Despite Vince McMahon’s $200M Loss, Dwayne Johnson Willingly Purchased XFL From His Former Boss, Here’s Why

At the moment, Dwayne Johnson is working towards hitting some milestones in his passion projects. The Rock is giving special attention to one of his childhood dreams, football. Since his childhood, Johnson wanted to be a part of the NFL team. But fate had something else marked for the Brahma Bull. Instead, almost 3 decades later, Johnson is focusing on making his own football league, the XFL.

But it isn’t like the XFL is a new company. Started way back in 2000 by Johnson’s former boss, Vince McMahon. it has failed once to capture audiences with its magic. So, what is Johnson doing differently that might help him rectify the mistakes made by a self-made billionaire?

Dwayne Johnson reveals his purpose in buying the XFL

During an ESPN interview, Dwayne Johnson was asked about the appeal of buying XFL despite having so much on his plate already. He told the story of when Dany Garcia, his long-time business partner, and ex-wife called and suggested that they buy the XFL. Johnson recalled that he did not hesitate even for a second and that it was the easier yes that he has said in his life.

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Johnson went on by saying, “We both knew immediately that we have an opportunity here to not only become owners of a game that we love, but then also create this culture of second chances for guys like me. There are 53 men on an NFL roster. I was always number 54. Our goal here — we have a league of 54s.”

For those who don’t remember the last season of XFL, under McMahon’s control spend about $200 million in a single season. Contrary to that, Johnson and Garcia only put in $15 million for their first season. Though any league’s objective is to make a profit in the end, the two former WWE Champions have different goals behind the XFL.

The difference between Dwayne Johnson’s and Vince McMahon’s approach to the XFL

When McMahon started it, he wanted to capitalize on the time that NFL took a break. This way, he could attract fans from the NFL and keep them intact until the big league could start again. With his expertise in marketing, the numbers were strong in the beginning, but trying to make it gimmicky led to a decline in viewership.

On the other hand, Johnson only wants this to be a haven for people like him. People who failed at their chance at making it to the big leagues. This way, he is making sure that no one has to suffer through the 7 dollars phase he had to before joining WWE. Also, by not going hard on the budget, Johnson is making sure that the XFL results in a profit.

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Tell us what you think about Johnson’s excitement around the league in the comments below.