The Rock's WWE Return: Short Term Benefit, Long Term Problem?

As WrestleMania season approaches, the foundations for the 12 months’s largest present have been laid as followers eagerly await to see how the cardboard will look. One factor is for positive: The Bloodline will determine closely into plans, however their place on the cardboard is but to be decided.

The likes of Roman Reigns, Jey Uso, and Solo Sikoa may have some position to play within the occasion, however yet another particular person may make his presence recognized within the coming months. The Rock has solely appeared as soon as since final 12 months’s WrestleMania week, the place he ominously loomed over Reigns and Cody Rhodes following their tag workforce match at Dangerous Blood.

It stays to be seen who The Rock will goal going into WrestleMania 41 if he does have a match. Although followers can be delighted to see him, WWE might wish to train warning when filling its primary occasion with too many massive fish.

The Rock May Mess With WWE’s Plans

‘The Closing Boss’ Has Disrupted Triple H’s Reserving Earlier than

The Rock initially returned final 12 months to face Roman Reigns for the WWE Championship as a babyface.

This may have scuppered Cody Rhodes’ two-year storyline that may not have seen him “end the story”.

WWE pivoted brilliantly by turning The Rock heel and having him workforce with Reigns as ‘The Closing Boss’.

If The Rock is hoping to be at WrestleMania 41, then there may be little WWE can do to cease him, and it’ll in all probability find yourself being nice no matter what had been deliberate within the brief time period. Nonetheless, there’s a concern that if Rock just isn’t already a giant a part of the plans, then there may very well be repercussions down the road in Triple H’s reserving, failing to account for ‘The Nice One’ in the long run.

WWE has proven a capability to pivot in terms of The Rock in latest instances, as his babyface return in opposition to Roman Reigns shortly was an excellent heel run the place he turned ‘The Closing Boss.’ The unique plans did threaten to derail Cody Rhodes’ two-year-long story and ensuing WWE Championship reign, which has been excellent.

Whereas The Rock stays some of the electrifying performers in wrestling, he’s additionally a risky component in terms of Triple H’s fastidiously booked model of WWE. Maybe, ‘The Recreation’ has already deliberate for Rock’s involvement and there may be nothing to fret about, however latest Bloodline developments would counsel WWE are dashing by means of to one thing larger.

WWE Would Profit From Profiling New Stars

The Rock Would Solely Be A Brief-Time period Choice For WWE

WWE followers have criticized stars prior to now equivalent to Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns for being part-timers.

While traditionally this argument has not held a lot benefit, The Rock’s sudden involvement is barely completely different.

The WWE roster has been booked very nicely throughout the board and The Rock may distract from this.

Except for all of the artistic chaos {that a} Rock return might convey to WWE, there may be additionally an argument to be made that ‘The Brahma Bull’ could also be taking the main focus away from others who’ve earned it all year long. This goes again to the ‘Half-Timer’ debate that usually surrounded the likes of Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns throughout their title reigns, as different stars had been working onerous each week to maintain WWE ticking alongside while its primary occasion expertise relaxed on the sidelines.

For essentially the most half, this argument is garbage, as a part of what has made these stars so huge is that they haven’t been concerned within the weekly sludge WWE produced over time, making them seem to be a particular attraction. This has modified considerably although underneath Triple H, as the celebrities who seem weekly on Uncooked and SmackDown have a greater probability of getting over now than at any time over the previous 20 years.

If The Rock does return, presumably to tackle Cody Rhodes and/or Roman Reigns for the WWE Championship, then there may very well be others from all year long who may miss out on a deserved primary occasion spot. This once more speaks to the short-term method WWE would danger taking, as having a brand new star primary occasion WrestleMania can be way more important than The Rock taking the spot – even whether it is much less thrilling on the evening.

Steve Austin’s Return In 2000 Is A Good Case Examine

There Is A Precedent For WWE Taking A Brief-Time period Strategy That Backfired

Triple H ought to have a look at ‘Stone Chilly’ Steve Austin’s return in 2000 as a warning of how a giant star can disrupt issues.

WWE was nice through the 12 months 2000, as each performer on the roster was getting profiled ultimately.

Austin’s return put the whole lot into flux and WWE by no means actually bought again to its greatest creatively for over 20 years.

There’s a very apt case research that may maybe underline the case for taking a long-term method over the short-term, and that’s when ‘Stone Chilly’ Steve Austin returned in the direction of the tip of 2000. The flip of the millennium noticed WWE produce considered one of its best-ever years, as stars like Triple H, The Rock, and Kurt Angle helped ‘The Angle Period’ proceed into the 2000s.

The 12 months 2000 was not simply nice in the principle occasion although, because it felt like each character on the present had a storyline that mattered, very similar to Triple H’s WWE product of right this moment. By the tip of the 12 months, the period’s largest star, ‘Stone Chilly,’ was set to return, which might have unthinkable ramifications for the remainder of the product.

Steve Austin’s return negatively impacted WWE’s reserving, with ‘The Rattlesnake’ steamrolling any performers who had gained momentum all year long he was away, as the corporate went again to relying solely on its high stars going into 2001. It was, in fact, nice for a couple of months, main into the seminal WrestleMania 17 occasion, however WWE would quickly lose its method creatively for over 20 years.

There have been different causes for WWE’s artistic decline after the 12 months 2000, together with the failed Invasion angle, however Austin’s overbearing presence shouldn’t be missed as a contributing issue. Triple H might wish to be aware of this, contemplating that he featured prominently as a performer throughout that 12 months, as did The Rock, who may find yourself being a disruptor in the identical method his best rival Steve Austin was in 2000.