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Showing posts with label The Rock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Rock. Show all posts

February 13, 2024

The Rock Recalls Getting Emotional After Recent WWE Headquarters Tour With Triple H

With The Rock recently confronting Triple H and the WrestleMania 40 Kickoff, and Triple H firing shots at The Rock on SmackDown, there has been a lot of speculation about the two names’ dynamics backstage.

Speaking with ET ahead of the Kickoff event, The Rock revealed that Triple H recently gave him a tour of WWE Headquarters. Admitting that he got choked up at one point during the tour, The Rock said: “(Triple H) goes, ‘Hey, I got one more thing to show you,’ and we went downstairs, (where) you see on the wall these pictures of these wrestlers. He goes, ‘Oh, look at that one.’ And over in the corner is this incredibly well-lit picture, black-and-white, of my dad and Tony Atlas, the day they made history and became the first Black tag team champions.” 

“I have never seen that picture before and I was so choked up… I was really moved. In that moment, I thought, ‘Man, they were wrestling in what was a field house back then and wrestling has changed!’ My dad just made history and the bumps and the bruises and the sacrifices that he made and that all those guys made. “Now we’re talking about the biggest WrestleMania of all time and the company signs a $5 billion deal with Netflix. It’s just incredible.”

The Rock’s father Rocky Johnson won the World Tag Team Championship alongside Tony Atlas in 1983 to become the first black tag-team champions in WWE history. 

January 23, 2024

TKO Appoints Dwayne Johnson to Board of Directors

Johnson Granted Full Ownership of Trademarked Name, “The Rock”

TKO Group Holdings, Inc., a premium sports and entertainment company, has appointed Dwayne Johnson to its Board of Directors, effective today.

Johnson, one of the most decorated WWE Superstars in company history and the most followed American man globally on social media platforms, brings decades of experience in live entertainment and sports to the Board. Through his expansive business portfolio, which includes Seven Bucks Productions, Teremana Tequila, ZOA Energy, Project Rock, and the recently combined spring football league, the United Football League (UFL), Johnson has significant experience identifying and cultivating revenue generating media rights, live events, sponsorship, licensing, and social media opportunities. The appointment of Johnson reflects TKO’s commitment to delivering long-term value and strong performance for shareholders through strategic growth initiatives across both UFC and WWE.

Vince McMahon, Executive Chairman of the Board, TKO, said: “Very few people on the planet understand the convergence of sports, entertainment, media, and business like Rock. We are proud to have him join the TKO board to help take our company to new heights.”

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, said: “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 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.”

Ariel Emanuel, CEO, TKO, said: “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.”

WWE has also entered into a services and merchandising agreement with Johnson that provides for his promotional, licensing, and other services, and an intellectual property assignment agreement pursuant to which Johnson has secured ownership of the trademarked name, “The Rock”. The name is derived from his father, WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson, who was the first Black champion in WWE history (alongside partner Tony Atlas). Johnson’s grandfather, Peter Maivia, a Samoan-American professional wrestler, was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008.

The addition of Johnson, as well as today’s appointment of Brad Keywell to TKO’s Board of Directors, will increase TKO’s board from 11 to 13 members.

Johnson has been a client of Endeavor’s WME agency for nearly 13 years.

September 19, 2023

XFL, USFL begin talks to merge leagues

And then there was one. Spring league, that is.

The XFL and USFL are merging, per multiple reports. The deal isn’t done, but it’s close.

Obviously, there will be many questions. Who owns the equity? Who televises the games?

How many teams will be in the combined league? Will they play in home markets or hubs?

Who will run the combined league? Which executives will stay, which ones will go?

Most importantly, what will it be called?

The XFL? The USFL? The USXFL? The SUXFL? (I like the last one.)

In 2023, both leagues competed, with a few weeks of overlap. The XFL started one week after the Super Bowl, and the USFL started in April.

