3 Reasons why The Rock could return at Survivor Series and 2 that he couldn't

WWE has made a big deal about the fact that this weekend is 25 years since The Rock made his WWE debut at Survivor Series in 1996.

The former world champion went on to become one of WWE's biggest stars, before stepping into the acting business.

As Dwayne Johnson, The Rock has become a household name in Hollywood and was the highest-paid actor in the world for 2020.

Despite his recent success, The Rock has never forgotten where he came from and currently has several reasons to make his return to the company at this year's Survivor Series.

On the flip side, it's also worth noting that there are also a number of reasons why The Rock may not be willing to make his return this weekend.

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#5. The Rock could return to celebrate his 25th anniversary at Survivor Series

The Rock has made an unscheduled WWE returns in the past and even though the company has made it clear that he isn't going to be there, doesn't mean that he won't be.

In an era where surprises in WWE are few and far between, it's hard to see the company giving up the chance to see The Great One make his return to celebrate his anniversary.

WWE has already planned a 25-man battle royal to celebrate The Rock's WWE anniversary at Survivor Series, but are yet to reveal what the winner will receive.

It's entirely feasible that The Rock could be set to return in order to congratulate the winner and then have someone come out and cut a promo on him.

It's likely that if this is the case, someone will be hit with a Rock Bottom and then Roman Reigns could make an appearance in order to have a back and forth with his future rival.

This year's Survivor Series is considered to be lackluster and there's a reason that WWE has booked it that way, perhaps the company has one final swerve in store for their fanbase.

WWE wouldn't reveal that The Rock was going to make his return and spoil the surprise, so, until the night of the show, it's unclear if the former world champion will be part of Survivor Series.

#4. The Rock's schedule may be the reason why he's not able to return at Survivor Series

The Rock was originally expected to make his WWE return as part of this weekend's Survivor Series event, but his filming schedule is the main issue.

Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men Podcast noted a few months ago that The Rock will be filming in Australia at the time of Survivor Series, which means that he isn't expected to be part of the event.

“Little update on The Rock – he is apparently in Australia during Survivor Series. Now does that mean that he won’t be doing something at Survivor Series? They’re definitely gonna mention it. They’re definitely gonna talk about it. There will be maybe a video appearance or something that’s planned. But he’s not gonna be there."

Of course, this isn't a definite that he won't be part of the show, but The Rock has much bigger responsibilities outside of WWE so it could cause an issue.

The last time The Rock wrestled for the company he was injured and it cost his production company a lot of money because of the delay.

#3. The Rock may return to promote his new movie Red Notice at Survivor Series

This year's Survivor Series event could be the perfect platform for The Rock to make his return in order to promote his new movie.

Red Notice has only been out for a few weeks and The Rock also has Black Adam on the backburner ready for its release in the summer of 2022.

In the past, The Rock has re-emerged in the company several times in order to promote movies. Especially since WWE has been a huge platform for the former champion to be able to pitch his latest projects.

Several former WWE Superstars and actors have taken advantage of the reach of the WWE Universe in the past in order to promote movies or TV shows.

Whilst this may not be the sole reason why The Rock would be open to making his return at Survivor Series, it could definitely be a reason for the former star to be able to take some time out of his busy schedule.

#2. WWE may not have had any plans for The Rock to return at Survivor Series

Survivor Series is the 25th anniversary of The Rock's WWE debut, but that doesn't mean that the company has any plans for him to make his return.

The Rock has become successful outside of the company and more often than not WWE has tried to cash in on this success in order to push their product.

While there have been reports that WWE wanted The Rock to come back, it's likely that this was a very early plan that never got past the idea stage.

Given the recent issues in WWE and the fact that the company has been forced to make a lot of budget cuts this year, it's hard to believe that WWE has the money to be able to book The Rock right now.

It's entirely feasible that the company does plan to have the former world champion make his return as part of next year's Survivor Series instead and face off against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39.

#1. The Rock could make his return at Survivor Series to set up a match against Roman Reigns

Survivor Series would be the perfect place for The Rock to make his return to begin the setup for his match against Roman Reigns.

Whilst Roman Reigns himself has spoken about the rumors of The Rock's return this weekend to reveal that he hasn't heard anything, this may not be the truth.

The Rock was able to set up a match against John Cena a year before it took place and the ball could start rolling at Survivor Series for what has become WWE's worst kept secret.

The Rock is the final member of Anoa'i's family that needs to acknowledge The Tribal Chief and it's clear that there needs to be a showdown between the two men in the future.

Roman Reigns has several superstars that he could feud with to waste some time in the coming months. That being said, it's obvious that The Rock is the man that Reigns is being pushed towards with his new character.