The Final Boss’s presence looms over WWE. This past April at WWE WrestleMania 40, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson returned to the ring for the first time since 2016, pinning Cody Rhodes in a tag team match just 24 hours before Rhodes captured the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. The next night on WWE Monday Night Raw, The Rock confronted the American Nightmare, reminding the new WWE Champion that he has a pinfall victory over him. The Rock concluded the segment by ominously warning that his story with Rhodes has “just begun,” and when he returns to WWE, he is coming back to face Rhodes.

Is The Rock Returning to WWE at Bad Blood?

The Brahma Bull could be WWE Bad Blood bound.

In a social media video on the set of The Pat McAfee Show, Pat McAfee told WWE Champion Cody Rhodes that he heard that “the big guy’s coming back this week.” Rhodes responded by asking, “Is he?” before following that up with, “Which one?”

“Okay. Awesome. I don’t know. You told me enough,” McAfee responded. “You just told me enough.”

“A lot happening,” Rhodes added. “Too much happening.”

McAfee’s words have sparked speculation that this “big guy” returning will be Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. McAfee and The Rock have grown fairly close over the years, as The Rock has appeared on McAfee’s talk show and McAfee found himself in The Rock’s WWE SmackDown return segment back in Fall 2023, his first time on WWE television in four years.

Prior to this tease, there has been no word on when The Rock will be back on WWE programming. He has confirmed that he intends to compete at WWE WrestleMania 41 in what he has teased will be “the biggest match of all time.” Even so, the proper WWE WrestleMania 41 build won’t begin until January. The Rock showing face at WWE Bad Blood could be a one-off to plant a seed towards his anticipated future bout with Rhodes or his likely eventual clash with Roman Reigns.