While Dwayne Johnson might be one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood and one of the most famous names on the planet, it was in WWE where the seeds for his superstardom were sown.
This meant that when Vince McMahon retired from his role as Chairman of the Board and WWE CEO speculation ran wild concerning a company sale and potential involvement from the megastar. However, with Nick Khan and Stephanie McMahon being appointed co-CEO’s and Triple H being named Chief Content Officer speculation surrounding a sale has slowed, but it is not out of the question.
A Prospective Buyer Would Need To Love The Wrestling Business – Dwayne Johnson
Speaking to BNN Bloomberg while promoting his latest movie Black Adam in Toronto, Johnson discussed the possibility of a sale. The star also known as The Rock said that anyone who wished to buy into the company would need to love wrestling.
“I think the key if there were a sale of the WWE is to make sure that whoever acquires that brand in that property, you’ve got to love the wrestling business. Of course, you can love the asset, and you can love everything that comes with it, but you got to love the professional wrestling business … because if not, then you could kind of see the writing on the wall; four or five years down the road, what will happen?”
When asked whether he may consider investing in the company and even moving into a position on the board Johnson quickly ruled it out. Although he admitted that the possibility has been discussed with Nick Khan, he said that while a board seat might not be in his future he could be involved in other ways.
“[WWE co-CEO] Nick [Khan] and I have talked about that, and we always enjoy that over a bottle of Teremana [Johnson’s tequila brand],” Johnson said. “I love the wrestling business. I grew up in it. My grandfather [and] my dad started here in Canada, where [his father] was born. So, I’m not quite too sure if a board seat is in my future, but possibly other things are in my future, for sure.”
Dwayne Johnson signed with WWE in 1996, stepping into the line of work that had been home to both his father and grandfather. Known as The Rock, Johnson became World Champion two years later and was one of the biggest names in the company. By the time his full-time career came to an end in 2002 he had become one of the biggest stars in wrestling history.