The first big event for WWE in 2024 will be the Royal Rumble, and it looks to be a show to remember. The event on January 27 will feature the first Rumble match for CM Punk since 2014, while Cody Rhodes looks to repeat as a back-to-back Rumble winner.
Tropicana Field hosts the event. Not every wrestler has been announced for the Royal Rumble. That has led to various rumors surrounding who will show up to compete. After all, the winner of the men’s and women’s Rumble matches earn a championship opportunity at WrestleMania 40. The opportunities are endless, from returning stars to legends.
Speaking of legends, will The Rock dust off the cobwebs and compete in his first major match in over eight years?
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is a former multi-time WWE champion who last competed in a WWE ring in 2016. The match was six seconds, the first since he fought John Cena at WrestleMania 29 in 2013. Known for having free reign, The Rock has done whatever he feels like when he enters a WWE ring.
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That includes teasing a return to the ring.
Will the Rock be at the 2024 Royal Rumble?
Per BetOnline, The Rock is the +900 favorite to win the Royal Rumble. A year ago, that might have been deemed impossible.
At the beginning of January 2024, The Rock dramatically return to Monday Night Raw, interrupting Jinder Mahal. After beating up the former champion, a hungry Rock talked to the fans and asked where he should sit when he gets food.
“I’m going to go get something to eat… 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?”
The fans went wild for that last line, referencing Roman Reigns and his run as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
OH. MY. GOD.@TheRock just delivered an absolute mic drop on #WWERaw! pic.twitter.com/TKMfwDiHa5
— WWE (@WWE) January 2, 2024
For years, a match between The Rock and Reigns has been rumored. The two are part of the legendary Anoa'i wrestling family. The Rock has been busy appearing in movies and his various business ventures, negating any opportunity for a match. The contest almost happened at WrestleMania 39. The Rock spoke to Pat McAfee regarding the match that never came to be after a conversation with Nick Khan and what the future may hold for it now.
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“We got really, really close, but we couldn't actually nail what that thing was,” Rock said via The Wrestling Observer. “So, we decided to put our pencils down. Then we agreed, 'Hey listen, there's a merger coming up, eventually, that will happen, there's WrestleMania in Philadelphia...' I'm saying that's a potential too, I'm open.
“But again, let's figure out what that is because the fans deserve something just incredible and unprecedented, and not only that, but I also want to deliver to the locker room and the boys and the girls back there who are working their a---- off. What can we do to put them in a position where they are part of something that is a new change, an era in this world of pro wrestling?”
Reigns has been a champion since 2020, holding gold for over 1,200 days. The goal is to break the reign of 1,474 days set by Hulk Hogan, which is possible if he remains champion after WrestleMania 40. The next name up would be Bruno Sammartino (2,803 days). As of now, he has no opponent. Reigns beat Cody Rhodes last year, and there are rumors Rhodes will “finish the story” and beat Reigns in Philadelphia.
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However, The Rock and Reigns have a history in the ring, especially in Philadelphia. The Rock helped Reigns overcome the odds at the 2015 Royal Rumble, a “passing of the torch” moment booed by fans. A fight also got teased on the “Young Rock” TV show.
The Rock is not supposed to appear in the Royal Rumble match... for now. His appearance on Raw might have changed things. Anything can happen in the world of pro wrestling, and if WWE wants to pull the trigger on Rock vs. Reigns, now may be the time to do so.