Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Makes His WWE Return At Friday Night Smackdown

BYGabriel Bras Nevares693 Views
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Press Conference To Announce A Major International Event At MetLife Stadium
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - FEBRUARY 16: Actor and WWE Professional Wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson attends a press conference to announce a major international event, Wrestle Mania XXIX, at MetLife Stadium on February 16, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by John W. Ferguson/WireImage/Getty Images)
It looks like the multi-media star left the stove on last night, because we could all definitely smell what The Rock was cooking.

After about seven years outside of the ring, The Rock made his comeback appearance at Friday Night SmackDown last night (September 15). Of course, this wasn't a surprise to many fans who knew that an announcement from SmackDown meant that he'd be cooking up again. Still, the sheer energy when his music started, and fans cheered him on, was pretty cool to see. Before he emerged, Pat McAfee kicked the whole thing off, and Austin Theory interrupted him by talking some smack about the show. But McAfee said that SmackDown is "the people's show," and that's when the pro wrestling legend made his return.

Furthermore, he and Theory got into it right after The Rock started a "You are an a**hole" chant against him. Not only that, but the 51-year-old had to treat the crowd to some signature moves, and hit Theory with a People's elbow and a spine buster. In fact, he even prompted Pat McAfee to give the former a shot, and swapped out the lead character role for a coach. To top it all off, The Rock grabbed one of Theory's shoes and threw it into the stands, much to the viewers' delight both in-person and on social media, where people reacted wildly to the appearance.

The Rock Enters SmackDown Once More

Last time Dwayne Johnson graced the WWE with an appearance was about seven years ago. He fought alongside John Cena against Eric Rowan and Luke Harper at an impromptu match at WrestleMania 32. However, this time around, Cena was just there to support The Rock from the sidelines, as a clip also went viral of their reunion last night. Regardless, the superstar suggested in the past that there might be one more blowout showing in him. Rumors floated around concerning his potential match-up against Roman Reigns, the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, at WrestleMania 40.

Meanwhile, Dwayne Johnson's presence within the organization is like a shadow that peeps out and back in every once in a while. Some wrestlers face accusations of being a copycat all the time, but that's just because his influence is undeniably high-profile. As such, fans will always be ecstatic to see him in the ring again- and we hope this isn't the last time. For more news and the latest updates on The Rock, come back to HNHH.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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