Recently, WWE fans were on the edge of their seats as they witnessed The Rock’s unexpected return. During the Day 1 edition of RAW, The Rock made an unanticipated return, interrupting Jinder Mahal’s promo and leaving fans excited. He laid out Mahal with his signature moves – Spinebuster and People’s Elbow.
Furthermore, The People’s Champion didn’t shy away from teasing a possible match with the current WWE Champion, Roman Reigns. The potential match tease has generated a lot of buzz among the fans.
Interestingly, WWE has chosen not to announce The Rock’s return in advance, aligning with the tradition of his surprise appearances throughout the years. A few months ago, he also made a comeback on SmackDown, featuring in a segment with Pat McAfee and Austin Theory. However, all these appearances were unannounced.
Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer explained on Wrestling Observer Radio why WWE doesn’t announce The Rock’s return beforehand. Meltzer said it’s because The Rock prefers surprises and wants to keep the excitement and thrill for the live audience.
He stated, “He’s doing this for fun because he doesn’t have to do it. And he’s doing it for excitement. That type of thing. That’s why when he came back Monday, it wasn’t announced at a time like if they had announced that ahead of time. I mean, the rating would have been much higher, much higher than it was. He was doing it because in that case, he wanted that pop because of people in the building not knowing he was going to be there. And there he is. That’s what he wants. Every time he comes back, they never announce it ahead of time.”
Following his RAW: Day 1 appearance, The Rock’s social media video achieved a staggering 171 million views, setting a new WWE record.
Booker T wants Roman Reigns vs. The Rock at WWE WrestleMania 40
WWE Hall of Famer Booker T discusses a potential match between The Rock and Roman Reigns for WrestleMania 40.
Speaking on his own podcast, Booker T expressed the opinion that WWE should take advantage of the excitement and make the WrestleMania 40 match happen.
He said, “It’s got a buzz. Everybody talking about it. I think that’s the modus operandi,” Booker T said. “I think that’s what that is, more than anything. For me, you don’t want to let that thing simmer too long. Rock, Father Time waits for no man [laughs], that’s just the way it is. For The Rock to get it done, this could be a great time for it. For Roman as well. Roman’s in his prime, at the height of his title reign.
He continued by saying, “It’s not gonna get any higher than this. If it is that time to pull the trigger, hey man, pull the trigger. The Rock’s back. Rock got a little time off. Right now with everything going on in Hollywood, might as well come over here and keep yourself in shape. What do I always say? Time off is your worst enemy. You don’t want that, you want to stay active. You want to stay in the game. So I get it.”
Following The Rock’s return, there have been many speculations among fans. Some believe that a match between The Rock and Roman Reigns could happen next month at Elimination Chamber in Australia. Additionally, fans are suggesting that at WrestleMania 40, Roman Reigns will face Cody Rhodes.
