Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Makes A Shocking Return To WWE On ‘RAW’
A surprising turn of events took place on the night of Jan. 1, when former WWE champion Jinder Mahal's introduction segment was interrupted by none other than Dwayne Johnson, famously known as "The Rock."
A roar washed over the arena as Johnson, 51, responded, "The Rock has come back to San Diego!"
During a Q&A session on his official Instagram, the movie superstar dug into his decision to retire from the professional wrestling franchise in 2004.
"In 2004 when my contract expired, I had delivered on my agreement with the WWE and with my long-time mentor and very, very, good friend Vince McMahon," he said. "We shook hands, that's the way we are."
Since his retirement from wrestling, the superstar has made milestones in Hollywood becoming one of the world's highest-paid actors, commanding more than $20 million per film. The multi-talented actor reportedly received $22.5 million for his lead role in DC's Superhero movie 'Black Adam,' which he also produced himself.
He's well-known for a plethora of box office breaking films, including his role in 'Fast Five' as Luke Hobbs in 2011, which made $626 million worldwide. Luke Hobbs goes on to make appearances in both 'Fast & Furious 6' and the seventh sequel, raking in $788 million followed by a whopping 1.5 billion worldwide.
WWE Raw promised an epic show on Jan. 1 and judging by the roar of the crowd — they delivered.
"One more thing. Tonight, after all this a**kicking, I'm going to go get something to eat. Should The Rock sit in a booth, should The Rock sit at the bar, or should The Rock sit at the head of the table? Can you smell what The Rock is cooking?"
According to CNN Business, the California native was recently appointed to the board of directors at UFC/WWE, reportedly offering Johnson $30 million in stock awards during 2024 and 2025, effective immediately.
Under the same deal, Johnson also gets exclusive rights to his name. He took the famous nickname from his dad, the first Black champion in WWE history, Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson.
"I owe that name everything," Johnson said. "Without that name there'd be no wrestling career. There'd be no Hollywood career."
WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) is an American professional wrestling promotion that has stolen the hearts of many across the world with compelling storytelling, character development, and laying the smackdown.
