Black Adam was meant to be the launch of not only a new superhero movie franchise but an entire DC Universe built around Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Things didn't pan out that way and, following a few other misses, the actor has returned to WWE.
While we're not saying that's because his star isn't shining quite as brightly in Hollywood as it once did, it's somewhat telling that this comes not long after Johnson made moves to return to two of his other most popular endeavours: Fast & Furious and Moana.
Regardless of what led to The Rock stepping back into the ring, it's fair to say his return to the company - which has also seen him join the TKO Holdings board - has been a triumph. As the bad guy "Hollywood Rock," Johnson has been a ratings draw and got people talking about pro wrestling again.
On Night 1 of WrestleMania, Cody Rhodes and World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins will team up to face The Rock and his cousin, Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. If The Bloodline wins, it will be "Bloodline Rules" for Rhodes' title match on Night 2, meaning they can interfere as much as they like.
Rhodes opened last night's RAW and wasted no time making his feelings known about his WrestleMania opponents. He hyped up the Chicago crowd, only for The Rock's music to then hit.
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The Final Boss, as he's dubbed himself, made his way to the ring, put his hands behind his back, and whispered something to the American Nightmare before leaving.
Later that evening, Jey Uso defeated Shinsuke Nakamura after Rhodes fought Jimmy Uso to the back and Rollins battled Solo Sikoa (only to be taken out by his other WrestleMania opponent, Drew McIntyre).
Backstage, Rhodes continued to fight Jimmy and Solo, leading to The Rock making his presence felt. He laid waste to the fan-favourite, hurling a trash can at his head and throwing him into a barricade.
Their fight continued out into the rain where The Rock berated both Rhodes and the Chicago crowd; he started ramming the babyface into production trucks, leaving him bleeding heavily from the forehead. The People's Champion proceeded to wipe Rhodes' blood on his weight belt as a message to "Mama Rhodes."
Eagle-eyed fans spotted that one of the production trucks in the background featured Stone Cold Steve Austin and Peacemaker star John Cena, a likely deliberate hint that they'll get involved at the Show of Shows in order to help send The Rock packing.
Check out some highlights from RAW in the X posts below and be sure to head to TheRingReport.com for more WWE, AEW, and UFC updates!