These days, Dwayne Johnson mainly keeps himself busy by acting in high-profile films like Red notice And Black Adam. But we certainly can’t forget the fact that the beloved entertainer made a name for himself as a professional wrestler, known as “The rock.” Over the past few years, there has been speculation as to whether Johnson might return to the ring, but nothing seems to come to fruition. However, that’s all changed now, as he made his long-awaited return to WWE last Friday. It would be an understatement to say that the crowd was electric, and the Internet seemed shaken as well.
The Rock made his first WWE appearance in four years on an episode of Smack down filmed at the Ball Arena in Denver. He made his grand entrance during a segment involving Austin Theory and former NFL punter Pat McAfee. (McAfee and Rock had just done an interview this week, during which the latter announced a return to WrestleMania 40.) The 51-year-old entered and was greeted by a roaring crowd and his theme song, “Electrifying “. The major moment was shared across the interwebs, and a fan on X (formerly Twitter) under the nickname @NIKKiPZZAZZ found the return quite “surreal”:
It’s literally been twenty years since there’s been any pop like this. The Rock knows how to make an entrance. The rock. It’s funny to even say “The Rock”. Surrealist.
Appropriately, the Fast The former student’s appearance turned out to be electrifying. He entered the ring to trade barbs with Austin Theory before the two came to blows. However, the faceoff ultimately ended with Dwayne Johnson hitting Theory with his signature move: the People’s Elbow. Needless to say, this moment stirred up a plethora of emotions among fans, even among long-absent wrestling viewers like X @RDJ2_5199:
Chills and I haven’t watched in years 😭
If you’ve been a devoted wrestling fan for years, chances are you feel the same way. Viewers probably remember many evenings during which The Rock delighted the audience with his physique and his showmanship. And let’s face it, his penchant for trash talking is still legendary. Although he has been out of the ring for some time now, many still revere him. And responding to the moment he used the People’s Elbow, one fan summed up the star’s place in wrestling history very well:
Be honest with yourselves, The Rock is the greatest WWE “superstar” of all time. He will forever have the entire wrestling world in the palm of his hands.September 16, 2023
The icing on this already awesome cake was the fact that behind the scenes, Dwayne Johnson was able to see (or not see) a former colleague. That person was none other than John Cena, who also came back and showed Johnson some love. The video of their encounter went viral, and a fan captured it and provided a cute caption:
The Rock and John Cena kiss?! Things have improved pic.twitter.com/cnsSGI2ZZOSeptember 16, 2023
We might be surprised to see these two stars back in their old stomping grounds. While we can’t confirm exactly what sparked these appearances, one would think that SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes in Hollywood may have opened up their schedules a bit. When it comes to Dwayne Johnson, there has been a lot of talk about a return from him. It was reported in 2022 that Johnson had freed up his schedule and could make its return this year. Johnson responded to the rumors in October, saying nothing was set in stone and throwing some shade at his cousin – fellow wrestler Roman Reigns. Although Reigns didn’t appear in the middle of his parent’s big comeback, the evening was fun nonetheless.
Of course, many are surely now hoping that this won’t be the last time The Rock appears in the ring. He remains a busy man, however, as he has other professional obligations, in addition to his acting work. But who knows, maybe he and WWE can work out another collaboration so that “The People’s Champion” doesn’t stay away for too long.