The Rock returns to RAW and 4 other ways WWE can compete with Monday Night Football

With the NFL season back on, WWE and RAW once again have to compete for ratings every Monday Night with a prime-time fixture taking place. To emphasize matters, ABC is airing Monday Night Football for the foreseeable future due to the lack of content being produced due to the ongoing actors and writers strike.

As a result of ongoing strikes over the past month or so, former superstars who have gone onto acting schedules' have cleared up greatly, most notably The Rock and John Cena, who both recently made their returns.

With WWE now competing with the NFL, we will look at five ways the company can go head-to-head with them every Monday Night.

---

#5. The Rock keeps the good times rolling

Last Friday on SmackDown, The Great One shocked the fanbase as he made his first appearance in World Wrestling Entertainment since 2019. During his comeback on the blue brand, Dwayne Johnson verbally and physically tore down Austin Theory.

Following his return, The Rock took to social media as he thanked the many people who made his comeback possible.

"I was - I’m still - completely blown away by this crowd reaction in Denver this past Friday night on SMACKDOWN. My appearance was a top 5 loudest crowd reactions of my career which I was like “holy sh*t” when I walked out. I’m so grateful and humbled by this. I never take it for granted and “coming home” will always be sacred to me. Thank you my guy PatMac, the talented Austin Theory,@wwe family backstage, Team Rock behind the scenes - everyone who joined us to go ALL IN. But most importantly, thank you with all my love, gratitude, and respect, to THE PEOPLE. Our connection is real. Electrifying," tweeted Johnson.

With his schedule still very open, The Great One may appear on tonight's episode of RAW or in the coming weeks.

---

#4. The Animal returns to WWE

Another former World Champion who has gone on to carve out a great legacy in Hollywood is The Animal Batista.

Despite retiring from the ring at WrestleMania 35 in 2019, the chance for Dave Bautista to make a one-off appearance to thank the fans for their constant support has never been more likely.

During a recent interview with the Perform Podcast, Bobby Lashley said he would love to welcome Batista back in the ring if he does choose to come out of retirement.

"I love where Dave [Bautista] is and I never try to drum up any controversy or any kind of friction. Dave is definitely somebody I would love to have a match with. It would be something that would do some huge box office numbers. Dave, since he’s left WWE, his whole entire career has exploded to another level. Of course you want to bring somebody like him back," said Lashley. [H/T Fightful]

---

#3. The Head of the Table appears on the red brand

Over the past decade, Roman Reigns has been the face of World Wrestling Entertainment, main eventing multiple editions of WrestleMania.

While he has predominantly been performing on SmackDown in recent years, due to his part-time schedule and the fact that he is a huge ratings draw, WWE may be considering bringing him on the red brand in the near future.

---

#2. The GOAT comes home

Like Dave Bautista and Dwayne Johnson, another future Hall of Famer who has recently set Hollywood alight is the 16-time World Champion John Cena.

In recent weeks, the leader of Cenation has returned to World Wrestling Entertainment, confirming that he will be featuring on SmackDown for at least the next month or so.

While he has had many great memories on the blue brand, Cena undoubtedly became the star he is today through his many matches and moments on RAW.

With this in mind, it seems only fitting that he appears on the red brand at least once before he ends his current stint back with the company.

---

#1. A storm is coming to WWE

In recent years, many top names in WWE, like Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson, and Chris Jericho, have switched to All Elite Wrestling.

However, according to recent reports, it seems as though one of AEW's biggest original stars is set to join World Wrestling Entertainment, that being Jade Cargill.

The former TBS Champion's contract with AEW reportedly expired this week, and it seems as though she is already in line to make an appearance in WWE soon.

With her WWE debut potentially on the cards, what better way for the athletic star to make her debut for the company than to show up on a RAW brand that desperately needs more female stars on the show.