After cutting a wide-ranging promo on his social media accounts designed to both convince fans to tune into SmackDown and test run some of his ideas for his latest Blue Brand appearance, The Rock took his show to primetime television for the 14,000+ plus fans who showed up in Memphis, Tennessee, and the 2 million or so more who tune in for the show on Fox.

But what would The Rock say? Would he call Memphis a D-rate city? Or maybe he would make fun of the crowd's appearance or even take a shot at the audience's education levels?

Well, as it turns out, The Rock took a bit of a turn as he walked down memory lane in Memphis, showing some rare babyface vulnerability in the town where he began his professional wrestling career decades ago.

“You know, usually every single week, The Rock comes out here and he tortures and he scorches every city that he's in. But tonight, it's different. This city is different. You see, years ago, when The Rock first started his wresting career, The Rock started right here in Memphis, Tennessee. The Rock started right here in Memphis, Tennessee, every Saturday morning, Channel 5, every Monday night at the Big Top Flea Market. Do you remember The Rock's name back then? Flex Kavana. I don't know what the h*ll I was thinking, but I went for it,” The Rock told the crowd in Memphis, Tennessee.

“So this city is a little different, so The Rock'll say it like this. I love you, too, I appreciate that. So this is the way The Rock will say this: Finally, The Rock has come back…. Home. Memphis, Tennessee, The Rock has come back home. It's been years. We're gonna have some fun tonight. You wanna have fun? The Rock has promised we're gonna have some fun. This is the Home of the Blues. Home of Elvis Presley. You know The Rock loves the Blues. Loves his Elvis Presley. Loves Country. So we're gonna have some fun.”

Though The Rock has since gone on to call plenty of other locals home, from his time as Hollywood Rock to his current billing from Miami, Florida, in his heart, Memphis still holds a very positive place. Still, The Rock is nothing if not a professional, and after having some fun with the crowd, singing a very entertaining song about Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins in his returning Rock Concert segment, he got down to the task at hand, being the leanest, meanest heel he can be.

The Rock plans to belt up Mama Rhodes at WrestleMania 40.

With the crowd thoroughly rocked, Dwayne Johnson turned his attention to adding some fuel to his feud at WrestleMania 40, with “The Great One” taking a page from his social media promo to attack Cody Rhodes' mother Michelle.

“We love you, Memphis! You like that, Memphis? Yeah, The Rock liked that too. But now The Rock wants to- I love you back and I appreciate that love. The Rock is gonna say-I hear you too, honey, The Rock loves you, I appreciate it. We're gonna move this out of the way, because The Rock wants to say something now. We had some fun, we're gonna have another kind of fun. Last week on SmackDown, Cody Rhodes, he did something to The Rock. The world heard it, The Rock felt it, let's take a look at it,” The Rock said before showing Cody's crying promo from RAW.

“Yeah, Cody finally manned up, huh? Finally grew a pair of balls. He took a swing at The Rock, he slapped the h*ll out of The Rock. But what'd The Rock do? The Rock smiled. Then a couple of days later, Cody went on Monday Night RAW, and The Rock was waiting, the world was waiting, how are you gonna respond to the biggest moment in your career, slapping The Rock? Were you gonna cut an impassionate promo? What were you gonna do? How were you gonna respond, Cody Rhodes, to the moment that made you famous? Let's take a look:

“You responded by crying. You responded by crying. You gotta be sh*tting me! That's how you respond? *Crying* I can't give the title to my daddy, so I'm gonna give the title to my mommy. I'm gonna give the title to my- You ain't giving anybody anything! Cody, the Rock doesn't wanna talk to you right now, but The Rock wants to talk to one person right now, and that's your mama. Mama Rhodes. The Rock knows that you're watching. The Rock knows you're listening. You don't know The Rock, but you're gonna know The Rock in ways that you wish you hadn't.

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
CM Punk with a text bubble reading "Soon, I will be back" with the SmackDown logo as the background.

Matty Breisch ·

Cody Rhodes and AJ Styles in front of the 2024 WWE Backlash logo.

Matty Breisch ·

Seth Rollins on the right side of the screen with the RAW logo and a red background behind him, and Carmelo Hayes on the left side of the screen with the SmackDown logo and a blue background behind him with the WWE Draft logo as the background.

Matty Breisch ·

“So Mama Rhodes, let The Rock break it down for you in how WrestleMania is gonna go. Your son, Cody, took something from me, and now I'm gonna make him pay, I'm gonna make your family pay, and I'm gonna make you pay. On WrestleMania Night 1, The Rock and Roman Reigns, we're gonna beat your son and we're gonna beat Seth Rollins, which brings us to Night 2, Bloodline Rules, everything goes. Ah Mama Rhodes, The Rock knows that you just can't wait for your son to finish that story. You want your son to finish that story so bad. You want your son to hand you that belt so bad. That Universal Championship, but that ain't gonna happen. That belt is gonna stay around the waist of my cousin, Roman Reigns. And now, Mama Rhodes, you are gonna get a belt. But you're gonna get The Rock's belt. It ain't gonna be that Universal Championship, it's gonna be that belt here, Mama Rhodes.

“Mama Rhodes, it's gonna be a belt just like this: and The Rock's gonna take this belt, and he's gonna beat your son. He's gonna beat the sh*t out of your son, and The Rock is gonna make your son bleed. He's gonna tear his skin, tear his flesh, and he's gonna whoop em. He's gonna whoop em like a dog over and over again. And Mama Rhodes, your son's blood's gonna be on this belt. And when The Rock is done whooping your son, and Roman is done beating your son 1-2-3, The Rock is gonna take this belt, full of your son's blood, and he's gonna walk over to you, Mama Rhodes, The Rock needs you sitting in the first row, so the world can see. And The Rock is gonna walk right over to you, Mama Rhodes, and he's gonna hand you this belt. He's gonna hand you this belt right here. He's gonna put it in your lap, and you're gonna be crying just like your son, and that's okay, because then, The Rock is gonna whisper in your ear, Mama Rhodes, and with all the blood on your son's belt here, and your tears on that belt, The Rock is gonna whisper in your ear, he's gonna wipe your tears away, and he's gonna say ‘Michelle, (in song) what can I say except you're welcome.' If you smell what the Final Boss is cooking.”

Ah, there's the heel Rocky fans have come to know and love, and even if the fine folks in Memphis cheered instead of booed during his promo, it's safe to say Rhodes will have plenty to say on the subject in no time. Why? Because you don't trash talk the ‘American Nightmare's” mama without suffering some serious repercussions.