The Rock, Pat McAfee make surprise return on WWE SmackDown

The Rock and Pat McAfee made a surprise appearance to open Friday’s SmackDown.

Pat McAfee opened Friday’s show but was interrupted by Theory, who came out and insulted the people in Colorado and that SmackDown was his show. McAfee then brought out The Rock, who said it was his show and the people’s show. After Rock had the crowd call Theory an “ass****”, he warned Theory he was going to lay him out. The two briefly brawled before The Rock hit the spinebuster and the people’s elbow. The segment ended with McAfee hitting a people’s elbow of his own.

In a backstage segment that took place later in the show, The Rock and McAfee were talking when John Cena walked up to Rock. He welcomed Rock home as the two hugged.

The Rock has only made sporadic appearances in WWE over the years, with his last high-profile appearance being in 2019 for SmackDown’s 20th anniversary. It was on that show he and Becky Lynch laid out Baron Corbin.

Appearing on Pat McAfee’s show earlier on Friday, The Rock mentioned that at one point, a match between him and Roman Reigns was penciled in for this year’s WrestleMania, but it didn’t come into fruition. He did mention that next year’s WrestleMania would be in Philadelphia.