The Rock's return might have caused WWE and several stars a big problem, as felt on SmackDown, says veteran (Exclusive)

WWE offered another SmackDown episode with angles and matches building towards WrestleMania 40. With The Rock absent, some felt the show paled in comparison, and Dutch Mantell agreed that The Great One's return seems to have impacted the product.

Dwayne Johnson has been on top of his game as a pro wrestler since returning as a regular character in the promotion and joining The Bloodline. The Hollywood star's segments have always been must-watch, but his recent ones have been even more newsworthy as he pushes the boundaries of blurring the lines between reality and kayfabe.

While reviewing the show on Sportskeeda's Smack Talk, Dutch Mantell, SP3, and Rick Ucchino discussed whether other stars and their angles looked underwhelming due to The Rock's high standards.

Dutch Mantell said that WWE might have a problem with how other talents are perceived now that The Rock appears more frequently on TV. The former WWE manager also declared that Rock was ushering in a new era in WWE, Attitude Era 2, and fans are reacting favorably to the direction.

"Possibly [everything looks pale in comparison to The Rock]. Well, we've seen him before, but The Rock is now bringing back Attitude Era 2, and the people are picking up on it and they are liking it. Now TKO said, 'Oh, you can't use this language and that, stop.' Yeah [unless you're the Rock]." [From 43:00 onwards]

The Rock wasn't around this week on SmackDown, but the main WrestleMania storyline moved along as Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns engaged in a face-to-face segment.

The episode went off the air with Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, and Seth Rollins standing tall as Roman Reigns and his crew backed off, signaling that the Tribal Chief's dominance could soon end.

---

Please credit Smack Talk and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling if the quotes are used.