, now, we can all cuss under the same rating?”
Addressing the speculation surrounding his use of explicit language, The Rock clarified that while there were concerns from networks about his unfiltered approach on the mic, he remained committed to authenticity and entertainment.
As the debate surrounding language standards in WWE continues, the industry remains abuzz with discussions about the implications of The Rock’s bold approach and its impact on the locker room dynamics.