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SmackDown's Friday night premiere on FOX is right upon us, with a lot of huge moments in store. Many legends have been advertised, but the biggest appearance for the show surely is the Blue brand's favorite son, The Rock.
The Great One has not appeared on any WWE programming since WrestleMania 32 and last wrestled a full-blown match at WrestleMania 29. One would wonder, just how much will The Rock do on SmackDown?
With the marquee deal underway, FOX would love to have the biggest star in the world on board for an extended period of time. It is extremely unlikely, but WWE could still plant a seed for something in the future with the Brahma Bull if his busy schedule permits it.
However, the likelihood is that this appearance will be a one-off. And every time a major legend returns, he gets interrupted by a current WWE Superstar. Friday will likely be no different.
Whether their interaction with The Rock will help them or hurt them, expect a memorable moment. Here are five Superstars who could confront The Rock on Friday Night SmackDown.
#5 Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar will challenge Kofi Kingston for the WWE Championship in the main event of SmackDown and a victory is extremely likely, setting up the sports-centric programming that FOX wants for the Blue brand. But that might not be the only thing that he does on Friday. WWE has wanted to book Brock Lesnar vs The Rock for a while now, so we could get a slight tease towards the match at the show.
The Rock's insurers prevented the match from happening at WrestleMania 30 and he has not wrestled a proper match since, but there may still be slight hopes that the Great One will have another match. Just a simple staredown between the two legends would go a long way towards garnering excitement and a huge reaction on the night. It is the rematch that everybody has been waiting for since SummerSlam 2002.
#4 Sami Zayn
This may not be very likely as Sami Zayn just interrupted The Undertaker on SmackDown a few weeks ago, but him halting The Rock's crowd-popping monologue would be a tad bit different. Zayn could have sort of a promo battle with the Great One, instead of being the only one to speak during his Madison Square Garden confrontation with the Deadman.
Kevin Owens' former best friend is one of those heels who has excellent control of the microphone, making him a great option to go toe-to-toe with The Rock for a short while at least.
Many fans would claim that Sami Zayn is getting "buried", but the reality is that he is currently operating as the manager of Shinsuke Nakamura, as frustrating as it is. Also, his annoying promo style makes him the perfect fodder for returning legends at this moment.
Seeing the Brahma Bull slap Zayn with an "It doesn't matter" will surely be extremely entertaining, especially since he hasn't done it in a very long time. Also, fans of the former NXT Champion should not fret as he will get to share the ring (and promo time) with The Rock. It would not be the worst idea in the world.
#3 Erick Rowan
The Rock's last full-blown wrestling match was against John Cena in the main event of WrestleMania 29, but he has had another match after that. The Great One defeated Erick Rowan in a 6-second match three years later, setting the record for the shortest match in 'Mania history.
Ever since that moment in Dallas, Rowan has lived with the tag of having faced The Rock at WrestleMania. He has been aligned with the likes of Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper and Daniel Bryan since then. But now, the former Wyatt Family member has become a force in singles competition.
Rowan has reunited with Harper, who helped him defeat Roman Reigns at Clash Of Champions. The devastating duo will face the Big Dog and Daniel Bryan at Hell in a Cell but before that, they could interrupt the Great One and threaten revenge on him before his relative coming to the rescue.
Reigns and Bryan making the save for the Great One makes sense, because of the simple fact that The Rock is related to one of them. It would also present Erick Rowan in a vengeful light who is not afraid to back down regardless of his opponent.
#2 Bray Wyatt
Even though Erick Rowan got pinned in six seconds by The Rock at WrestleMania 32, it was Bray Wyatt who suffered the most from that fateful segment. He was made to look silly for the third 'Mania in a row. Wyatt, along with Rowan and Braun Strowman, were taken down very easily by the Great One and an injured John Cena.
However, the Bray Wyatt we know today is miles different from the Bray Wyatt from three years ago. He is now driven by vengeance and lives to hurt. The Fiend never forgets. If FOX's marketing last week is any indication, Friday could see Wyatt's monstrous alter-ego take the Rock out.
The question of him being able to take a bump is also annulled thanks to the Mandible Claw, which has been adopted The Fiend, so this angle is completely doable. It is just a question of how radical WWE is willing to be with the new gimmick.
There are many other legends who will be on SmackDown, like The Undertaker and Sting, but the biggest impact would be made by Wyatt going after The Rock. It would create a world of momentum, even more than right now, for The Fiend as he heads into a Universal Championship match inside Hell in a Cell against Seth Rollins.
#1 Becky Lynch
Becky Lynch has had a fantastic 2019 so far. After ending 2018 on fire, she celebrated the new year by outshining John Cena. The Man would win the Royal Rumble match and capture both, the RAW and SmackDown Women's Championships in the main event of WrestleMania.
She is still the RAW champion and remains one of the biggest stars in the company. This would possibly ensure a big role on the SmackDown premiere on FOX, even bigger than just wrestling a tag team match involving the rest of the four horsewomen. Apparently, The Rock wants to work with The Man on Friday.
Becky has the swagger and the charisma to share a ring and hold her own with the Great One for an extended period of time, cutting some of the most incredible promos of the past year on a regular basis.
She had been aggressively advertised by FOX, despite still being the RAW Women's Champion. A passing of the torch moment from The Rock to Becky Lynch would be a sight to see, even better than the segment between herself and Cena at the start of the year.
Even if she loses her title Sasha Banks inside Hell in a Cell, expect big things for her in the future. A permanent return to SmackDown for The Man is particularly likely.
