WWE: Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Returning for ‘SmackDown’ Fox Premiere

Finally, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has come back to WWE! On Monday afternoon, Johnson announced on Twitter he will appear on the WWE show Smackdown which will now air on Fox starting on Friday after being on the USA Network. Johnson will be one of the many stars who will appear on the show as Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Goldberg, Sting, Mick Foley, Trish Stratus, Lita, Mark Henry, Booker T and Kurt Angle have been book to appear according to Comicbook.com.

“FINALLY…I come back home to my WWE universe. This FRIDAY NIGHT, I’ll return for our debut of SMACKDOWN! LIVE on Fox There’s no greater title than the people’s champ. And there’s no place like home. Tequila on me after the show,” Johnson wrote on Twitter.”

Before Johnson was a big movie star, he was a household name in the WWE and Smackdown was virtually his show. The show premiered back in April 1999 and Johnson was featured in the main event teamed up with Steve Austin to face Triple H and the Undertaker. Johnson left the WWE full-time in 2004 to pursue a movie career. He would come back on a part-time basis sporadically but he hasn’t been on WWE TV for the last few years.

Back in August, Johnson was on Live with Kelly and Ryan and he said he quietly retired from pro wrestling.

“I miss wrestling, I love wrestling. Yes, I do,” he said. “I quietly retired from wrestling because I was lucky enough to have just a really wonderful career and accomplish what I wanted to accomplish, but there’s nothing like a live crowd, a live audience, a live microphone as you both know. Plus, I grew up in wrestling. For a lot of you guys that don’t know, my grandfather wrestled, my dad as well, my whole family. And I actually had my very first match ever in the WWE, was in Madison Square Garden and it was a big pay-per-view, and it was funny because I credit my time and my journey in pro wrestling to getting me to where I am at today.”

Along with Johnson and other former superstars booked for Smackdown, three matches are scheduled for the show Kofi Kingston vs. Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship, Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks and Bayley and Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon in a Ladder match.