The XFL, the 2023 season represented the third crack at making it go. The USFL returned after multiple decades of going dark in 2022.

June 12, 2023

XFL Loses Nearly $60 Million This Season

A group led by Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson took ownership of the XFL from Vince McMahon last year and just wrapped up their first full season of the revamped football league. Reports from Forbes indicate that the league lost nearly $60 million this season.

The XFL was largely a football league intended to be for players looking for a path to the NFL. In fact, 67 players who played in the XFL this season earned invitations to workout for NFL teams and 22 of them signed actual contracts. The Arlington Renegades won the championship despite finishing the regular season with a losing record (4-6).

The Rock continues to be adamant that the XFL is not a ‘side hustle’ and there is a clear goal that he remains confident the league can achieve. The Rock said, “This is not just an endeavor that’s going to fill up a portfolio and one day we flip it and we’re out. This is legacy. This is the long game.”

Forbes further indicated that the league expects around $100 million in revenue next season. Nearly 25% of XFL income comes from ESPN, which pays the league $20 million per season for rights to air games on TV.

XFL owners, including chairwoman Dany Garcia, said that the league recently signed sponsorships with national brands such as Progressive and Under Armor. She said, “We’re extremely well-capitalized for the long-term. This is our new WWE. The next massive live property.”

April 6, 2022

The Rock Debuts New XFL Logo And Vision


July 22, 2021

Rumor Mill - The Rock Returning To WWE At Survivor Series

Andrew Zarian of the Man Men Pro Wrestling podcast is reporting that The Rock is scheduled for the Survivor Series pay-per-view in November which will be celebrating his 25th anniversary since his debut with WWE.

Zarian noted that the current plan is for the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY to host the big event, which is fitting as The Rock’s 1996 debut was in New York City in Madison Square Garden.

It remains unknown right now if The Rock will compete on the show, although there are rumors it will be a tag match, building toward a singles match with Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 38 in 2022.

August 3, 2020

Dwayne Johnson Buys XFL for $15 Million With Redbird Capital as Partner

The XFL has been sold to a group that includes former WWE star Dwayne “The Rock’’ Johnson, giving the bankrupt football league the kind of star power that may draw even non-sports fans. Variety’s sister site Sportico first reported the news.

Johnson, an actor and producer who played college football at the University of Miami, teamed up with Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird Capital to buy the league just hours before a planned auction was scheduled to begin.

They paid $15 million, splitting it evenly. Johnson’s business partner, Dany Garcia, who is also his ex-wife, will be a stakeholder as well.

RedBird has made a litany of sports-related investments, including some with ties to the National Football League and its players.

The presence of Johnson, meantime, continues pro wrestling’s involvement in the spring football league, which was founded—and funded—by WWE Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Vince McMahon.

The XFL filed for bankruptcy in April after the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the cancellation of its inaugural season, which got off to a promising start in terms of television audience. The league had a broadcast agreement with Fox.

With live sports a reliable vehicle to deliver ratings, there’s a good chance a number of traditional TV networks—and perhaps streaming companies—would seek to add the XFL to their portfolios. Besides the league, networks would likely seek a tie-up with Johnson, who is the executive producer of “The Titan Games,’’ a sports competition reality series on NBC.

The XFL is the latest sports-related move for Cardinale and RedBird, which recently bought French soccer team Toulouse. In addition, Cardinale—along with Oakland A’s executive Billy Beane—created a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, that’ll focus on buying companies in sports, media and data analytics.

The private equity firm is also an investor in the YES Network, the regional sports network that shows New York Yankees games, as well as On Location Experiences, which is partly owned by the NFL, and also OneTeam Partners, a tie-up that includes the unions that represent MLB and NFL players.

In its bankruptcy filing, Alpha Entertainment, the XFL’s parent, listed the league with assets and liabilities in the range of about $10 million to $50 million.

McMahon announced the XFL’s reboot in 2018, and spent two years developing the eight-team league.

