{"id":88302,"date":"2024-04-07T16:13:42","date_gmt":"2024-04-07T16:13:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/04\/07\/dwayne-the-rock-johnson-returns-to-wwe-wrestlemania\/"},"modified":"2024-04-07T16:13:42","modified_gmt":"2024-04-07T16:13:42","slug":"dwayne-the-rock-johnson-returns-to-wwe-wrestlemania","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/04\/07\/dwayne-the-rock-johnson-returns-to-wwe-wrestlemania\/","title":{"rendered":"Dwayne \u2018The Rock\u2019 Johnson Returns to WWE Wrestlemania"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n Dwayne \u2018The Rock\u2019 Johnson and Romain Reigns during Night One of WrestleMania 40 on April 6, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.<\/span> Tim Nwachukwu\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Everyone could smell what Dwayne \u201cThe Rock\u201d Johnson<\/strong><\/a> was cooking when he entered the WWE ring for the first time in 11 years on Saturday, April 6, during the show\u2019s main event.<\/p>\n

It looked like no time had passed<\/a> when Johnson, 51, pinned Cody Rhodes<\/strong> on the mat during Night 1 of Wrestlemania 40 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Johnson, known now as the menacing Final Boss, teamed up with his \u201ccousin\u201d Roman Reigns<\/strong> to defeat Rhodes and Seth Rollins<\/strong> in the match \u2014 securing Bloodline rules in Sunday night\u2019s WWE Championship contest.<\/p>\n

For the WWE fans out there, The Rock\u2019s big return on Saturday was thrilling for many reasons. Reigns, 38, accidentally \u201cspeared\u201d his cousin during the match, planting the seed for an inevitable Rock vs. Reigns feud (maybe at next year\u2019s Wrestlemania). The mistake could also apparently signal The Rock turning on Reigns during the main event of the second night of Wrestlemania on Sunday \u2014 and he could accidentally cost his cousin the match and ultimately the title.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe thing that\u2019s been really gratifying is two things: No. 1, the fans and the embracing of The Final Boss \u2014 this version, this Rock 10.0 version. But also all the guys and girls in the locker room,\u201d Johnson said of his return to WWE on \u201cThe Will Cain Show<\/a>\u201d podcast Friday, April 5. \u201cBecause I do come in, admittedly, I\u2019m a disruptive spirit \u2014 I like to disrupt things when I come in and raise all the ships with the tide \u2014 but the locker room has been really tremendous.\u201d<\/p>\n

As of January, Johnson sits on the board of directors of TKO Group, the parent company of WWE and the UFC, and also owns the full rights to \u201cThe Rock\u201d character\u2019s name, image and likeness, according to ESPN.<\/p>\n

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\n Dwayne \u2018The Rock\u2019 Johnson during Night One of WrestleMania 40 on April 6, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.<\/span> Tim Nwachukwu\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After multiple past attempts to bring his character back, everything came together in 2024 for The Rock\u2019s comeback. \u201cWhy this year?\u201d Johnson told ESPN<\/em><\/a> in February. \u201cIt felt like the timing of this was going to work out good. And it felt like the timing was going to work out in our favor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fans went wild for The Rock on Saturday, including local Philly hero Jason Kelce, who posted a photo next to the \u201clegend\u201d on his \u201cNew Heights\u201d podcast X page. Kelce, 36, also hopped in the ring<\/a> over the weekend when he and his former Eagles teammate Lane Johnson<\/strong> crashed Dominik Mysterio<\/strong> and Santos Escobar<\/strong>\u2019s match as two masked luchadores.<\/p>\n

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