The Rock Returning Headlines 5 wild predictions

WWE has done a tremendous hype job for Bad Blood 2024. And this was all before The Rock had anything to do with a premium live event that brought Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes together for the first time. Reigns and Rhodes will team up against The Bloodline in a modern version of The Mega Powers. Alongside CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre in Hell in a Cell – the finale to a story for the ages – Bad Blood is one of the most anticipated shows of the year.

But now the hype surrounding Rock's possible return may be blowing it out of proportion.

Internet pundits reading the tea leaves on social media have concocted the narrative that The Rock could very well return to Atlanta, and all signs point to The Final Boss making his first WWE appearance since Raw After WrestleMania 40 has. Fair or not, the satisfaction of this pay-per-view seems to hinge on an unannounced appearance from The Rock. Bad Blood 2024 features five heated matches, and if any of these wild predictions come true, it could challenge most premium live events as the best of 2024.

Rock is coming back to Atlanta

As we head into the final stretch of preparations for WWE Bad Blood, all signs point to The Rock's WWE return. After a recent interview on The Pat McAfee Show, McAfee asked WWE Champion Cody Rhodes if “the big one” would be back. Rhodes acted coy and McAfee concluded that he had all the information he needed to determine that “the big guy” (presumably The Rock) was returning to Bad Blood.

Coincidentally, Rock will reportedly be attending a high school football game just an hour away from State Farm Arena. WWE is nearing the end of the year and nearing the start of WrestleMania season. During The Rock's last appearance, he placed a mysterious item in Cody Rhodes' hand as a cliffhanger until his return. Rhodes, Reigns and the new bloodline are preparing all the ingredients for the return of the final boss.

Raquel Rodriguez attends Judgment Day

Rhea Ripley faces Liv Morgan in a showdown for the WWE Women's World Championship that leaves Dirty Dominik Mysterio locked in a shark cage. The old-fashioned stipulation usually ends with the suspended heel dropping a foreign object into the ring, but in this version Morgan may be supporting a returning Raquel Rodriguez in Dom's absence.

Of course, this is a wild prediction for wild's sake, but Rodriguez and Ripley have a long history as rivals in the ring and friends outside of the ring. Rodriguez would also be a great heater for Dom, similar to how the muscular mommy served as a romantic bodyguard. Rodriguez has been out of action for months due to a brutal battle with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), so her return to the ring is secondary to her recovery.

Tiffany Stratton almost cashes money in the bank

Tiffany Stratton appears to be months away from actually cashing in her Money in the Bank briefcase, while Nia Jax continues to bully her blonde, bubbly subordinate. As fan support for Stratton grows, the former NXT Women's Champion recently suffered a singles loss to Naomi on SmackDown.

Stratton may be provoking by cashing in her Money in the Bank briefcase, but in a way that helps Nia Jax retain her title while sowing the seeds of paranoia surrounding the briefcase.

CM Punk falls through a table from the cell

There is so much romance and nostalgia surrounding WWE Bad Blood 2024, which takes place exactly 27 years after its debut. WWE Bad Blood 2024 will also feature a Hell in a Cell match, similar to the first-ever Hell in a Cell match between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels. Punk and McIntyre have spent much of their iconic feud borrowing from the hate triangle between HBK, Undertaker and Bret Hart in the late '90s.

In one of the most iconic scenes of Michaels vs. Undertaker during the original Hell in a Cell film, Shawn Michaels fell from the top of the cell through a table while trying to hold on to the top of the cage to save his life . In addition to lots of blood, I'm expecting a similar tribute spot from Punk, who recently paid homage to Michaels in a more lighthearted way by wearing biker shorts backstage at the NXT premiere on The CW.

Drew McIntyre beats CM Punk

Drew McIntyre vs. CM Punk was such a big feud that I could see either of them winning the actual blowoff match at Hell in a Cell. But Drew McIntyre is younger and would benefit more from a win. WWE can return to this match at WrestleMania 41 at any time, possibly for the WWE World Championship.

Although CM Punk was better than ever as a babyface in WWE – despite getting injured early in his return match – McIntyre experienced something of a career renaissance working with Punk. Punk wouldn't be hurt by a loss to McIntyre. But considering how decisively Punk defeated McIntyre in their strap match at the Bash in Berlin, McIntyre could lose momentum with another loss at Bad Blood.