The XFL is up and running and a lot of credit for that has to go to WWE superstar Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. After the league was suspended in 2020 due to low audience engagement, below par ratings, and the wrath of Covid 19 pandemic, innumerable football loving fans were left extremely disappointed.
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Moreover, the players who couldn’t get going in the NFL but were getting a chance to showcase their talent, were left high and dry. At such a critical juncture, Dwayne Johnson stepped in to save the day by investing $15 million into the league to get it going once again.
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Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson reveals what inspired him to revive the XFL
However, many people were left wondering exactly why Dwayne Johnson spent so much money reviving a league which wasn’t able to generate any kind of hype for years? Giving an answer to this question, Dwayne recently told ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt that he just had to revive the league as he himself never got such a platform to showcase his talent.
“It was the opportunity to create a league that I wish I had when I was around,” Dwayne said. “I was a good player and I had great upper body violence which is a compliment, but the allure to buy the XFL was my longtime business partner Danny Garcia,” Johnson added.
Dwayne went on to claim that Danny proposed to him the crazy idea to buy the league and without a doubt, it was the fastest yes he ever said to any business prospect. ‘The Rock’ went on to claim that he immediately knew that it was an opportunity for him to create a culture of “second chances” for guys like himself who couldn’t make it big in the NFL.
Dwayne Johnson met NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before buying the XFL
Dwayne revealed that he also sat down with NFL commission Roger Goodell before buying the XFL. “We have a league of 54s who have a chip on their shoulders, are passionate, and are gritting it out,” Dwayne had told Goodell. Dwayne reiterated that there are a total of 53 men on an NFL roster and he was always number 54. So he wants to create a league of Number 54s who are willing to go the extra mile to achieve their unfulfilled dreams.
Indeed, Dwayne’s passion and emotional connection towards the game played a massive role in rejuvenating the league and who knows, as time goes by, the XFL might end up creating the NFL superstars of tomorrow. Dwayne concluded his interaction with Scott by claiming that his ultimate aim behind investing in the XFL is to make sure that the football culture keeps growing.
