Dwayne Johnson: Is the Rock's WrestleMania Return Really Good for Wrestling?

Dwayne Johnson, better known as The Rock, is back in the WWE.

He came back last night on Raw to announce that he would be the guest host for WrestleMania. If you haven't seen it yet, make sure you look it up because it was compelling television for wrestling fans.

It's great to see The Rock back—but is it what's best for wrestling?

Inside, I give you five reasons why it is and five why it isn't, then a conclusion. What do you think about the Rock's return?

No. 5 Good: It's Finally WrestleMania Season

The Royal Rumble was a couple of weeks ago, but it doesn't feel like we're on the road to WrestleMania yet.

Now that The Rock is back, it finally feels like we have something to look forward to.

Was anyone looking forward to Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole? Who was looking forward to John Cena's plans for the big night until Monday? Not many people.

With The Great One, we have something that everyone can be excited for.

No. 5 Bad: He's Not Wrestling

The Rock is back, but don't look for him to be lacing up the boots.

As much as we'd all like to see him back in the ring laying the smack down all over the place, it's not going to happen. He's there to be the guest host, and while he'll be physical in some role, he won't be in a match.

We just have to face that his match with Mick Foley against Evolution was the last time we'll see him in active competition.

I just want one Rock Bottom, though. Is that so much to ask for?

No. 4 Good: Inject Energy Into John Cena's Character

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ST. PETERSBURG - JULY 27: Actor John Cena takes in the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Detroit Tigers at Tropicana Field on July 27, 2010 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

Who here thinks John Cena's character is as fresh as it's ever been? No one? I thought so.

Cena has been going nowhere fast for a long time now, and even though he's the top face in the company, it's time for a change. Even Stone Cold Steve Austin went heel for a time.

The Rock came out and attacked Cena and you could hear a loud "Cena sucks" chant.

This could turn Cena heel and give us a whole new twist on his character. It's time.

No. 4 Bad: The PG Era

The Rock may have gotten away with it last night, but I'm not sure how often we're going to hear promos like last night's.

During that amazing performance, the Rock got past the censors a couple of times and even described himself as "pie-eating" with the subsequent tongue gesture. I'm sure that won't make the company's sponsors happy.

I wouldn't be shocked to see the reins pulled in on what the Rock says on camera.

No. 3 Good: Bring Back Older Fans

There are plenty of fans out there who stopped watching the WWE a long time ago.

Those fans that remember the Attitude Era are going to come back to see the most electrifying man in sports entertainment. I know that I'm considering buying the event just for the Rock, and we know next to nothing about the card.

His star is that powerful.

No. 3: Bad: What Happened to the Youth Movement?

How many aging stars is the WWE going to bring back?

We had Booker T and Kevin Nash at the Royal Rumble and now we've got The Rock, The Undertaker and possibly Triple H at WrestleMania. The big complaint about companies like TNA and before that, WCW, was that it relied too heavily on aging stars.

The WWE has a lot of talented young wrestlers that could be getting to shine right now but will be forced into the background because of this.

No. 2 Good: He's the Rock

I mean, who doesn't want to see the Rock in some capacity?

We've had glimmers of hope and little appearances here and there but nothing substantial like this. The Rock will be at WrestleMania and he will lay the smack down on someone. I know the entire wrestling community is excited.

His return blew up the Internet last night. Imagine what his WrestleMania appearance will do.

No. 2 Bad: Taking the Spotlight Away

While there isn't as much talent as there was during the Attitude Era, there are still a couple stars that can steal the show.

There are guys like CM Punk, The Miz and Alberto Del Rio who are young, up-and-coming stars that just got pushed to the back burner by the Rock. This won't slow their developement, but WrestleMania is supposed to be about the present, not the past.

Sadly, the Rock isn't the present anymore.

No. 1 Good: Pay-Per-View Buys

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GREEN BAY, WI - JUNE 22: Vince McMahon attends a press conference about the WWE at the Austin Straubel International Airport on June 22, 2009 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Mark A. Wallenfang/Getty Images)

The WWE hasn't exactly been having a ton of success with its pay-per-views.

The buy rates are way down and while WrestleMania always does pretty well, having the Rock as the centerpiece of the show is something that will bring old fans back and have current fans energized enough to buy the event.

WrestleMania should clean up in terms of buys on the night of the show.

No. 1 Bad: It's Temporary

Regardless of what the Rock said last night, this is a temporary thing.

The man is a movie star now, and despite saying he would never go away, he's not going to stay forever. The schedule and the money are simply just too good to walk away from. If you think otherwise, you're just going to be let down.

Enjoy this for what it is: a brief stint in the WWE.

Conclusion

To be blunt, this is a good thing.

I mean, it's the Rock. Who would ever turn down a chance to watch the most electrifying man in sports entertainment? It's like saying you wouldn't want Stone Cold Steve Austin to come down and drink a few beers after dishing out a couple of Stunners.

I know that a lot of people are going to be tuning in to see the Rock and that's all that matters as far as the WWE and business is concerned. The WWE needed something like this for WrestleMania, and badly.