Dewayne Johnson was a hardworking WWE wrestler from a noted wrestling clan before he ever dreamed of being a big movie star. According to a respected wrestling podcast called Barnburner’s Fired Up, and a few other sources, The Rock is reportedly close to signing a deal for a one-off appearance on the 1,000th episode of WWE Smackdown, a brand he helped build from the ground.
Joe Peisich, the wrestling insider who reported the news on the Fired Up podcast, said this in passing: "For the 1,000th SmackDown which happens on October 16th they are negotiating and very very close to a Rock appearance. Of course it’s The Rock’s show naming it SmackDown after the SmackDown or whatever." Pardon me, the last bit is a little incoherent.
The belief is that Dwayne Johnson will make up for his absences in the past by taking time out of his busy schedule to film the episode. The wrestler-turned-movie star is currently filming Disney's upcoming live-action film Jungle Cruise, filmed on location in Hawaii. Dwayne previously missed out on WWE's Raw 25 celebration, although it should be noted, The Rock spend the majority on his screen-time on SmackDown programming and pay-per-view events.