Credit: ABCDwayne Johnson once had lofty ambitions to play football professionally in the NFL, though his career was cut short. He would become a world-renowned WWE and movie star, eventually purchasing the XFL amateur league, making him a figure in the football world. Johnson has made a historic deal that will make him a true competitor to the NFL.
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Johnson played defensive end for the University of Miami, playing at the school for four years. Despite his attempts to break out in an NFL career, he would primarily serve as a backup player. He failed to pass elite players on the team like future Hall of Famer Warren Sapp, who went on to have an illustrious pro career. Despite ending his hopes for a pro career, Johnson would eventually be drafted by the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL (Canadian Football League).
Dwayne Johnson would spend some time as a linebacker for the Stampeders but was ultimately cut from the team two months into the 1995 season. His pro football dreams may have ended, but this catapulted the man into his professional wrestling career, where he became a phenom under the moniker of “The Rock.”
The Rock would become the “most electrifying man in sports entertainment,” garnering worldwide adoration and turning Johnson into a household name. Through his wrestling and showmanship prowess, he would alter his career again into acting. His first role in The Mummy Returns (2001) as the Scorpion King would catapult him on a journey that made him arguably the world’s biggest movie star.
Despite his elite acting status, Dwayne Johnson always dreamed his career would have led to professional football. Though WWE CEO Vince McMahon initially bought the XFL, it ultimately failed. Jonhson stepped in with Dany Garcia and purchased the league, relaunching it in 2023.
The XFL and USFL are now merging into one company.
Dwayne Johnson and the XFL Will Merge with the USFL
Despite the NFL being the true name that matters in professional football, additional leagues like the CFL have existed for many years, too. The XFL may have started in 2001, failing twice to capture fans. Dwayne Johnson has stepped in, making the first 2023 seasons a success. Dany Garcia announced earlier this year that a 2024 season would happen.
The USFL also launched its inaugural season in 2022, bringing more Spring football to fans. The United States Football League also succeeded, and now it appears that joining the XFL can take both companies to new heights.
There are no additional details about the merger and whether the new company will keep the XFL or USFL names or be rebranded into something completely unique. Dwayne Johnson is a masterful businessman who has turned himself into a movie star and an entrepreneur who owns a massively successful tequila business in Teremana and the successful Zoa energy drink company.
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Johnson is the right person to have purchased the XFL, and with the company merging with the USFL, it can become a genuine threat to the NFL. That’s not to say that the NFL will lose catastrophic numbers, but these secondary professional football leagues will ensure their continued success for years.
What do you think of the XFL and USFL merging? Can Dwayne Johnson challenge the NFL? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!