Will The Rock Wrestle at WWE SmackDown 1000?

• WWE launched SmackDown as a secondary show in August 1999
• The Rock has been rumored to make an appearance at the anticipated event
• Who, in addition to the Rock, will appear at SmackDown 1000 next month?

Since 1999, SmackDown has been a staple of WWE programming, and on October 16, the blue brand will host its historic 1000th episode celebration live from the Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C.

It should come as no surprise that, as of this writing, nothing is set in stone for the show next month. In addition to the usual suspects, The Undertaker is being advertised to appear on the episode by WWE’s website, and more notable names are expected to be announced in weeks ahead.

One icon in particular who is being rumored to resurface on the show he helped launched, however, is The Rock.

Logically, it should be a slam dunk that Rock would show up at SmackDown 1000 considering his history with the brand. But, as the busiest man in Hollywood at the moment, there are no guarantees that he will make an appearance, let alone wrestle for the first time since WrestleMania 32.

Will The Rock Make an In-Ring Return at SmackDown 1000?

Sportsbooks currently have The Great One not only appearing on SmackDown 1000 but wrestling as well. It should be noted that Rock has not competed in a non-pay-per-view match since 2003, yet with this being a grand occasion, it’s likely Rock could reconsider and lace up the boots one more time.

His quick squash win over Erick Rowan in April 2016 aside, Rock hasn’t wrestled a full-length match in WWE since WrestleMania 29 in 2013, when he lost to John Cena. Roman Reigns is reportedly leading the list of potential opponents for Rock at next year’s ‘Mania, and an interaction on SmackDown 1000 could set that blockbuster bout up.

In order for SmackDown 1000 to be the best and biggest show possible, more Superstars from SmackDown’s past must be brought in to appear on the episode. Here are a handful that fans would be most excited to see.

Which Former SmackDown Stars Should Resurface at the 1000th Episode Celebration?

Next to Undertaker, Edge is the most obvious candidate to show up at SmackDown 1000. While he hasn’t had a regular role on WWE programming in years, he has made annual appearances on Raw and SmackDown Live since retiring from the ring in 2011 and was last seen at SmackDown’s 900th episode celebration, hosting an edition of Cutting Edge.

Batista, like Rock, has been too busy with acting gigs to return to WWE at any point in the last four years. That said, he has been very vocal about wanting to return for a full-on run with the company and not just a one-off, seemingly ruling out a comeback for SmackDown 1000.

Rey Mysterio, on the other hand, has been primed to return to WWE since the start of the year and should be on his way in any day now. Considering he was a cornerstone of the blue brand for many years, it would make sense for him to have a role on the show.

Meanwhile, one of the longest-reigning champions in SmackDown history, JBL, should not be forgotten about, either, and it’s safe to say SmackDown 1000 wouldn’t be complete without him.

One of JBL’s most memorable rivals from the early days of SmackDown, Big Show, hasn’t wrestled in a WWE ring in nearly a year. He has reportedly been cleared to compete for months, so an in-ring return at SmackDown 1000 isn’t out of the question.

Vickie Guerrero played a small part in the inaugural women’s Royal Rumble match earlier this year, but is better known for her time spent as SmackDown general manager and is on decent terms with WWE.

Finally, the chances of John Cena and Kurt Angle appearing at the event are high given both are currently under contract to the company, while Lesnar is virtually guaranteed to sit this one out after wrapping up his obligations to them at SummerSlam in August.