{"id":122183,"date":"2024-01-09T09:00:28","date_gmt":"2024-01-09T14:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=122183"},"modified":"2024-01-09T01:36:50","modified_gmt":"2024-01-09T06:36:50","slug":"pros-cons-the-rock-returning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2024\/01\/09\/pros-cons-the-rock-returning\/","title":{"rendered":"Between The Rock and a Hard Place: Pros and Cons of The Rock Returning"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">There are Pros and Cons to <strong>The Rock<\/strong> returning, notably if he is slated to face <strong>Roman Reigns<\/strong> at <em><strong>WrestleMania 40<\/strong><\/em> instead of another less high-profile premium live event. Some of the industry&#8217;s top insiders believe that may still happen, but the safest bet is that if Rock is back and available, he will be at <em>WrestleMania<\/em> and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2023\/10\/17\/predicting-every-ple-roman-reigns-wrestlemania\/\" target=\"_self\">change everyone&#8217;s plans<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">What that will look like for the rest of the roster is anyone&#8217;s guess. The <strong>WWE<\/strong> can handle Rocky&#8217;s return in a wide array of ways, and all of them will affect different people differently. Regardless of how WWE looks to book this massive return match, the question that has yet to be asked is, should they?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Roman Reigns responds to The Rock: SmackDown New Year&#039;s Revolution 2024 highlights\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7whKqekrH-4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Pro: One of a Few Dream Matches Left<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The term dream match gets thrown around a lot now, and often adeptly for a particular pocket of the wrestling fandom. <strong>Konosuke Takeshita<\/strong> vs. <strong>Kazuchika Okada<\/strong> or Seth Rollins vs. <strong>Bron Breakker<\/strong> are matches that specific segments of fans are desperate to see happen. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In that way, they are a dream match. They would be excellent bouts for the fans to enjoy between stars who are very good at professional wrestling. Both matches lack something that puts it into the next gear. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Both are missing a truly generational feel between two living legends. Dream matches for a time included <strong>Brock Lesnar<\/strong> vs. <strong>Goldberg<\/strong>, <strong>Jon Moxley<\/strong> vs <strong>Kenny Omega<\/strong>, or <strong>The Undertaker<\/strong> vs <strong>Sting<\/strong>. All of which are clashes of industry greats, either at the top of different promotions or who never competed simultaneously.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">What is your WWE dream match? \ud83e\udd14\ud83d\udcad<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; WWE (@WWE) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WWE\/status\/1690364449859698688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 12, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Roman Reigns vs. The Rock is that match, and it may be the biggest one available. Nobody in the history of professional wrestling is a bigger mainstream star than <strong>Dwayne Johnson<\/strong>; his movie career has essentially made that bar impossible to surpass. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Likewise, Roman Reigns is the world champion of the top global wrestling promotion. The fact that he has held that position for years only further cements his position as one of the biggest stars in wrestling today and certainly the best that WWE has on the roster. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The fact that the two are related and Roman has been running a year-long angle with the rest of their family only adds to the match&#8217;s prestige. Truthfully, nobody in wrestling can come close to the star power and intrigue this match would have. That would make it hard to pass up and tempting to have as a <em>WrestleMania<\/em> moment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Con: Part-Timers Holding Talent Down<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Rock isn&#8217;t back for good. He will go off to make a new <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2023\/06\/15\/why-young-rock-got-canceled\/\" target=\"_self\">television show <\/a>or movie, start a sports league, or run the free world before long and leave the WWE behind him. Roman Reigns isn&#8217;t even back for good. While the Hollywood career he envisions may not materialize, he has plenty of downtime compared to the rest of the WWE roster. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Both Rock and Roman are part-timers. Both have let everyone else build WWE into the hottest it&#8217;s been in a decade. Sending them to the top to reap the rewards of that hard work may only sit well with some, and not especially with loyal fans.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>LA Knight<\/strong>, <strong>Cody Rhodes<\/strong>, <strong>Sami Zayn<\/strong>, and <strong>Kevin Owens<\/strong> come to mind. These are just some of the people who could lose a shot at a <em>WrestleMania<\/em> moment, or a match altogether, with Rock returning. After building <em><strong>Raw<\/strong> <\/em>and <em><strong>SmackDown<\/strong> <\/em>up with the rest of the roster, to be given placeholder feuds or nothing on the biggest show would be a tragedy. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It wouldn&#8217;t emphasize the need to perform either; an appearance in Hobbs and Shaw would be just as likely to get them the top spot as working on the road for an entire year. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">When The Rock became the biggest star in the industry, <strong>Hulk Hogan<\/strong> and <strong>Ultimate Warrior<\/strong> didn&#8217;t return to take the spotlight, which may be why he gained his acclaim. The promotion doesn&#8217;t likely need the assist with ticket sales, and Rock&#8217;s return could come at a cost to building the next generation of icons.