GettyWrestling legend Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson could return to the WWE ring in an epic comeback.
The wrestling show WWE SmackDown is putting together an exciting lineup for its 1,000th episode, which is set to air on October 16 from The Capital One Arena in Washington D.C.
To mark the celebration, the entertainment company are rumoured to be pursuing The Rock to make his return to the WWE ring.
According to the WWE website, wrestling stars that are already set to appear at the show include The Undertaker, Becky Lynch, Big E and AJ styles.
The Wrestling Observer newsletter report that WWE are trying to make Johnson’s return happen, but his acting career might be standing in the way.
Johnson is currently be in London filming for a The Fast and The Furious spin-off entitled Hobbs and Shaw, starring Johnson alongside Jason Statham.
The Rock’s filming schedule might stand in the way of him making it back to Washington D.C. for October 16, but that’s not to say he couldn’t still pop up in a last minute surprise appearance!
According to Comicbook, Johnson spoke at the premiere of Skyscraper about his passion for appearing in the wrestling ring and how he would love to return to WWE.
He said:
I can’t wait to get back into the WWE ring. Everybody always asks me, ‘what’s it like being in a WWE ring?’ I always tell them there’s nothing like it.
There’s a certain live crowd acumen, there’s great connective tissue that’s second to none. That was, and will always be the best part of my job, whether I’m actually wrestling a match, or just giving a promo. That connection with the audience, there’s nothing like it.
During the early days of SmackDown, which began airing in 1999, The Rock often referred to the programme as his show, due to the fact the title had been inspired by one of his catchphrases ‘lay the smackdown!’
According to the Mirror, WWE chairman Vince McMahon spoke about the celebratory episode, saying:
One thousand episodes is a tremendous milestone reinforcing the longevity and popularity of WWE.
But it’s only the beginning, and the best is yet to come for SmackDown.
Though nothing about his return to the show has been confirmed, the actor is still keeping his muscles well trained, so I’m sure he’d be ready to step right back into the ring with little preparation.
Sharing an Instagram post from London where he is currently filming, Johnson gave fans an insight to his workout routine which he managed to juggle with cooking dinner.
He wrote:
6pm. London, England.
I was warming up in the #IronParadise to crush my leg training when I get the text from @laurenhashianofficial asking “Big Daddy feel like cooking dinner for his girls?”…I texted back/ Hold my beer and watch this.
Took my sweatshirt off, tied it around my waist like an apron and went to work. Handled and done – and no one spit my food out.
I will now go back to train legs in the #IronParadise.
For the record, “hot and delicious” is my nickname on weekends when I’m 4 tequilas in.
He’d definitely be able to serve up some wrestling match-winning moves if he makes a comeback on October 16.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.