In an unexpected turn of events, The Rock made a surprise appearance on Friday Night SmackDown.
The evening had already seen Pat McAfee unexpectedly show up to greet the Denver crowd, but his moment was abruptly disrupted by Austin Theory. Theory boldly declared that SmackDown was now “Austin Theory Live” and that he had unresolved issues with McAfee.
After a civil exchange of words, McAfee firmly asserted that SmackDown belonged to the people, using a subtle nod to The Rock’s famous catchphrase, implying that it was the “People’s Show.”
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Then, to everyone’s astonishment, The Rock himself entered the scene. Austin Theory and The Rock engaged in a brief exchange, during which Theory playfully imitated The Rock’s iconic catchphrases. However, this taunting ended with Theory falling victim to The Rock’s signature move, the People’s Elbow, and also receiving one from Pat McAfee.
This marked The Rock’s first live television appearance for WWE since 2019, coinciding with SmackDown’s 20th anniversary.
Earlier on Friday, The Rock had appeared as a guest on Pat McAfee’s show, where he revealed that there had been discussions about a match between him and Roman Reigns for WrestleMania 39, though it never materialized. Notably, The Rock hinted that WrestleMania 40 was set to take place in Philadelphia.