WWE return
Johnson returns to WWE on Monday Night Raw to confront Rusev and Lana in the midst of their anti-American promo. Johnson attacks Rusev, forcing him to flee from the ring.
Hercules
Johnson stars as Hercules, a demi-god and son of Zeus who leads his entourage and an army to help end a war in the land of Thrace and return the rightful king to his throne. When asked about his iconic chain binding scene Johnson:
It was a great scene to shoot and that particular scene was the scene I looked forward to the most, because it’s the iconic scene. It’s the scene that, if anybody out there is familiar with the Hercules and the mythology of Hercules, when he finally accepts… his fate and his faith by the way being the son of Zeus, well he becomes more powerful.
Inaugural SmackDown
WWE SmackDown makes its television debut. The event features Blue Blazer vs Val Venis, Big Show vs Test, Ken Shamrock vs Bradshaw, Mankind vs Big Boss Man and Steve Austin and The Rock vs The Corporate Ministry.