The idea of The Rock returning to WWE and portraying a heel in a much-anticipated match with Roman Reigns may appear to be far-fetched.
Upon further analysis, there is plenty of potential for The Great One to be the villain in the story behind the biggest dream match of this generation.
Beginning with a return of convenience for the once red-hot Hollywood megastar.
A Comeback of Convenience
To say The Rock's last year or two in Hollywood have been underwhelming would be an understatement. Black Adam, a film he passionately constructed for over a decade, flopped at the box office.
Add to that an insider report accrediting the disappointing returns to the star's ego, and you have the first major one-two punch of negativity surrounding Dwayne Johnson's time as a Hollywood star.
With his other passion project, the revamped XFL, having to merge with the USFL in an attempt to remain sustainable, he needs a hit and positive headlines. Returning to WWE for a titanic clash against his cousin at the biggest show of the year provides him one. That he knows the fans will give him love and adulation only makes it that much more appealing strategically.
Using that narratively would be the perfect start of a heel turn.
Imagine Paul Heyman laying the groundwork to turn Rock heel by bringing up those recent failures and how he only came back to inflate his ego by rallying off the "finallys" and pandering to an audience that he only cares about when it suits him and his schedule.
If anyone can convince the crowd to boo The Great One, it's the best talker in the business, who is also crucial in the second half of the argument.
Backing The Bloodline
The easiest argument for a Rock heel turn can be found in what he has not done over the last decade: Support his family's rise to the top of WWE.
Sure, he popped up in 2015 at the Royal Rumble in support of Reigns but the moment the Philadelphia crowd rejected the obvious attempt to use his star power to shine up The Big Dog, he bailed.
For every opportunity that presented itself to firmly establish The Head of the Table since then, The Rock has not been around or available to participate in.
Instead, Reigns made a star of himself. He worked with Heyman behind the scenes to craft a heel persona that altered the course of his career and helped him rise to levels WWE officials had long hoped he would.
Beyond helping himself, he brought the family with him. He pulled Jimmy and Jey Uso up to his level and introduced the world to Solo Sikoa. He took The Bloodline to the top of professional wrestling and helped to carefully create an overarching storyline that made sure their presence was felt in multiple areas of the show.
He did that, not Rock.
This tease of The Great One sitting at the head of the table? It's the epitome of a heel move. Sure, he rose to stardom in the Attitude Era and often spoke of the Samoan wrestling dynasty, but did he do anything to strengthen it or help its long-term success?
Reigns reset a table that had been badly damaged in The Rock's absence and took his rightful seat at the head of it. But while doing so, he saw that his high tide rose the ships around him and set up The Bloodline for continued dominance for years to come.
One would be hard-pressed to argue that an impassioned promo from The Tribal Chief, with support from Heyman, would not be able to turn at least a portion of the audience against Rock and create doubt that he was back for anything other than an ego stroke.
There is one other reason to consider a Rock heel turn, which has as much to do with his Hollywood career as his pro wrestling legacy.
Reinvention
It has been over two decades since The Rock assumed the role of villain in WWE, but he created magic upon his brief return in 2003.
The egotistical Hollywood bad guy, who denounced the fans for booing him, was creative gold. He was great as the bad guy with something to prove. Those who tuned into WWE during those four months early in the new Millennium still remember how great he was, mostly due to his willingness to reinvent himself in proximity to a changing audience.
No matter how electrifying he remains, or the giddiness with which fans react to his comebacks, it's not out of place to suggest his shtick is wearing thin. He comes back, rifles off some insults and powers through the greatest hits. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Rock could use something fresh to do, and a heel turn in which he is taken to task for not supporting the family until it benefits him would certainly be that.
It would also allow him to find a different side of himself in time for his next film, The Smashing Machine, which leaves behind the big-budget Hollywood blockbusters in favor of a character study centered on real-life MMA pioneer Mark Kerr.
Sure, what happens in WWE does not have to reflect Rock's choices away from the squared circle, but what better way to announce to the entire entertainment industry that he is capable of being more than a jacked-up action star right out of the 80s than to be put in peril as a vulnerable heel whose own choices have come home to roost?
Even more importantly, it further generates sympathy for Cody Rhodes should he be left on the outside looking in at a WrestleMania 40 main event and an opportunity to finish his story that so many hoped would be his in 2024.
The good outweighs the bad and a de facto babyface Reigns celebrating to close out WrestleMania 40 would be a much better-received end to the show than the last three in which the heel Tribal Chief has stood tall.
It's a choice that benefits him beyond the ring and gives WWE fans something more to sink their teeth into than the predictable conquering hero back to wrest the throne away from Reigns.
