WWE Monday Night RAW was quite the show last night. There were a lot of positives, including debuts from Ilja Dragunov and Roxanne Perez. It was also revealed that Sheamus is returning.
Unfortunately, not every piece of news was positive. The Rock had a segment with Cody Rhodes, which many believed was epic, but it came with the revelation that The People's Champion would be leaving World Wrestling Entertainment television for the time being.
Realistically, this isn't a major surprise. The Rock is a major star in Hollywood and will have movies and television productions to act in or be involved with in some other way. Still, it is disappointing, as The Final Boss character has been a major highlight for the past few months.
The People's Champion did make it clear that he would be returning, however. It isn't yet clear when that will be. His return could come in the summer, fall, winter, or even in 2025. Regardless, this article will take a look at a handful of ways that he can return to television whenever he does make his comeback.
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Below are four ways The Rock can return to WWE following his hiatus.
#4. He could be announced ahead of time for the sake of WWE's business
There are a lot of things that could be said about The Rock. He has shockingly turned out to be a vile human being who made Cody Rhodes bleed and taunted The American Nightmare's mother. He bullied talent and threw his power around.
Despite his many flaws, there is no denying that The People's Champion is a draw. He is extremely popular and whenever he appears on a program, people tune in. Above that, when he is announced for a show, WWE fans buy tickets.
That is why his return could be announced ahead of time. WWE wants to sell as many tickets as they can for every show, so announcing The People's Champion returning to RAW or SmackDown will lead to more fans arriving. Ultimately, as a business, that may be the best move.
#3. The Rock could make a surprise appearance
While there's no denying that The Rock is a star and is certainly a needle mover, there's no guarantee that WWE and The People's Champion will announce a return before it happens. In fact, much of The Rock's past paints a different story entirely.
The Rock, at least when first re-appearing, rarely does so with fanfare ahead of time. When he appeared on SmackDown last year and RAW in January, he did so without any kind of warning. The same applies to his surprise appearance on WWE SmackDown when he first confronted Roman Reigns.
If The Rock returns for another short run and not a one-off appearance, he could very well appear as a surprise. Any subsequent appearances could then be advertised, which will still move tickets moving forward.
#2. He could attack Cody Rhodes
The beginning of Monday Night RAW last night was epic. Cody Rhodes celebrated as the new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion with Triple H showing him a lot of love. From there, a surprise appearance by The Rock shocked the audience.
The two then had an epic, albeit at times awkward confrontation. The Rock gave Cody Rhodes credit for his win over Roman Reigns at WrestleMania and then borrowed the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. The People's Champion then revealed that he would be back after his hiatus and when he does, he's coming for Rhodes.
This means The Rock could return to television by attacking The American Nightmare. The Rock pinned Cody on WrestleMania Saturday and left him bloodied in the past, so the pair clashing for the coveted title in the future makes a lot of sense.
#1. The Rock may return alongside The Bloodline
The Bloodline has long been the most dominant faction in all of WWE. The stable properly kicked off in 2020 with Roman Reigns, Jimmy Uso, Paul Heyman, and Jey Uso. Over time, the group expanded to include Sami Zayn and Solo Sikoa.
Currently, The Bloodline features Roman, Jimmy, Solo, Paul, and The Rock. Instead of being dominant, however, Jimmy lost to Jey at WrestleMania and Roman Reigns lost his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. The group is in a tough spot.
The Rock could return with The Bloodline. This could either mean with Roman Reigns or as the leader, kicking Reigns out. Regardless, don't be surprised to see him return alongside Jimmy, Solo, and Paul to fix the group moving forward. If anybody can correct the course for the stable, it may be The People's Champion.