Finally, The Rock will come back to The Grandest Stage of Them All.
But what exactly will The People’s Champion do once he gets to WrestleMania 32? Following Monday’s announcement that The Rock will electrify The Showcase of the Immortals, WWE fans immediately started speculating as to what his role might entail for his triumphant return to Dallas on April 3, 2016.
Of course, the esteemed editors of WWE.com aren’t immune to these grandest types of dreams. Whether it’s deciding on dream opponents to go one-on-one with The Great One to debating his odds for success in one of the newest Showcase traditions, here’s a look at five things which WWE.com believes will be sure to produce the smell of success when The Rock is cookin’ next April at WrestleMania.
It’s at the start of WrestleMania season each year that the WWE Universe begins to buzz with speculation over who will face The Undertaker on The Grandest Stage of Them All. Despite Brock Lesnar conquering The Deadman’s Streak in 2014, interest in The Undertaker’s WrestleMania opponent remains top of mind, and there would be no bigger blockbuster foe than The Great One.
25 fascinating Undertaker facts | WWE Network: Rock vs. Undertaker at No Way Out 2002
The Attitude Era battles between The Rock and The Undertaker are forever etched in sports-entertainment lore. Should The Most Electrifying Man in Entertainment compete in the ring this April, a reprisal of his rivalry with WWE’s Phenom would surely rank high among WWE fans’ dream matches in 2016.
In just two years’ time, the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal has established itself as one of WrestleMania’s most exciting and unpredictable matches, not to mention most prestigious, given the immense trophy that is awarded to the last man standing. Who better to vie for the all-important prize in the Battle Royal’s third installment than the Superstar who knew The Eighth Wonder of the World as “Uncle Andre”?
Exclusive look at the trophy| WWE Network: First Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
As a third-generation Superstar whose father and grandfather both fought alongside Andre the Giant, The Rock has a uniquely personal tie to the WWE Hall of Famer which few current competitors can match. An appearance in Andre’s namesake Battle Royal would also result in The Rock tangling with Superstars we’d never expect to see him wrestle against in one-on-one action. The novelty alone of The Rock trading punches with a variety of WWE up-and-comers would be fun to watch.
When The Rock last set foot on The Grandest Stage of Them All, he did so in order to challenge The Authority. The defiance of The Great One immediately rekindled memories of The Rock’s past battles with Triple H, many of which influenced the course of WWE history. Of course, none of their epic rounds played out at WrestleMania.
Unseen Attitude Era photos | WWE Network: First Rock vs. Triple H bout
It’s probably worth noting here that the last official encounter between The Rock and Triple H, a No Disqualification Match on Raw in 2002, ended in a no contest due to interference by Shawn Michaels and Brock Lesnar. So there’s still a lingering question as to who deserves the last word in their storied rivalry. AT&T Stadium in Dallas seems like a grand enough stage to settle the debate once and for all.
To date, things appear to be nothing but cordial between Mr. McMahon and Jerry Jones, the esteemed owner of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, who usually refer to the WrestleMania 32 host stadium as home. That said, the relationship between the WWE Chairman and Donald Trump remained perfectly professional until it didn’t, which culminated with the Battle of the Billionaires at WrestleMania 23.
Divas as guest referees | WWE Network: The First Battle of the Billionaires
The 2007 showdown between Mr. McMahon and Trump at Ford Field in Detroit proved a fight of this caliber demands a strong and independent voice to keep things fair. At WrestleMania 23, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin served as that impartial official. So, it seems only fitting if Austin’s greatest rival, The Rock, reprised the important special guest referee role if an encore Battle of the Billionaires comes to pass between the WWE Chairman and Jones.
Will Roman Reigns still be in possession of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship when WrestleMania rolls around? Nobody can say for sure at this juncture. Regardless, The Big Dog is guaranteed to factor into The Show of Shows card in a major way. Having his cousin, one of Hollywood’s biggest action stars, in his corner for moral support would only make Reigns’ next WrestleMania match all the more enticing.
See the Anoa'i Family wrestling dynasty| WWE Network: Rock joins Reigns at Royal Rumble 2015
The Rock’s presence shouldn’t be ruled out as he already endorsed Reigns after the 2015 Royal Rumble Match, long before the master of the Spear captured the WWE World Heavyweight Title from Sheamus. Then again, perhaps the only development more intriguing than Rock accompanying his cousin at WrestleMania 32 would be if The Great One actually ended up not as Reigns’ cornerman, but his championship challenger …