The Rock returns to WWE: 5 iconic moments of the legendary wrestler

Dwayne Johnson, famously known as 'The Rock,' made a comeback on World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), much to the delight of the fans. As per a video clip shown on WWE's X page (formerly 'Twitter'), The Rock faced off against his fellow wrestler and old adversary, John Cena, on Friday's WWE Smackdown at the Ball Arena in Denver.
The clip started with The Rock (51), who was getting interviewed by a journalist. After the interview, the journalist then pointed outside the frame of the camera, behind The Rock, stating, 'Hey, there's a guy; he can't see you,' referring to Cena's acclaimed catchphrase, 'You can't see me.'
The camera then pans out to show Cena, who was standing right behind The Rock. The two wrestlers faced each other without a smile. However, they couldn't hold this serious demeanour for long, and both broke down, giggling.
The Rock told Cena, 'I see you trying to smile,' to which the latter nodded in agreement. Cena replied by saying, 'Welcome home,' and shook hands with The Rock, a moment that was met with immense love and cheer from WWE fans.
As The Rock makes a return to WWE, here are five iconic moments from the legendary wrestler's WWE career:
A Shining Debut
The Rock started his career in 1996 under the name 'Rocky Mavia.' His first match was at WWE's Survivor Series at Madison Square Garden. He was the sole survivor in that series. His win in this first career match was just a sign of things to come.
The Six-Second Win
In WWE's premier feature, Wrestlemania 32 in Dallas, Texas, held in April 2016, The Rock set a record for the fastest victory in the event's history. He easily made his way through all the warm-up matches and challenged fellow wrestler Erick Rowan to a fight. Within six seconds, Rowan was pinned as The Rock attacked with his signature move, 'The Rock Bottom,' rendering his opposition incapacitated.
The Rock's Judgement
The match between The Rock and Triple H on WWE's Judgement Day 2000 is believed to be one of the greatest matches in the history of the sport. Both wrestlers held nothing back, and there was a barrage of submissions and potential pinfalls. However, The Rock was disqualified at the end of the bout due to foul play, but he still ended up being a part of WWE history.
The Comeback
The Rock, after establishing himself as a Hollywood stalwart by that time, came back to the ring and won his eighth WWE Championship at the 2013 Royal Rumble. There were multiple verbal altercations with the then-defending champion, CM Punk, who doubted The Rock's abilities in the ring. However, The Rock silenced Punk and his doubters by winning the match with his famous move, 'The People's Elbow.'
The Rock Saves WWE
In the 2001 Survivor Series, Vince McMahon (the founder of WWE) put his own company on the line against his own children, Shane and Stephanie McMahon, who formed an alliance. McMahon chose The Rock to represent him against Shane's and Stephanie's wrestler, the acclaimed Stone Cold Steve Austin. In a winner-take-all match, The Rock defeated Stone Cold, thus saving WWE in the process.
Seeing The Rock back in the WWE, fans took to social media to express their delight.
One fan on X expressed their joy by stating The Rock's famous entry statement, 'CAN YOU SMELL WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKING?'