The XFL drew more than 3 million viewers in its first week. The audience was about half that number in its fifth and final week before the shutdown.

The original XFL, created in 2001 in partnership with NBC, folded after one season.

XFL President Jeffrey Pollack oversaw the sale process for the league.

source: varity.com

April 22, 2020

The Rock Sends Special Message To Triple H For WWE's The Bump

The Rock sent a special message to Triple H for today's episode of The Bump on WWE's Digital platforms. As noted, Triple H appeared on the show to promote his 25th Anniversary Celebration, which kicks off this Friday during SmackDown on FOX.

The Rock started out his message with a joke about doing his signature "Finally..." promo in his quiet neighborhood. The Great One then praised The Game for his career, in and out of the ring.

"There's some big stuff going down and the big stuff going down is Triple H - 25 years of a storied, epic, historic career already, so I am honored to send you this message, my friend, to help celebrate and help honor you at 25 years, of not only being a part of the WWE, but 25 years of being the WWE," Rock said. "And man, I gotta tell you, I have, like you, we are lucky boys to have the career that we have had in the world that we love so much, of pro wrestling. I gotta tell you, man, from the time I first got into the company, you, from my very first match in Survivor Series at The Garden, you were so good to me, so welcoming to me then, but also I knew... I knew of everybody in the locker room, that there was a hunger in your eyes, and I knew that we were going to be competitors, and we were going to compete, and work our asses off, and that's exactly what we did, and that's exactly why we jelled together, why we had incredible chemistry.

"You know, I always talk about the matches that I've had with Stone Cold, that you've had with Stone Cold, and that you've had with Mick Foley, and I've had with Mick Foley, The Undertaker... you name it, but there's only one man who I've gone around this world with and wrestled consistently with so many times, and put on just incredible matches, and that's you. And I thank you, I love you, congratulations, man, on just an amazing career, but also to, not only an amazing 25 years, but also not only in the ring, but what you've done outside of the ring, too, has been unparalleled. You can't compare it because nobody else has done it, and what you're doing with NXT, what you're doing with the company itself, and what you're doing to make sure the fans go home happy, because it's in your blood, it's in your DNA, it's as if you were born into the business, and in some other lifetime you were. This is why we're kindred spirits. Congratulations on such an amazing 25 years. I look forward to the next 25 years. Thank you for being a friend, thank you for being a brother. Again, I love you, man. Happy 25th. Amazing, amazing. Love you brother."

Rock finished his message with another joke about doing one of his signature catchphrases in his quiet neighborhood.

Triple H responded and joked, "That is awesome. I'm honored, I really am. The worst part is, how come he looks so great and I look like an old prune? I'm all wrinkled and grey, and stuff, and he looks exactly the same as he did when I wrestled him in The Garden when he walked in the door."

April 20, 2020

The Rock Is Working On A Backyard Wrestling Series For HBO

The Rock, Issa Rae and Dany Garcia will be executive producing a new series for HBO on the creation of a backyard wrestling promotion, according to Variety.

It's titled "TRE CNT" for "TRE COUNT" and comes from writer Mohamad El Masri. The show focuses on Cassius Jones, a young docker worker and struggling pro wrestler, who uses inherited life-insurance money for start-up money, and the deed to a shotgun house from his grandfather, to start a hip-hop centric backyard wrestling empire in the Third Ward of Houston, Texas (The Tre). Jones creates the empire with the help of his working-class family, friends and neighbors.

El Masri is an executive producer on the project in addition to writing. Judah Miller will executive produce and serve as showrunner. Rock and Garcia will executive produce along with Hiram Garcia under their Seven Bucks Productions company. Rae and Montrel McKay will executive produce via their Issa Rae Productions. Dave Becky, Tom Lassally, and Jonathan Berry will executive produce for 3 Arts Entertainment, according to Variety.

Variety noted that The Rock's involvement brings a layer of authenticity to the project due to his successful pro wrestling career with WWE.

