The Rock's return to Raw brings legitimate star power back to WWE

Finally ... legitimate star power will come BACK to WWE.

That's because The Rock, known as Dwayne Johnson in his other endeavors, will make his return to Monday Night Raw in just a matter of days on Jan. 7, 2013, in Tampa, Florida. Not only that, he's fully committing to working a busy schedule relative to what we're used to, as he's booked for every Raw in January and even a number of SmackDown dates.

WWE is promoting him big too:

The Great One will no doubt have a few eyebrow-raising surprises in store for the momentous first Raw of 2013. Revelry won't be the only thing on The Rock's mind that night, however, as he prepares to compete for the WWE Title at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event on Jan. 27. But who will The Brahma Bull battle for the illustrious prize: CM Punk or Ryback?

What makes the return of "The Great One" so exciting isn't that he's a former WWE champion of sure fire Hall of Famer or one of the greatest promos in history. It's not nostalgia or stature in the pro wrestling business.

It's that he's a legitimate star outside of the industry.

Forbes recently listed Johnson as one of Hollywood's "Best Actors for the Buck," as he returns $22.70 for every $1 paid. He's also garnered a reputation as a "franchise saver" thanks to Fast Five and Journey 2: The Mysterious Island becoming big hits at the box office. We're long past the point of cheap pops and bad comedy segments with no real return on investment.

One of the hardest working men in show biz is here to bring mainstream press and attention to WWE just as its gearing up for its biggest business period of the year. Will that improve the creative direction of the company? Of course not, but it will create a level of buzz fans of today's product simply aren't used to feeling.

That's something to look forward to. Let's enjoy it when it comes.