Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson buys XFL for $15 million

Well this is exactly the type of good news I want to hear on a Monday morning.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, along with RedBird Capital Partners, has purchased the XFL for $15 million. The former professional wrestler and Hollywood hero pulled the trigger on the deal just a mere hours ahead of an auction that was set to take place.

“The acquisition of the XFL with my talented partners, Dany Garcia and Gerry Cardinale, is an investment for me that’s rooted deeply in two things — my passion for the game and my desire to always take care of the fans,” said Johnson, following the purchase. “With pride and gratitude for all that I’ve built with my own two hands, I plan to apply these callouses to the XFL, and look forward to creating something special for the players, fans, and everyone involved for the love of football.”

Johnson, who played football at the University of Miami in the early ‘90s, will look to finally give the XFL the chance it rightfully deserves.

After Vince McMahon brought the league back to life in 2018, it lasted only five games into the 2020 season before filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 13 in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. However, the product was greeted with a litany of praise stemming from the high quality of fan service and transparency. On broadcasts, fans could hear just about everything on the field, including the calls being made by the offensive and defensive coordinators.

The league also did plenty for NFL hopefuls, including current LA Chargers tight end Donald Parham and offensive tackle Storm Norton. Both players were top performers at their positions and each enter training camp with a chance to make the team’s initial roster with one of the final spots on the depth chart.