In a move that seems at least tangentially related to boosting interest in the launch of “Tough Enough,” WWE confirmed Thursday that The Rock will appear live on the April 4 edition of RAW.
To be held live in Atlanta, the April 4 edition of RAW is the post-WrestleMania edition of the show and leads into the launch of WWE’s revived “Tough Enough” on USA Network. Following the reality show’s season premiere, it will relocate to the 8PM hour as a lead-in to the weekly RAW telecast (meaning it will not have a massive WWE audience on which to draw).
Hooking people with the premiere telecast is thus essential to the success of the show.
Already likely to deliver well from a ratings standpoint, by promoting a live appearance from The Rock, the April 4 edition of RAW is sure to be a hit and should cross the 4.0 cable coverage rating threshold, and one would assume WWE should have no trouble retaining 50-70% of its RAW lead-in for the “Tough Enough” debut.
The confirmation of Rock’s appearance also suggests that his booked interactions with John Cena and The Miz at WrestleMania will require some degree of follow-up the next night.