The Rock vs. John Cena: Projecting Rock's Role in WWE Moving Forward

When is the next time we are going to see The Rock in a WWE ring?

That’s the million dollar question fans are wondering in wake of his masterful victory over John Cena at WrestleMania Sunday night in Miami.

After exiting the ring for the fame and fortunes of being a movie star for the last eight years, Rock showed zero signs of ring rust on Sunday night. The match featured endless amounts of memorable moments chalk full of Rock Bottoms and Attitude Adjustments.  

It was a slow start for the first 10 minutes as both wrestlers felt each other out, but by the end, the intensity and impressive array of moves made it one of the most memorable matches in WrestleMania history.

So, now, Cena is left wondering what happened. The heavily-favored legend has to face the backlash of losing one of the most hyped matches of all-time for weeks on Raw.

But what about The Rock? Is that all she wrote? Was that the official exit of one of the legends of the sport?

With two movies on his plate to film, it’s not like Rock is going away from the public eye. But will he ever display his wrestling talents to the millions of fans that worship him in the WWE world?

Rock brings something unique to the ring. His jumbo-sized personality is tailor-made for the sport. The creative team did a wonderful job of building up this match properly, and The Rock’s outstanding work on the mic shined.

So what about having Rock stick with the video trash-talking? Have him film a spot from whatever location he is in calling out another wrestler…like CM Punk. It allows him to live his Hollywood life while still giving fans a taste of what the Rock is cookin’.

Set up some sort of feud for the next few months leading up to SummerSlam, or even a PPV event in the fall. Draw it out for as long as you want as long as Rock is still a relevant member of the sport.

The wrestling world is not the same without Rock, and while he certainly doesn’t need the WWE paycheck to make a living, it is clear that there is a special place in his heart for the sport. The two sides need each other.

So let’s cross our fingers and hope this wasn’t a farewell to the Great One, but more of a hello. 

Follow Eric Ball on Twitter.