WWE SmackDown Odds After The Rock Announces Return

• WWE SmackDown is set to premiere on Fox this Friday, October 4th
• The Rock confirmed he’ll be returning to SmackDown after a six-year absence in light of the special occasion
• What will The Great One have in store for the WWE Universe on the blue brand’s new night?

Finally, The Rock is coming back to WWE SmackDown!

The world renowned actor and former WWE champion announced on social media Monday that he’ll be in attendance for SmackDown’s grand premiere on Fox this Friday night (October 4th) in Los Angeles. It’ll mark his first appearance on the blue brand since 2013, so it’s clear that this will be a big deal.

However, there’s no word on what he’ll be a part of. It’ll obviously be more than a quick cameo considering it’s The Rock. It may be something along the lines of an in-ring promo where he interacts with icons of the past such as “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Hulk Hogan (a la WrestleMania 30).

What Role Will The Rock Have on SmackDown?

*All odds taken 10/02/19.

With so many eyes on this exciting episode of SmackDown, it would seem to be the perfect place for Rock to plant the seeds for an in-ring return. Not counting his six-second squash against Erick Rowan at WrestleMania 32, he hasn’t wrestled a full-length match in WWE since WrestleMania 29 in April 2013.

He’s six years older and hasn’t done anything physical for the company in that time. Granted, Rock remains in amazing shape and could likely lace up the boots again if he wanted to, but it’s worth noting that he quietly declared himself retired as of two months ago.

Fans are right to not get their hopes up in regards to another match for The Brahma Bull, but he should do something to electrify the audience, such as a Rock Bottom or People’s Elbow. A Rock Bottom would be easier to pull off because of how he can hit it out of nowhere, but a People’s Elbow in addition to that isn’t out of the question, either.

Finally, Rock bringing back his signature “jabroni” catchphrase is all but a given. It’s hard to think of a time when he hasn’t said it on WWE TV, so the odds appear to be off on that one.

WWE Championship Odds: Kofi Kingston vs Brock Lesnar

Although Kofi Kingston has been heavily favored in most of his matches since becoming WWE champion at WrestleMania 35, that will be far from the case when he clashes with Brock Lesnar on the SmackDown Fox premiere. Lesnar taking home the title on Friday night is essentially set in stone.

Those betting on Kingston to successfully retain the WWE Championship aren’t completely out of their minds. It’s entirely possible that someone interferes and costs Lesnar the coveted prize, but the chances of that happening are slim to none. WWE wants to bring SmackDown to Fox with a bang and Brock becoming champ is the best way to accomplish that.

Roman Reigns vs Erick Rowan Odds

Roman Reigns and Erick Rowan first faced off in a No Disqualification match at last month’s Clash of Champions pay-per-view where Rowan emerged victorious with help from the returning Luke Harper. Their rematch on Friday Night SmackDown won’t carry any sort of stipulation (as of right now, anyway), but it should be a heated affair, nonetheless.

It’s already been announced that Reigns will team with Daniel Bryan at Sunday’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view to take on Rowan and Harper in tag team action, so this matchup will serve as a momentum-booster for whoever wins. Rowan somehow stole the victory the last time they went one-on-one, so Reigns avenging that loss on SmackDown is the most logical outcome.

Becky Lynch & Charlotte Flair vs Sasha Banks & Bayley Odds

The Four Horsewomen of WWE previously went to war in a tag team match on the episode of Raw emanating from Madison Square Garden a month ago. Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair reigned supreme on that occasion, but Sasha Banks and Bayley are primed to bounce back in the rematch.

It should be a close call based on the odds, but Banks and Bayley need the victory much more than Lynch and Flair do. Banks will challenge The Man for her Raw Women’s Championship at Hell in a Cell, and in order to be taken seriously as a true threat to the title, she must walk into the event having already proven she can beat her.

Ladder Match Odds Odds: Kevin Owens vs Shane McMahon

The bad blood between Kevin Owens and Shane McMahon has been brewing for months, on SmackDown’s Fox premiere, it will come to a head at long last in a Ladder match for the ages. If Owens loses, he will remain “fired,” but if he wins, he will get his spot on the roster back and have the opportunity to fire Shane himself.

Owens putting this rivalry to rest once and for all by beating Shane decisively is what needs to happen. This stale storyline has dragged on for long enough and has done damage to Owens’ popularity.

Needless to say, he isn’t actually “fired” from WWE and it would ridiculous for it to stay that way past Friday night. This will be the most predictable match on the show and for good reason. Once Owens emerges victorious, he should set his sights on the WWE Championship heading into the final few months of 2019.