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Isle fans cheer "Can you smell what The Rock is cooking?"
Rock’s return
The sold-out wrestling event
leaves crowd clamoring for moreBy Lisa Asato
lasato@starbulletin.comAll it took was one famous phrase to get a sell-out crowd of about 9,000 screaming fans to its feet yesterday as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, a wrestling superstar with local roots, made his professional debut in Hawaii.
"Oh my God! I want his every move," screamed Tina Long, a 23-year-old from Wahiawa. "Oh my God! I got a picture of his butt."
The 6-foot-5, 275-pound Johnson and the other World Wrestling Entertainment wrestlers didn't disappoint fans on the floor who plunked down about $90 per seat and said they would do it again.It was "worth every penny," said 32-year-old Duane Tanaka of Aina Haina. Tanaka saw The Rock wrestle live in Las Vegas two years ago but said yesterday's performance surpassed it because "he's at home and he's a big superstar now."
If fans were happy to have The Rock return home, the feeling was mutual.
"Finally, The Rock has come back ... home," Johnson told the crowd after beating Chris Jericho in the main event. "I said it was going to be the biggest night of my life ... and after tonight I thank you for making that happen."
But not all fans were so welcoming."He wants to go to movies instead of wrestling, he doesn't have the dedication to be wrestler, not anymore" said Mark Aglanao of Kalihi, who riled the crowd in and out of the arena when he flaunted a sign reading "Die Rocky Die!"
"I'm going for any bad guys out there; good guys are boring. Good guys finish last," he said.
"I gotta sit by him so he no get beaten up," said friend Manny Correia, who was wearing a Kurt Angle jersey shirt.
The main event lasted about 10 minutes, but the crowd was treated to about 30 minutes of Johnson with post-bout trash-talking between the two competitors and thanking his mom and wife, who were present; the fans; and his grandfather High Chief Peter Maivia. "I know you're watching ... I hope I made you proud," he said, honoring the former wrestler.Yesterday's "Tour of Defiance" event at the Blaisdell Arena sold out in two hours last month to fans hungry for the organization's first live show in Hawaii in eight years. Another attraction was a chance to see Johnson, who attended McKinley High School and Washington Intermediate School.
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Earlier yesterday, WWE wrestlers Rikishi and Ivory appeared at a "Smackdown Your Vote!" rally at the state Capitol as part of a national effort to get people age 18 to 28 to register to vote. The WWE, which is among the sponsors, has put up $100,000 for 50 college scholarships nationwide. Two Hawaii students received $2,000 scholarships. At the registration, Rikishi said he would perform an "extra Stink Face for the people of Hawaii." (The Stink Face is his signature wrestling move.)What did fans at the show have to say?
Ashley Tahauri, a 2002 high school graduate: "That was electrifying. ... It's way better than graduation. The best day I ever been to."
Brandon Howell, 7: "I liked it when Rock won."
Vance Nobriga, 13: "It's fun. But some parts are fake, but that's OK."
Luis Altamirano of Pearl City said he came to see both Rikishi and The Rock win their matches. He got what he wanted. But his favorite part was when actor Bruce Willis, a front-row spectator, got into the action. Willis stood up at his seat, ripped off his shirt and head-butted Jericho in the stomach as The Rock held him by the arms, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
"It was great," said Altamirano's wife, Hailey Pierce. "We wish more things like this come to Hawaii."