While the WWE and Fox have kept the guest list for Smackdown mostly quiet, that doesn’t stop the internet rumor mill from running wild.
The current rumor is a about “keeping an eye out for the Rock.”
Dwayne Johnson has recently retired from wrestling. He did so quietly and with no fanfare as he continues pursuing his acting career. That doesn’t mean he can’t appear at various functions like the first Smackdown on Fox, but given his schedule didn’t allow him to appear on the Raw Reunion (assuming he was invited), would he appear on the new Smackdown?
Most likely, and for one simple reason:
He built Smackdown
We hear a lot about how AJ Styles build Smackdown. It’s how the WWE has sold him to the current generation of wresting fans despite the show being around years before he stepped into the blue light.
While the Rock didn’t officially “build” it, but he was already using the term “smackdown” before the show started, and often referred to it as his show in his promos. While those are often scripted, superstars have gone off on their own many times to varying degrees of success.
The Rock dominated the microphone during a time when the roster was stacked with talent. He regularly faced the Undertaker, Kane, Austin, Michaels, and Triple H in their prime. He was one of the many backbones of the show and promotion. Without his charisma and talent, the landscape of the wrestling world could be completely different than it is.
He, like the others he competed with and against, lifted the WWE to new heights when they’d been on the ropes. It’d make sense for him to come back this one time and christen the new era the right way.
Maybe even a face off with Austin for old time’s sake?
We can hope, right?
