After a seven year absence, Dwayne Johnson will return to the WWE as The Rock this April as the host of WrestleMania 27. Johnson announced the move live last night at “WWE Raw” in Anaheim, California and, as you might expect, the crowd went ape shit.
The WWE has been trying to convince Johnson to make a return to the ring for years but it hasn’t been easy as he makes the transition from The Rock to Dwayne Johnson. But the stars aligned for both parties as Johnson is looking to promote his next film, FAST FIVE, which opens a few weeks after WrestleMania on April 3. It also helps that FAST FIVE is released by Universal who has a stake in WWE as last night’s “Raw” runs on USA Network and “Friday Night Smackdown” airs on Syfy, both NBC Universal networks.
Said Johnson The Rock in a statement, “I’m absolutely thrilled and fired up to be the host of WrestleMania…As an actor, entertainer and someone who both loves and has grown up in the sports entertainment business, the opportunity to host 75,000 passionate fans in a live venue, not to mention the millions that will be watching worldwide, is not only thrilling but quite honestly the opportunity of a lifetime. It’s going to be one helluva an epic night.”
A prepared statement is one thing but seeing the man in action is another. What you think of his movie aside, Johnson brings a swagger, attitude and respect that no other host could possibly bring to WrestleMania. Just take a look at the crowd reaction when they hear The Rock’s classic catchphrase. As Mean Gene Okerlund might’ve said, “It’s pandemonium!”
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