Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson officially joined the board of directors for TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of UFC. Johnson will now join his former boss, Vince McMahon, on the board to help take UFC and WWE to the new heights.
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It was announced Tuesday morning that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will join the TKO board of directors by TKO. TKO is the new name that resulted from the merger of WWE and UFC parent company Endeavor Group Holdings.
THE ROCK TAKES BOARD ROLE FOR WWE
The merger between WWE and Endeavor was first announced in April 2023 and the deal was finalized in September. Executive Chairman of the Board Vince McMahon acknowledged Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s unique knowledge he brings to the board and praised his understanding of “the convergence of sports, entertainment, media, and business.” Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson had this to say about being appointed to the TKO Board of Directors:
“My grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, and my dad, Rocky ‘Soulman’ Johnson, would’ve never thought this day would come. Which is why I’m very humbled to have a seat at the table that has decades of history and family legacy for me. A table that my family helped to build. Being on the TKO Board of Directors, and taking full ownership of my name, ‘The Rock’, is not only unprecedented, but incredibly inspiring as my crazy life is coming full circle.
At my core, I’m a builder who builds for and serves the people, and Ari [Emanuel, TKO CEO] is building something truly game changing. I’m very motivated to help continue to globally expand our TKO, WWE, and UFC businesses as the worldwide leaders in sports and entertainment — while proudly representing so many phenomenal athletes and performers who show up every day putting in the hard work with their own two hands to make their dreams come true and deliver for our audiences. I’ve been there, I’m still there and this is for them.”
Johnson is a big name in Hollywood, business, and in wrestling. He first got his start in WWF in 1996 as Rocky Mavia which was a tribute to his father and grandfather. He eventually joined the Nation of Domination faction and started to get a spotlight put on him.
As time went on Johnson became the breakout star for the group. His star power was no longer able to be contained and he went out on his own. In 1998 he became the WWF champion and from that point on there was no stopping his popularity. Johnson along with Stone Cold Steve Austin and Undertaker became the faces of the beloved Attitude era of WWF.
Rock Leaves WWE For Hollywood
In 2003 Johnson left WWE for Hollywood. He has since become one of the highest-grossing and highest-paid actors in Hollywood. Some of his notable roles include being a part of the Fast & Furious franchise, the recent Jumanji films, comedies like Central Intelligence, and Disney films including Moana and Jungle Cruise.
Johnson founded the production company Seven Bucks Productions. The production company worked on Young Rock, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and Fighting with My Family among other projects.
Johnson is also the co-owner of the United Football League. The UFL is an American football league that formed when the XFL and United States Football League merged in September 2023. Emanuel had this to say about Johnson being appointed to the TKO Board Of Directors:
“I am thrilled to partner with Dwayne and welcome his immense talent to TKO’s Board. Dwayne brings an incredible track record of creating content and building globally recognized consumer brands, and he will play a key role in realizing our ambitions for TKO.”
– TKO CEO Ari Emanuel
THE ROCK ADDRESSES POTENTIAL ROMAN REIGNS MATCHUP
Since leaving WWE in 2004, Johnson has not been too far away from the promotion. He has continued to make appearances and have matches on occasion. His most recent return was earlier this month when he confronted Jinder Mahal at the Day 1 edition of WWE Raw. The big news coming from his return was his tease of a potential matchup with Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, calling out the “Head of the Table.”
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Johnson and Reigns might very well meet in the ring, but when is the question. Fans are very curious if they will meet at WrestleMania 40 in April in Philadelphia. Johnson had this to say about the possible match and his position on the TKO Board Of Directors as a whole when he was asked about the possible match on ESPN’s First Take.
“I love this business, I love pro wrestling, I love WWE. But also, I have this deep passion to grow it, and to build it, and if we’re going to do something like this I want the world to watch.”
H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription
Johnson also thinks that if he and Reigns do meet at WrestleMania he believes it could be “possibly put on the greatest and biggest WrestleMania of all time.” The fans have voiced some reservations about the possibility of Rock vs. Reigns because they are hoping for a Cody Rhodes vs. Reigns at WrestleMania.
The Royal Rumble will occur this Saturday with the titular Royal Rumble match. The winner of the match gets a shot at any WWE champion on the roster, including NXT. Depending on who wins the match it will reveal a possible next opponent for Reigns at WrestleMania. Reigns will have a Fatal 4-Way match at the event against Randy Orton, AJ Styles, and LA Knight for his championships.
What do you think of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson joining the TKO Board Of Directors? Do you think he has the knowledge for the position? Does having a former semi-active Superstar cause any conflict of interest such as influencing the booking of himself or family members? Do you think any other ex-wrestlers like John Cena will join the board? What about ex-UFC fighters? Let us know on social media who you want to win the men’s and women’s Royal Rumble.
SOURCE: TKO, ESPN, Wrestling Inc.
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