The Rock's return prompted WWE to cut several segments from SmackDown - Reports

This week's episode of SmackDown saw the electrifying return of The Rock in Denver, Colorado.

The following episode was star-studded, with prominent stars making an appearance. Pat McAfee made a surprise appearance to kick off the show. He was then interrupted by Austin Theory. The two were in the middle of a verbal smackdown when McAfee said that this was the people's show. Then, The Rock's music hit, and the legendary wrestler made his way to the ring.

The People's Champion got on the mic to put Theory in his place. The segment went on for a while. Battleground Wrestling Entertainment (BWE) on Twitter and several other outlets reported that some segments from the show had to be cut because the opening segment took longer than expected.

Rock, however, had a great time during the show. He even got the audience to chant, "You are an a**hole" at the 26-year-old star. The Brahma Bull made jokes at Theory's expense and then ended up hitting him with a spinebuster, followed by The People's Elbow. McAfee also got in on the action and hit Theory with his own version of The People's Elbow.

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The Rock met John Cena backstage

During the show this week, The Rock took some time out to meet his former rival, John Cena.

He was backstage with Pat McAfee when Cena showed up. The 16-time world champion said to Rock, "Welcome home." The two legendary stars shook hands and then proceeded to hug each other. This was a moment to cherish for both of them, considering they had two exquisite matches in the main events of WrestleMania 28 and 29.

It still remains to be seen whether this appearance will lead to a bigger storyline or was just a one-off.

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What do you think of The Rock making his return on SmackDown? Sound off in the comments section below.

You can catch the full results of SmackDown here.