Watch The Rock Return to WWE and Challenge Roman Reigns

Looks like we've got an answer to Dwayne Johnson's frequently asked question "Can you smell what The Rock is cookin'?": a wrestling comeback.

The WWE legend-turned-movie star made a surprise appearance at Day One of WWE Raw at Pechanga Arena in San Diego on January 1. A cameo by a previous WWE champion as a special guest had already been foreshadowed by WWE's Paul "Triple H" Levesque, and after a fakeout involving Raw fighter Jinder Mahal, Johnson walked out to rapturous applause in a moment that commentators described as "pure electricity."

"The Rock is damn proud to be the People's Champion," he said. "The Rock is damn proud to be an American. And The Rock is especially damn proud to say, The Rock has finally come back to San Diego!"

Johnson proceeded to mock Mahal, calling him the "biggest asshole to walk God's green earth," and even poked fun at his own movie career, saying "if you were one of The Rock's movies, you'd probably be Baywatch," before trading blows with the Canadian wrestler and ultimately delivering two of his old staple moves: the spinebuster and the people's elbow.

"I'm gonna go get something to eat," he said to the audience after the fight. "When The Rock goes out to get something to eat tonight, in San Diego, should The Rock sit in a booth, or should The Rock sit at the bar? Or, should The Rock sit at the head of the table?"

His "head of the table" remark drew more cheers from the crowd, and seemingly hinted at another upcoming match against WWE champion—and his own cousin—Roman Reigns. Johnson has previously stated that he and Reigns are "locked in" to a match, but scheduling issues meant it never came to pass in 2023. Fans are now speculating that the two giants will be clashing at WrestleMania 40 this coming April.

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