5 stars The Rock should have confronted on WWE SmackDown instead of Austin Theory

The Rock made his triumphant return to WWE Smackdown, on the first show after WWE's merger with Endeavor.

The former WWE Champion joined Pat McAfee, who also returned, to verbally battle Austin Theory. McAfee opened the show, but Theory ruined his return by crashing the segment.

With all three in the ring, McAfee and The Great One got the live crowd to chant some unfavorable words at the former United States Champion.

While his return was indeed a welcome sight for many, would it have made sense for the Rock to confront a different SmackDown star? The Great One could have confronted one of the following five stars instead of Austin Theory.

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#5 Jimmy Uso and #4 Solo Sikoa are a part of the The Rock's Bloodline

It could have been a family reunion had he crossed paths with Jimmy Uso or Solo Sikoa.

The Rock is the most famous member of the royal Samoan Bloodline family. Along with Yokozuna, Rikishi, Afa, and Sika, the Anoa'i Family is wrestling royalty. That dynasty has been at the forefront of WWE for the last three years.

While it was smooth sailing for most of that time, things started to fall apart after the Usos lost the Undisputed Tag Team titles at WrestleMania 39. Jey Uso cut ties with the group while Jimmy has wavered back and forth.

The People's Champion could have confronted Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa, instead of Theory. The familial ties could be an actual reason for this sudden appearance, and it would have made logical sense. Confronting Roman Reigns would have been an even bigger deal, but he wasn't scheduled for an appearance.

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#3 Grayson Waller has called The Rock out several times

If they wanted to follow some real-life continuity, then The Rock would be on the Grayson Waller Effect, instead of John Cena. Waller has repeatedly called the Great One out on both social media and in interviews.

He's a star of the future and has already rubbed elbows with Cena and Edge. The Great One could have confronted the brash young Aussie about his harsh words.

That would have worked since the opening segment lasted nearly 20 minutes. Talk show segments work best when the host and guests can work a mic. That's certainly the case with The People's Champion Rock and Grayson Waller.

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#2 LA Knight has rubbed elbows with WWE Legends

Like Waller, LA Knight has received the rub from some WWE Legends since joining the main roster. He shared the ring with Bray Wyatt and the Undertaker, during the build to the Pitch Black match at the Royal Rumble.

Knight also beat The Miz at Payback, with John Cena as the special guest referee. While he was initially hesitant to accept his approval, Cena held Knight's hand high as they both left the ringside area.

The Megastar is the hottest act in WWE at the moment, so capitalizing on that by interacting with the Rock would have made sense. It would also have added to Knight's impressive list of encounters with Legends.

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#1 The Rock and John Cena have a lot of history

History could have repeated itself when The People's Champion and John Cena both appeared on SmackDown.

With Roman Reigns not appearing on SmackDown, WWE has really upped the star power, by having both the Great One and John Cena on the same episode.

Cena was already advertised to appear on the Grayson Waller Effect. He and Waller already had a showdown at Money in the Bank in London over the summer.

Since The People's Champion and Cena have loads of history, it would have made sense to have an in-ring segment with the two. It wouldn't have to lead to another match, but could have involved stars like Knight and Waller or others. Cena and The Rock did have a brief face-to-face backstage, but it was brief.