WWE News: The Rock responds to Smackdown Live Superstar

What's the story?

For up and coming talent, to get the approval of any former legend in the wrestling business is something to be proud of. It's especially important if the praise is coming from the Great One himself, The Rock.

In case you didn't know...

While he may not be involved with the WWE as much as we'd like, nowadays, Dwayne Johnson has always been supportive of the new blood in the business.

The Rock has, on multiple occasions, spoken highly of wrestlers in and outside of the WWE. Often you can find him tweeting back and forth with fans and entertainers alike, making sure to always give the product a positive image.

Recently, for example, the Rock made sure to comment on the first female ref in WWE appearing at the Mae Young Classic

?????? luv it. #MaeYoungClassic https://t.co/7yGfIK47Uv

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) July 14, 2017

The Rock may be busy with his various other projects, but he always has time to put someone over.

The heart of the matter

The former Mike Bennet, now Mike Kanellis, recently debuted on the Blue Brand, appearing with real life wife Maria at Money In The Bank back in June. Since then, they have been spreading their message of the Power of Love on Tuesday Nights.

They began a feud with resident underdog Sami Zayn, and Kanellis picked up a win over Sami on Tuesday. With his first WWE PPV match coming at WWE Battleground, Mike Kanellis is going all out to the gym, getting ready, while wearing an interesting shirt.

Getting PPV ready.... @therock tshirt pulling me through ??#wwebattleground #wwe #sdlive… https://t.co/qDpHFsn5i9

— Mike Kanellis (@RealMikeBennett) July 22, 2017

Kanellis posted a picture of himself on Instagram wearing a "Blood Sweat Respect" shirt with a Brahma Bull logo on the sleeve. The Rock saw Kanellis's post and figured he would respond to the newest acquisition of Smackdown Live.

Kill it brother! Be safe on that crazy road and keep having fun. ???? @WWE https://t.co/XylurqUtjk

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) July 22, 2017

It looks like Kanellis has the approval of the most electrifying man in sports entertainment as he heads into his PPV debut match.

What's next?

The Rock has been busy promoting his HBO show, Ballers, set to premiere on July 23rd, the same night as WWE Battleground.

Ballers is entering its third season and stars Johnson as the former NFL player turned financial manager, Spencer Strasmore.

The Rock is also working closely with WWE on a film based on the family and life of WWE Superstar, Paige.

Kanellis is making himself known on Smackdown, replacing Miz and Maryse as the new IT couple with his wife Maria. It's unknown where their path will lead, but the future seems bright for the couple.

Author's take

There's something great about seeing The Rock tweet or talk about wrestling. Whether it's talking about the business back in the day or backing an up and coming talent, it's nice to see he doesn't shy away from his first home.

It's also great for someone like him to give his seal of approval to a recently debuted talent like Kanellis. There are lots of fans out there who may not have seen him during his time in ROH, NJPW or TNA, so getting a rub from The Rock gives those fans a reason to care about his match with Sami on Sunday