Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his partners have several strong reasons why the purchase of the defunct XFL football league makes sense and should infuse excitement into a football-starved nation.
Johnson is the face of an ownership team that includes partners, RedBird Capital Partners, $15 million from Johnson’s former boss, and World Wrestling Federation founder Vince McMahon.
McMahon’s second venture into starting a rival league to the NFL has gone up in smoke during its opening season due to the catastrophic impact of the current pandemic. The XFL was just days away from being auctioned off before Johnson stepped in with his very deep pockets.
These are the reasons why the third time trying to get XFL off the ground might be a charm:
Johnson, 48, is a former football player at the University of Miami and had aspirations to star in the NFL before playing sparsely in the Canadian Football League, so his love of the game can’t be questioned.
He’s an entertainment connoisseur. Johnson, who obtained the nickname “The Rock,” was one of the most popular personalities in the history of the World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). From there, Johnson has compiled an enviable acting career in Hollywood, boasting such blockbusters as Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Central Intelligence and several films in the Fast & Furious franchise.
He is very rich. Johnson was recognized as America’s highest-paid actor by Forbes in 2019 with a grand total of $90 million in take-home pay in that year alone. That, coupled with his partners and sponsors, should help bolster the XFL’s chances of lasting for more than one season.