March 10, 2020

2020 Lifetime Achievement Video for Triple H

January 15, 2020

WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson passes away

From WWE.com:

WWE is saddened to learn that Rocky "Soul Man" Johnson (born Wayde Douglas Bowles), a WWE Hall of Famer, former World Tag Team Champion, and father of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, has passed away at age 75.

Johnson's sports-entertainment career began in the mid-1960s when he made a memorable impression in the National Wrestling Alliance. However, Johnson found his highest levels of success when he began his WWE tenure in 1983.

The physically imposing and wildly charismatic Johnson had several memorable rivalries with the likes of Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, Don Muraco and Adrian Adonis. He found his greatest success when he teamed up with Tony Atlas as The Soul Patrol. The two men became the first African-American World Tag Team Champions in WWE history when they defeated The Wild Samoans on Dec. 10, 1983.

The "Soul Man" retired from the ring in 1991, but his imprint continued to be felt on WWE for years to come. Post-retirement, Johnson had a hand in training his son, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The Rock would become one of the biggest stars in the history of sports-entertainment and carried on his father's legacy with pride.

In 2008, Johnson achieved the highest honor in sports-entertainment when he was inducted by The Rock into the WWE Hall of Fame where he will be forever enshrined as one of sports-entertainment's most influential performers.

June 9, 2018

Triple H Talks Sending The Rock A Photo Of Himself From WrestleMania This Year, Rock's Response

Triple H was among a panel of WWE stars interviewed by Stephanie McMahon during the WWE FYC (For Your Consideration) event in North Hollywood, California. The event was held for the purposes of campaigning for a 2018 Emmy Award nomination under the industry of entertainment.

Stephanie asked Triple H about how it is transitioning from WWE superstar to heading the talent relations and creative department in WWE.

"I think that when you're a WWE superstar, obviously the greatest part of what we get to do, putting smiles on people's faces," Triple H said. "We're doing all this stuff, but there's this, it's hard to even put it into words. There's a picture of me out front from WrestleMania this year. I noticed when I walked in today. And, what I noticed about the picture, with HD television and camera work now, I noticed that it's a shot of Steph and I from WrestleMania, and my legs are covered with goosebumps. I immediately took a snapshot of it and sent it to The Rock to say, 'dude, look at my legs.' We used to talk about this all the time, the passion for what we do when you have that moment in front of 80,000 people where your whole body, it's electric. There's no other way to describe it, but it just goes into automatic and you're covered with goosebumps and it's just this insane adrenaline thing.

"Rock sent me a note back like two seconds later and was like, 'oh my God. If it wouldn't be totally weird, I would blow this up right now and put this on my trailer wall as an inspiration.' I said, I know, that's why I trimmed it a certain way just to show my leg, 'cuz it was cold at WrestleMania (smiles), but [Rock] said that nobody can understand that like we can, it's something of the WWE. So at that point in my life, nothing greater than that. I can honestly say that step into where I am now, that pales in comparison to seeing a person with a dream."


Triple H used Charlotte – who was also on the panel – as an example as someone who came to him "lost" and looking for an opportunity to having Ric Flair calling her for inspiration and inspiring a generation of young women to achieve their dreams.


As far as NXT, Triple H calls them his "kids," and said that leading the NXT brand has been the greatest part of his WWE career so far.

February 18, 2018

Triple H Hits Social Media Milestone

Triple H hit 7 million followers on Twitter, making him the third most followed pro wrestling personality behind only The Rock and John Cena. The top 10 most followed WWE personalities as it stands right now are:
1. The Rock (12.6 million)
2. John Cena (10.9 million)
3. Triple H (7.1 million)
4. Randy Orton (5.8 million)
5. Sheamus 4.8 (million)
6. Steve Austin (4.4 million)
7. Daniel Bryan (4.3 million)
8. Shawn Michaels (3.9 million)
9. Nikki Bella (3.4 million)
10. Chris Jericho (3.4 million)
Roman Reigns is close to cracking the list, sitting at #11 with 3 million followers.

