The Rock’s latest business venture has officially begun.
On top of being one of the most iconic names in WWE and one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, Dwayne Johnson expanded his empire into the sports world by purchasing the XFL.
Dwayne Johnson Details Why He Bought The XFL
The franchise relaunched for a third time with Johnson as the owner, the season officially getting underway on Saturday, February 18th.
Johnson spoke with ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt to discuss what the thought process was behind the acquisition. The Great One, who had football aspirations before transitioning to the squared circle, said that he wished he could have played in the XFL back in the day:
“It was the opportunity to create a league that I wish I had when I was around. I was a good player. I had great, what Coach Ed Orgeron used to say, I had ‘great upper body violence.’ Which is a compliment.”
Johnson would continue, starting that along with the appeal of the sport, it felt good to give another opportunity to aspiring football players.
“The allure of this was my long-time business partner Dany Garcia. She said, ‘I have this crazy idea, let’s go buy the XFL,’ and immediately it was the easiest ‘yes’ I ever said because we both knew we had an opportunity to not only be owners of a game that we love, but to be a part of the sport that we love, but also create a culture of second chances for guys like me.”
With the card for WrestleMania now taking shape, it appears that a match or perhaps an appearance from the former WWE Champion seems less and less likely. In a recent interview, Wiseman Paul Heyman has commented on why Johnson has chosen to decline a match at the biggest show on the WWE calendar.
H/t to EWrestlingNews for the use of transcriptions.