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'He needs the money': WWE fans thank SAG-AFTRA strike as The Rock returns to the ring amid Maui fund backlash

After a long absence from WWE, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson made his much awaited return to the ring on an episode of 'SmackDown' in Denver, Colorado

DENVER, COLORADO: WWE champion Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson made his highly-anticipated return to the ring on an episode of 'SmackDown' in Denver, Colorado on Friday, September 15.

His appearance came just hours after he was on the 'Pat McAfee Show', which was broadcast live from the University of Colorado campus.

The Rock surprised everyone by showing up on the wrestling show, where he first rose to fame.

McAfee, who is a WWE commentator, was in the ring with 2022 United States Champion Austin Theory when The Rock made his unexpected entrance.

Johnson had been away from the wrestling ring since October 2019. During a short scuffle with Theory, The Rock displayed two of his well-known finishing moves: a spine-buster and the famous 'People's Elbow'.

Afterward, he gestured to McAfee, who remained in the ring, and instructed him to execute his own rendition of the "elbow," which is famously referred to as "The Most Electrifying Move in All of Sports Entertainment."

During the same event, The Rock had a memorable encounter with his former WWE "rival," John Cena, who was slated to make an appearance later in the show.

They engaged in an intense stare-down before both broke into smiles, with Cena warmly welcoming The Rock back to the WWE ring.

The Rock and Oprah Winfrey faced backlash over Maui wildfire relief donation

This came after an announcement by Johnson and Oprah Winfrey, where they jointly pledged $10 million for wildfire relief efforts in Maui, Hawaii. They encouraged their followers to contribute as well.

However, their announcement stirred controversy as some questioned why individuals of their considerable wealth did not donate larger sums.

The wildfires that swept through Maui in August had a devastating impact, resulting in the deaths of 115 people, with dozens reported missing.

WWE fans thank SAG-AFTRA strike as The Rock returns to the ring

As Johnson made his much-anticipated return to the ring amid the backlash over Maui donations, WWE fans expressed their gratitude by thanking the SAG-Aftra strike.

A user wrote on X, "Thank you SAG Strike and Deion Sanders for bringing Pat McAfee and The Rock on Smackdown. #SmackDown."

Another added, "Well, I hope the SAG strike never ends. THE ROCK IS BACK."

A third wrote, "I have a feeling if the WGA/SAG/AFTRA strike doesn't clear up in a few months we could see a Roman vs The Rock vs Rhodes match."

The user added, "Cody beats the Rock and you protect the Roman thing and you have heel Cody now claiming he beat the Rock and it goes to his head."

Someone else added, "The Rock is really back THANK YOU SAG STRIKE WE GOT THE ROCK &’ JOHN CENA BACK!!!!!!"

"So The Rock right hand man said the Rock wouldn’t appear in WWE because it would seem like a conflict of interest with the current Actors strike," another user stated.

The user added, "My assumption is the Rock is not being paid for this appearance, or he’ll donate his pay to SAG."