For over five minutes, the spectators inside the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado had gone wild on the September 15 episode of SmackDown. Not even in their wildest dreams did the attendees think that Dwayne Johnson would choose the arena and the date to break his nearly four-year-long hiatus from the promotion. But he did so and it resulted in deafening noise from the fans.

Days later, Johnson’s arrival was also heavily feted by fans online. His appearance raked in over 100 million views for WWE on social media platforms. Despite this huge achievement, it was his cousin, Jey Uso, who emerged as the biggest winner, as per the promotion.

What did Dwayne Johnson miss out on?

For over two and a half decades, Johnson has been one of the biggest icons of the pro wrestling industry, who requires no introduction among fans. If anyone thought his popularity had waned, he proved his detractors wrong on September 15. But WWE doesn’t deem it enough to make it to the 10 most iconic moments in the history of SmackDown. The Great One not only missed out on the top 10 spot he also didn’t find a berth in the top 25 spots.

So, what are the top 10 moments? As per the segment aired on Fox recently, the reunion of former Undisputed WWE Tag Team champions Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, was placed number 10. Kofi Kingston’s run to the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 34, Booker T and Stone Cold Steve Austin’s Grocery Store Brawl, and Rey Mysterio punching his son Dominik Mysterio have made the number nine, eight and seven, respectively.

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The sixth and fifth places belong to SmackDown’s pilot episode. Brock Lesnar and Big Show’s mega showdown, that left the ring broken, respectively. Charlotte Flair’s quick capture of the SmackDown Women’s belt from Ronda Rousey in 2022 was placed fourth. SmackDown’s debut on Fox found the third spot, while John Cena’s debut, answering to an open challenge from Kurt Angle, was the second most iconic moment.

The first belonged to Jey Uso’s superkicks that battered the members of the Bloodline in August, 2023. So, as you see, The Brahma Bull found no mention.

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Quite ironically, he has a big connection with SmackDown and fans would have expected at least one of the spots for Johnson.

From main eventing to no mention- Dwayne Johnson’s SmackDown journey

Johnson, who made his WWE debut in 1996, saw the formation of SmackDown. In fact, he has a hand in the inaugural episode of the show.

It was Johnson and Triple H who mainevented the first episode of SmackDown in April 1999. If you’ve been following WWE for a long time, you might also remember The Rock’s usage of ‘Layeth the Smack Down on Candy A**es’. There is a popular belief that it led to the name of the brand.

Johnson would also refer to SmackDown as his own show and he helped the promotion celebrate the 20th anniversary of the blue brand in 2019 with a special appearance.

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Even with such a rich history and bond, it’s surprising to see Johnson not make it to the top 25 moments in SmackDown. What’s your take on the issue? Let us know in the comments.