As WrestleMania season approaches, the foundations for the year's biggest show have been laid as fans eagerly await to see how the card will look. One thing is for sure: The Bloodline will figure heavily into plans, but their place on the card is yet to be determined.
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The likes of Roman Reigns, Jey Uso, and Solo Sikoa will have some role to play in the event, but one more person could make his presence known in the coming months. The Rock has only appeared once since last year's WrestleMania week, where he ominously loomed over Reigns and Cody Rhodes following their tag team match at Bad Blood.
It remains to be seen who The Rock will target going into WrestleMania 41 if he does have a match. Even though fans would be delighted to see him, WWE may want to exercise caution when filling its main event with too many big fish.
The Rock Could Mess With WWE's Plans
'The Final Boss' Has Disrupted Triple H's Booking Before
The Rock originally returned last year to face Roman Reigns for the WWE Championship as a babyface. This would have scuppered Cody Rhodes' two-year storyline that would not have seen him "finish the story". WWE pivoted brilliantly by turning The Rock heel and having him team with Reigns as 'The Final Boss'.
If The Rock is hoping to be at WrestleMania 41, then there is little WWE can do to stop him, and it will probably end up being great regardless of what had been planned in the short term. However, there is a concern that if Rock is not already a big part of the plans, then there could be repercussions down the line in Triple H's booking, failing to account for 'The Great One' in the long term.
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WWE has shown an ability to pivot when it comes to The Rock in recent times, as his babyface return against Roman Reigns quickly turned into a glorious heel run where he became 'The Final Boss.' The original plans did threaten to derail Cody Rhodes' two-year-long story and ensuing WWE Championship reign, which has been superb.
While The Rock remains one of the most electrifying performers in wrestling, he is also a volatile element when it comes to Triple H's carefully booked version of WWE. Perhaps, 'The Game' has already planned for Rock's involvement and there is nothing to worry about, but recent Bloodline developments would suggest WWE are rushing through to something bigger.
WWE Would Benefit From Profiling New Stars
The Rock Would Only Be A Short-Term Option For WWE
WWE fans have criticized stars in the past such as Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns for being part-timers. Whilst historically this argument has not held much merit, The Rock's sudden involvement is slightly different. The WWE roster has been booked very well across the board and The Rock could distract from this.
Aside from all the creative chaos that a Rock return may bring to WWE, there is also an argument to be made that 'The Brahma Bull' may be taking the focus away from others who have earned it throughout the year. This goes back to the 'Part-Timer' debate that often surrounded the likes of Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns during their title reigns, as other stars were working hard every week to keep WWE ticking along whilst its main event talent relaxed on the sidelines.
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For the most part, this argument is rubbish, as part of what has made these stars so massive is that they have not been involved in the weekly sludge WWE produced over the years, making them seem like a special attraction. This has changed significantly though under Triple H, as the stars who appear weekly on Raw and SmackDown have a better chance of getting over now than at any time over the past 20 years.
If The Rock does return, presumably to take on Cody Rhodes and/or Roman Reigns for the WWE Championship, then there could be others from throughout the year who could miss out on a deserved main event spot. This again speaks to the short-term approach WWE would risk taking, as having a new star main event WrestleMania would be far more significant than The Rock taking the spot - even if it is less exciting on the night.
Steve Austin's Return In 2000 Is A Good Case Study
There Is A Precedent For WWE Taking A Short-Term Approach That Backfired
Triple H should look at 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin's return in 2000 as a warning of how a big star can disrupt things. WWE was great during the year 2000, as every performer on the roster was getting profiled in some way. Austin's return put everything into flux and WWE never truly got back to its best creatively for over two decades.
There is a very apt case study that would perhaps underline the case for taking a long-term approach over the short-term, and that is when 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin returned towards the end of 2000. The turn of the millennium saw WWE produce one of its best-ever years, as stars like Triple H, The Rock, and Kurt Angle helped 'The Attitude Era' continue into the 2000s.
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The year 2000 was not just great in the main event though, as it felt like every character on the show had a storyline that mattered, much like Triple H's WWE product of today. By the end of the year, the era's biggest star, 'Stone Cold,' was set to return, which would have unthinkable ramifications for the rest of the product.
Steve Austin's return negatively impacted WWE's booking, with 'The Rattlesnake' steamrolling any performers who had gained momentum throughout the year he was away, as the company went back to relying solely on its top stars going into 2001. It was, of course, great for a few months, leading into the seminal WrestleMania 17 event, but WWE would soon lose its way creatively for over two decades.
There were other reasons for WWE's creative decline after the year 2000, including the failed Invasion angle, but Austin's overbearing presence should not be overlooked as a contributing factor. Triple H may want to take note of this, considering that he featured prominently as a performer during that year, as did The Rock, who could end up being a disruptor in the same way his greatest rival Steve Austin was in 2000.