The rocky future of the XFL
Popular actor and ex-wrestler Dwayne Johnson saved the league from filing for bankruptcy.
Dwayne Johnson bought the XFL and saved it from bankruptcy. / Photo: instagram.com/therock
LatinAmerican Post| Juan Manuel Londoño
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Leer en español: El futuro rocoso de la XFL
The XFL football league created by WWE mogul Vince McMahon was saved from bankruptcy by another legendary member of the wrestling community, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. 'The Rock' acquired the franchise for $15 million in collaboration with Dany García, producer of several of its films, and Gerry Cardinale, CEO of an investment firm.
“With gratitude and passion, I have built a career with my own hands and will apply these calluses to our brand. Excited to create something special for the fans!”, Johnson said on Twitter.
With my trail blazing partner @DanyGarciaCo & Red Bird Capital, we have acquired the XFL.
With gratitude & passion I’ve built a career with my own two hands and will apply these callouses to our @xfl2020 brand.
Excited to create something special for the fans! #XFL #fullcircle pic.twitter.com/LprJ6HjglD— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) August 3, 2020
Despite this good news, the XFL has announced some changes for its return. First, they made it clear that the league will remain with its usual 8 teams, but that two of them, the Vipers and Wildcats, could be relocated to different cities.
The league already has plans for its return in the spring, which would unfortunately include a "bubble" situation like other US leagues, where there would be no crowds and the players would be living and playing in an isolated environment.
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Answering the questions of the fans, from the specialized site XFL News hub they clarified that: “If (the XFL) rehire all the old staff available, they bring back as many coaches and players as possible and re-elaborate their offers of TV and Stadium, returning in February is a real possibility. However, it is a difficult outlook these days, and this process could take a little time."
The truth is, the XFL's uncertain future could be in better hands now. Johnson and Garcia are known for their understanding of business and building strong, extremely profitable companies.
One of his ideas that resonates the most is the creation of a series for the XFL that emulates the style of "Hard Knocks" of the NFL. For those who do not know, this is a kind of "behind the scenes" combined with reality that follows the lives of these professional players. With Garcia and Johnson's producing experience, there is no question that this could be a success for the young football league that won't give up.
