Why did WWE ignore The Rock on SmackDown despite his return? Exploring the possibility

WWE Friday Night SmackDown aired last night on the USA Network. The show was absolutely stacked and featured some of the top stars in the industry, including Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens, Randy Orton, Rhea Ripley, and Bianca Belair, among others.

There was one major star notably missing, however. After making a shocking appearance at Bad Blood, fans hoped and some even expected for The Rock to appear on SmackDown, but WWE almost completely ignored his existence. There may be a good reason for that, however, as he might not be around for a while.

A new report recently came out that potentially shed some light on The Final Boss' future in World Wrestling Entertainment. If the new information proves to be accurate, The Rock will be missing WrestleMania 41 next year. Needless to say, this news was extremely disappointing to many fans.

Still, from WWE's perspective, it makes sense to ignore his appearance. While The Rock's return certainly provided some benefits to the company, there is little point in focusing too much television time on a character who might not even be at The Show of Shows.

Instead, Triple H and the creative wisely focused on the big acts who likely will compete on the show. Stars like Jimmy Uso, Roman Reigns, Rhea Ripley, Cody Rhodes, and Randy Orton need more TV time if The Rock won't be around.

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The Rock's appearance at WWE Bad Blood provided a big moment and could still matter down the line

While The Rock was mostly snubbed on WWE Friday Night SmackDown, his appearance at Bad Blood was still important. First and foremost, The Rock's arrival provided a big moment for fans in attendance and at home.

Regardless of what one may feel about The Rock, he is one of the biggest stars in the world and a future Hall of Famer. Fans love seeing him on television, even if they just want to boo The People's Champion. He provides memories that the fans won't forget.

Beyond that, it is important to remember that just because The Final Boss might miss WrestleMania does not mean he is done with WWE as a whole. He could be back for a future big match later in 2025 or even potentially before WrestleMania.

As a result, his appearance planted the seeds and built up tension for matches with both Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns. It also set up even more Bloodline intrigue. Whether he competes at WrestleMania 41 or not, the segment created a buzz.