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The Rock was not going to let 2024 start without a bang. Over the weekend, WWE teased that a former WWE Champion would be making a return on the Day 1 special edition of RAW. At first, Jinder Mahal, a former WWE Champion, came out to run down the United States of America and how it has been divided for some time.
As Mahal continued to insult the WWE fans and the United States, he was interrupted by The Rock. Not one to let someone off the hook for insulting his country, The People's Champion, in turn, insulted Mahal, giving him an unfavorable nickname.
While The Brahma Bull randomly showed up a few months ago to confront Austin Theory, this appearance had an interesting tease towards the end of the segment. Here are four possible reasons why The Rock returned to WWE at RAW Day 1.
#4. The Rock has drawing power for networks
After a big merger with UFC in September 2023, WWE will also be negotiating new network homes for RAW in 2024. The show has been airing on the USA Network for years, and NBCU is in the running to keep Monday Night RAW on its programming slate.
Some reports have mentioned that companies like Amazon Prime, Disney, and WBD (Warner Brothers Discovery) are also potential suitors. What better way to prove your product's power than to have arguably the biggest movie star in the world on your flagship show?
Showing suitors that they can get The Rock to appear could get WWE a more lucrative deal when it comes to negotiating a new home for Monday Night RAW.
#3. The Rock is always good for a ratings pop
When WWE books special episodes of RAW, SmackDown, or NXT, they not only book a few big matches but also have a few big names to make the show feel special.
Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, and Stone Cold Steve Austin have all made appearances at various points over the last two years.
The Rock is still one of the biggest names in wrestling and is arguably the world's biggest movie star. Whenever The Brahma Bull shows up, it is usually a must-see event. With Monday Night Football over, RAW Day 1 was likely to have higher ratings. The Great One likely pushed those ratings even higher.
#2. Someone needed to defend the United States of America against Jinder Mahal's words
The Rock calls himself 'The People's Champion,' and it was a nickname that he used during his title runs. As Jinder Mahal was chastising America and its people for a litany of things, the fans knew someone would be coming out to counter Jinder.
John Cena is known for being super patriotic, but he has been off of WWE programming over the last few months. Bobby Lashley is on SmackDown, and Hacksaw Jim Duggan is too old.
The Rock has always considered himself a representative of the people, and he holds the live crowds in the palm of his hand. Anything he said to Mahal would get cheers, and that is exactly what happened.
#1. The Rock teased that dream match WWE has tried to book for years
After The Rock sent Jinder Mahal from the ring, he had a few more parting comments for the fans. One was to wish everyone a Happy New Year. He also claimed that he would be going out to celebrate in San Diego, California, after RAW: Day 1.
The former WWE Champion asked fans where he should sit: in a booth, at the bar, or at the head of the table. The last choice was an obvious reference to his cousin, Roman Reigns.
WWE has tried to book a match between the two cousins several times but factors like COVID-19, not being in proper shape, and schedule conflicts always prevented it from happening.
He did not outright challenge Reigns for a specific time, but we are on the Road to WrestleMania. In the next few months, there are the Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber, and WrestleMania Premium Live Events scheduled. Will the tease lead to anything, or was it a literal tease for fans?
Were you excited to see The Rock return on WWE RAW Day 1? Sound off in the comments section below!
