WWE Survivor Series 2011 Preview: Can "The Rock" Still Bring It?

WWE fans have been waiting for this since last February. Sure, they didn't know that Survivor Series would be the actual return of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to the squared circle, but they wanted to see "The Most Electrifying Man in Entertainment" in action once again.

At WrestleMania, The Rock was the special guest host, and he gave John Cena a Rock Bottom to help The Miz retain the WWE Championship. The seeds were planted for the most anticipated main event in the history of the WWE when The Rock would face John Cena. That was the good news.

The bad news was that WWE fans would have to wait a full calendar year for that match to happen. The match was booked for WrestleMania 28 in Miami, Florida. Of course, a match like this would have to be convenient for The Rock, considering his second career as an actor, so it's no coincidence that the match would be in his hometown, even if it was a year later. So the wait was on.

In June, after a couple months of silence regarding the WM28 main event, Cena had a shoot on The Rock in Perth, Australia. Whether it was planned or not, this gave the match the jolt it needed, even if The Rock was out shooting GI Joe 2 in New Orleans.

The Rock's response came via YouTube. Anyone who says you need to be on Raw to build a rivalry needs to put that theory to rest after this video. The Rock absolutely berated Cena. He said he could not wait until WrestleMania and that he would make his return where his dreams came true: Madison Square Garden.

That's where Sunday's Survivor Series will be headlined by The Rock teaming up with Cena to fight The Awesome Truth. While I am very excited about Johnson's return to the ring, I can't help but ask whether after seven years away from the ring, can The Rock still bring it?

It's a valid question whether a competitor can come back and still put on great matches like he did in the prime of his career. The question was asked when Shawn Michaels returned after his gruesome back injury in the summer of 2002. The answer was a resounding "YES," when Michaels and Triple H put on one of the best rivalries of the "Ruthless Aggression" era. Can the Rock do the same with Cena?

Personally, I think this match may be just a warmup for The Rock, knowing that he's been out of the ring for seven years. The WWE has so much invested in the WM28 main event that they can't afford to risk Johnson not on his A-game come April 1, 2012.

The match should be entertaining, with Cena and The Rock trying to "one-up" each other throughout the match. However, will it be enough to please the millions...and millions of The Rock's fans and get them excited for WrestleMania next April?