Rob Van Dam Assesses The Rock's Motivation In Returning To WWE

Since Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson referenced Roman Reigns' "Head of the Table" nickname at "WWE Raw: Day 1," rumors have been swirling that the wrestler-turned-actor is set to collide with "The Tribal Chief" at an upcoming premium live event. On his "1 of a Kind" podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam evaluated the motivation behind Johnson's comeback.

"The Bloodline is or has taken over, and The Rock's coming to support that," Van Dam said. "That's why he's coming back. He's not coming back because he misses wrestling. He's not coming back because he needs to get in the ring again, real bad. Making all that money, doing movies, has [been] wearing him out, and he needs to get in the ring and bang his elbows and knees or anything like that. He's coming to support his family and to pay it forward with The Bloodline by drawing attention, and money, and everything that comes with that."

Johnson, whose most recent full-length WWE match took place in 2013, revealed a few months ago that he was penciled in to face Reigns last year at WrestleMania 39, but he and WWE failed to put together a significant storyline plan. In the end, the match was nixed, with Johnson indicating he would be open to staging the dream bout at WrestleMania 40. Although recent reports have suggested Reigns vs. Johnson is the front-runner to headline the second night of "The Show of Shows" in April, the Australian government has made a pitch for Johnson to appear at February's Elimination Chamber in Perth, which in turn could lead to the two Anoa'i family members colliding down under.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "1 of a Kind" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.