Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has definitely made an influence along with his most up-to-date return to WWE, however his newest look on WWE’s Friday Night SmackDown has tipped sports-entertainment followers over the sting. Playing homage to his immeasurable contributions to professional wrestling’s “Attitude Era” of the late 90’s, the world’s most bankable motion star went again to his roots final weekend, donning a loud and little doubt costly shirt, whereas embracing the extra self-centered facet of his character. In aligning himself with his households “Bloodline” secure, Dwayne Johnson has gone full “heel” on the WWE Universe, and evidently going retro and reprising his function as the person you like to hate could also be his best efficiency but. We check out the motivations behind the film star’s electrifying actions.
Why did The Rock return to WWE?
Dwayne Johnson made a shock return on WWE Monday Night Raw on January 8, the place he teased ecstatic followers with the likelihood that he may problem his cousin Roman Reigns for the best to name himself head of the households desk. Since Reigns additionally holds the WWE Universal Championship, and has finished so for greater than 1,200 days, this banner match was touted to be one of many greatest WrestleMania predominant occasions of all time. Then, on Jan 23, WWE’s mother or father firm TKO (in addition they personal UFC) introduced that DJ had been appointed to the board of administrators, making him one of the highly effective individuals in WWE’s board room. With all that stroke, the primary occasion at WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia subsequent month ought to have been set in stone, however issues by no means run easily within the larger-than-life world of WWE.
Why is The Rock vs. Roman Reigns Not occurring at WrestleMania 40?
As is custom, the winner of the Royal Rumble will get to face off towards a WWE world champion at WrestleMania. Currently there are two world championships within the firm, with Reigns’ Unversal title on SmackDown, and World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins competing on the RAW model. The 2024 Royal Rumble winner was Cody Rhodes, and since he was cheated out of victory final yr at WrestleMania 39 by Reigns, he has opted for a rematch towards “The Tribal Chief” at WM40.
Of course, Rhode’s want to complete his story has scuppered the Bloodline’s plan to maintain the WrestleMania predominant occasion all within the household. And, whereas the thought of The Rock vs. Roman Reigns looks like a cataclysmic confrontation, followers within the arenas have been booing The Rock in favour of cheering their underdog hero, Cody Rhodes.
Why The Rock went “Retro” and turned towards the followers on WWE SmackDown
During a WrestleMania 40 press convention in Las Vegas on Feb 8, it turned clear that the WWE Universe needed Cody Rhodes to comply with up on his Royal Rumble win and dethrone Roman Reigns, and because it his proper to face the champion of his alternative, there’s not a lot that the Samoan wrestling dynasty can do about it. So, as an alternative, The Rock has change into imbittered by the assist for Rhodes over himself, and has chosen to shun the followers and reprise the cocky and smug character that viewers will keep in mind from the wildly profitable “Attitude Era” in WWE.
On Friday night time SmackDown (Feb, 16) The Rock got here to the ring in one among his classic model shirts, one thing that the WWE Universe hadn’t seen in current instances. It drew a figuring out response from wrestling aficionados who had been happy to see his edgier character again on the display, and Johnson himself confirmed off the goose bumps that he’d developed from this historic second. The seasoned actor waisted no time in figuring out his new function, as he insulted the followers in Salt Lake City earlier than making his intentions to assist The Bloodline clear. “Cody, your story is just ending. Our story is just beginning…” mentioned essentially the most electrifying man in sports activities leisure. “Sit there and shut your mouth and enjoy the ride that The Rock has taken you on. If you smell what The Bloodline is cooking!”
The full section has racked up virtually 3 million views on YouTube in simply 2 days, and has drawn acclaim from the thousands and thousands, and thousands and thousands, of The Rock’s followers, a lot of whom consider that that is The Rock at his finest.
“I like how Rock reads the room and turns heel based off of the crowd’s reaction,” commented @rooster.
“That’s an Attitude era veteran on the mic ladies and gentlemen. ????,” mentioned @Veintitres__23
“I’m not gonna lie, The Rock wasn’t the only one getting goosebumps. It’s been a while since we’ve seen Heel Rock and it’s pretty cool seeing it again,” commented @ammodog89b79
With “Retro” Rock again in WWE, he’s more likely to discover motion at WrestleMania 40 a technique or one other, so we wait with bated breath to search out out who will subsequent fall sufferer to the “People’s Elbow.”