Wrestling fans have heard rumors for the past year that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson would compete at WrestleMania 39 in Hollywood, but now 2023 is here and fans have been feeling as in the dark about the situation now as they did back then. That is, until the latest official poster for this year's Royal Rumble pay-per-view seemingly dropped a clue that Rock could appear at the upcoming WWE event.
For those who haven't seen the latest Royal Rumble poster, it's quite a sight. The poster has wrestlers like Cody Rhodes, who has yet to officially declare for the event, along with other big names like Austin Theory, Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, and Rhea Ripley all staring off into the distance. But they aren't what fans are talking about, though, as everyone is too fixated on the fact that the wrestlers are surrounded by a bunch of blue lightning, which you can see below (via WrestleLamia):
Royal Rumble 2023 poster looks incredible with a nice but obvious surprise 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Tjh6t52qahJanuary 6, 2023
It may sound like a stretch to see blue lightning and see that as a sign that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is headed to the Royal Rumble, but seasoned WWE fans can't help but make the connection. After all, blue lightning could be a surefire nod to the "most electrifying man in sports entertainment," as well as a nod to the fact that he was the face of SmackDown through much of his career.
The poster is enough for some fans to suspect that Dwayne Johnson is headed back to the WWE, and other fans have pointed to another interesting move by the WWE. Those who subscribe to the organization's YouTube page may have noticed a video was uploaded recently that showcased The Rock's grand return to Monday Night Raw years ago.
Yeah, The Rock is deffo coming back at Royal Rumble.First the "electrifying" poster and now randomly uploading this segment from 2011... this all can't be a coincidence.We're finally getting The Rock vs. Roman Reigns... a blockbuster duel 10 years in the making 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/trLc5xFevfJanuary 6, 2023
Another interesting detail worth thinking about is how this poster features all of the WWE superstars staring off to the left, but without making it apparent what's caught their attention. Roman Reigns is the undisputed Universal and WWE champion, so if there was anyone worth staring at, one would think it's him. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson would be a name worthy of a staredown by a bulk of the WWE roster, though, and as @IAmRockReigns suggested on Twitter, perhaps that'll be the case within a hypothetical "full version" of the promo.
Hopefully after the Royal Rumble, WWE uploads a full version of this poster. I suspect The Rock is the one everyone is staring at. 😌😏
Despite all of this excitement and speculation, WWE fans are still no closer to learning whether or not Dwayne Johnson will 100% appear at the Royal Rumble. If he does, however, it does seem to be another positive sign that there are plans for him to compete at WrestleMania 39, likely in a match against Roman Reigns. The athletes, both of whom have deep ties between their Samoan ancestors, have traded barbs back and forth for some time now, making a match something of great interest to WWE fans.
Seeing Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson compete at WrestleMania 39 feels like a perfect situation for the WWE, which can bring back one of its most successful crossover stars in a city he's well-known in. No doubt a number of The Rock's celebrity friends might want to line the seats to see the actor have what could be his final match in the brand, and if they don't, many WWE fans will spend an arm and a leg to witness that event.
For now, we're still waiting to see if Dwayne Johnson will return to the WWE. Fans can get hype for a potential future appearance, however, by checking out his best matches with a Peacock Premium subscription.