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Pro: Enhanced Main Stream Media Attention\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Even under its new leadership, WWE is always looking for mainstream coverage. The pros and cons to The Rock returning must include a consideration that everyone will discuss. Even his quick appearance on <em>WWE Raw&#8217;s <strong>Day 1<\/strong><\/em> show garnered attention from wrestling fans, outlets, and accounts that broadly cover movies or sports. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">He is an A-list celebrity guest that everyone can get behind because he put in the work over the years with the promotion. He spans multiple fanbases, all of whom respect him dearly, and can get any interview or appearance he wants to promote upcoming projects.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Ignoring the idea of diminishing returns, The Rock will get massive press regardless of where his match takes place. That means they can use his name and connections to get everyone in wrestling, sports, and movies to pay attention to one show of WWE&#8217;s choosing. No other star on the roster can do that with the ease that Rocky can. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Additionally, a show that has more lapsed or curious fans has the opportunity to create some new interest in the product, provided they can deliver a fun and captivating show. More coverage roughly equates to more viewers, and more viewers means more money and fans. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It is why nostalgia always does well in WWE, and Rock is the pinnacle of that model. His return to <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2022\/12\/19\/how-will-wwe-end-the-bloodline\/\" target=\"_self\">end WWE&#8217;s biggest story<\/a> would ensure a lot of attention was placed on it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Con: Fail Again to Finish The Story<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">WWE landed in a bit of hot water online at the end of <em><strong>WrestleMania 39<\/strong><\/em>. After building to the somewhat apparent fairytale ending of Cody Rhodes finishing his father&#8217;s story, that did not happen. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">While Cody and Roman Reigns have had significant moments since then, their stories have cooled a bit after putting the finale off for another year. History could repeat itself with the Rock coming into a match against Reigns, possibly at <em><strong>WrestleMania 40<\/strong><\/em>. The biggest match in the company could come at the cost of years of booking and fans&#8217; time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Cody Rhodes nearly defeats Roman Reigns with the Cody Cutter: WrestleMania 39 Sunday Highlights\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Q8Y4m9pGbsY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Putting off or rushing the Cody story will feel like a failure, perhaps even a punishment to some fans. After investing a considerable amount of time in this story to rush to or delay an ending would betray that investment and the fan&#8217;s patience. The idea is that enough new or casual fans could make up for any longtime fans who end up angry. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Additionally, committed fans will almost certainly watch <em>WrestleMania 40<\/em> regardless, so angry social posts are the worst-case scenario. Still, failing to deliver on years-long stories will negatively impact the trust that <strong>Triple H<\/strong> and his team have built up with the fans. That could have impacts long after Dwayne Johnson returns to his Hollywood lifestyle.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Balancing the Pros and Cons of The Rock Returning<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"THE ROCK IS BACK; Wants The Head of the Table! | WWE Raw Highlights 1\/1\/24 | WWE on USA\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ic8CjUu0hDo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">When considering the pros and cons of The Rock returning, it is clear that Rocky provides more significant upside than downside from a business standpoint. He is a vital part of one of the last great dream matches, and he can command the media attention that WWE craves, particularly during the WrestleMania season. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">That some fans, who will likely watch anyway, feel displeased won&#8217;t matter in those calculations. However, the short-term upside doesn&#8217;t make it <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2023\/09\/21\/rock-reigns-main-event-wrestlemania\/\" target=\"_self\">the best narrative fit<\/a> for a year&#8217;s worth of television.\u00a0 If WWE can&#8217;t balance the fan&#8217;s expectations with this, though, it could be a long-term problem when the bright lights of <em>WrestleMania 40<\/em> go black.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/h3>\n<p><em>Header photo \u2013 WWE \u2013\u00a0<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Stay tuned to the\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content on the\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/watch.wwe.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">WWE Network<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peacocktv.com\/watch\/home\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Peacock<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are Pros and Cons to The Rock returning, notably if he is slated to face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40 instead of another less high-profile premium live event. Some of the industry&#8217;s top insiders believe that may still happen, but the safest bet is that if Rock is back and available, he will be [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4470,"featured_media":122186,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6,2192,4,3],"tags":[77,550,8417],"class_list":["post-122183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-north-america","category-wrestling","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-roman-reigns","tag-the-rock","tag-wrestlemania-40"],"modified_by":"Michael Joseph Sugue, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122183","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4470"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122183"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122183\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/122186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}