The Rock's WWE return is on account of one thing specifically, Hall of Famer weighs in

At the point at which The Rock is in his career, WWE appearances are rare, let alone for an in-ring contest. According to the former 10-time world champion, though, he was locked to face Roman Reigns on The Grandest Stage this year, but the plans fell through.

While several WWE legends have had the itch to return to the ring, there is also the added factor of a huge payday. Hall of Famer Kevin Nash feels it is not the latter in the case of The Brahma Bull, but more about keeping his brand strong.

While reacting to The Rock's return to SmackDown on the Kliq This podcast, Kevin Nash singled out Austin Theory for contributing to the quality of the promo segment, which also featured the returning Pat McAfee. The Hall of Famer felt the former United States Champion held his own:

"He [The Rock] looked great. It look like he put on 15 pounds from the Colorado game [laughs]. They went through the list, and Theory is young, right? Like 26 [years old], something like that? The list of guys he’s worked with already, woo. I really thought that he held his own in there.”

Nash added that it isn't about the huge payday for someone like The Rock. Moreover, considering the latter is "the biggest star" in Hollywood and what is happening in that world presently, he is back to reinforce his "PR" status:

"Well number one, to keep his brand strong. Who knows how long [the SAG-AFTRA strike] will go on. Dwayne is double pinched in this, because not only is Dwayne a member of the Screen Actors Guild as an actor, but he’s also a producer, so [he has] a pension health plan. I don’t think he’s doing it for the payday, but he’s definitely doing it from a PR standpoint. I don’t think it’s ever a bad thing to come back to where you started and show the world you’re the biggest star in [Hollywood]." [H/T: Fightful]

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Will The Rock be back on WWE TV soon to pair up with an old rival-turned-friend?

John Cena will step into the ring for a tag team contest against Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa at WWE Fastlane on October 7. Since the company pulled an injury angle for The GOAT's tag partner, AJ Styles, an element of mystery surrounds the upcoming match.

Considering what The Rock had to say recently about a potential WrestleMania 40 showdown against The Tribal Chief, it won't be out of the realm of possibility if The Brahma Bull returns to in-ring action at WWE Fastlane.

The Rock and John Cena previously teamed up to defeat The Miz and R-Truth at Survivor Series in 2011.

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What are your thoughts on The Rock's WWE return, and who do you feel would step in as John Cena's tag partner at Fastlane? Sound off in the comments section below.