WWE Did Not Properly Time Out The Rock’s SmackDown Segment

WWE saw The Rock return to SmackDown this week. That was a one-off appearance so far, but you never know what is down the line. One thing we know is that WWE didn’t plan accordingly for the Great One.

Click here for our complete coverage of WWE SmackDown this week.

It was previously reported that WWE had to edit several segments and matches for the rest of SmackDown, because The Rock’s time on the show ran long. This is something they should have expected, because The Rock has a track record of taking his time with long segments, because he can do that.

A tenured member of the WWE creative team told us that The Rock’s segment ran very long. We were also told that the blame for that segment going long, and having to edit things for the rest of the show is “on Triple H, Bruce Prichard, Ed Koskey and Ryan Callahan for not figuring that out in advance.”

The Rock’s opening segment on SmackDown this week lasted nearly twenty minutes, and that counts Pat McAfee’s time in the ring prior to Austin Theory and The Rock joining him.

Longtime readers will remember that in 2021, Ringside News exclusively reported that The Rock was a lock for WrestleMania. He then confirmed this on the Pat McAfee show this week. WrestleMania 40 is not out of the question, because The Rock is open to the idea of having that match against Roman Reigns.

The Rock is reportedly meeting with WWE to go after story ideas after his last SmackDown appearance. We will have to see what they figure out down the line. Hopefully, WWE is able to block off enough time for The Great One to do his thing next time.

The Rock is a massive draw for WWE, but what match do you want to see him in? Sound off in the comments to let us know what you think!