October 7, 2017

Triple H Says He’d ‘Dance One More Time’ With The Rock

Triple H was interviewed recently at the Mumbai Facebook offices and had the following to say about a possible match between he and The Rock:

About two years ago, he and I (The Rock) did a backstage promo with each other where we talked about WrestleMania, and the competitive nature of it and it lit up the internet about the possibility of it. It’s something we’ve discussed. It’s just making schedules work, he’s pretty busy I am too. But hey, right place, right time? I’ll dance one more time with The Great One, Rock. (Transcription credit: Sportskeeda)

April 5, 2017

Triple H Hits Big Social Media Milestone


Triple H hit a big social media milestone of 5 million Twitter followers today. Triple H's Twitter account has had the fastest rise to 5 million of any wrestlinTriple H hit a big social media milestone of 5 million Twitter followers today. Triple H's Twitter account has had the fastest rise to 5 million of any wrestler, including The Rock, John Cena and Randy Orton. Triple H, who started his Twitter account in February of 2013, is now the 4th most followed star behind The Rock (11.1 million followers), Cena (9.4 million) and Randy Orton (5.2 million).

March 16, 2017

The Rock Says Triple H & Steve Austin Were His Favorites to Work With


“I have worked with the greatest of the greats in wrestling and I love all these guys,” he said. “There’s two guys in pro wrestling in terms of wrestlers: one would have to be Triple H, and the other one would have to be ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin. Both guys I love, both guys I respect [and] admire. They’re great friends to this day.”

October 23, 2016

Dwayne Johnson Developing Wrestling Comedy at Fox


Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is going back to his beginnings for his latest project.

Fox has nabbed a hot comedy from the wrestler-turned-superstar and producer Will Ferrell, inspired by the real life experiences of Johnson and former WWE head writer Brian Gewirtz, Variety has learned.

The project, hailing from Johnson’s Seven Bucks Productions and Ferrell’s Gary Sanchez Productions, received a put pilot commitment at Fox. Andrew Gurland, who created FX’s “Married,” will write the pilot script.

The series offers a behind-the-scenes look at a fictional professional wrestling outfit and chronicles the one-of-a-kind odd couple relationship that develops between a charismatic young character, like the The Rock, and a painfully awkward comedy writer new to the world of wrestling. A fish-out-of-water among all of these alpha males, this beta former sitcom writer needs as much help as he can get navigating the extremely passionate, sometimes crazy and always unpredictable world of professional wrestling.

“This November will mark the 20th anniversary of my professional wrestling debut,” said Johnson. “I was 24 years old, putting in the hard work, making $40 bucks per match and had no clue of the long journey that lay ahead of me with characters and backstage stories so colorful you’d think there’s no way that can be true. The entertaining show that goes on in front of the crowd pales in comparison to the insanely entertaining show that goes on backstage. Brian and myself can’t wait to tell our stories.”

Gewirtz added: “Coming from Hollywood to the wrestling industry, with its intense backstage atmosphere and larger than life personalities, was a major culture shock. After working in the business for over 15 years, Dwayne and I had encounters and experiences that were unbelievable as well as unforgettable. We can’t wait to bring this project to the fans.”

July 20, 2016

List of WWE Names Left Off Tonight’s Draft


The following is a list of WWE.com roster names who were left off tonight’s draft due to injury or special circumstances. As noted, Heath Slater was labeled “not drafted” by WWE, and no reason was given.

Emma (out with a back injury)
Heath Slater (not drafted)
Luke Harper (Injured with a torn ACL)
Nikki Bella (out with a neck injury)
The Rock (Only makes special appearances)
Rosa Mendes (Currently on maternity leave)
Ryback (Currently amidst a contract dispute)
Tamina Snuka (Injured with torn ligaments)
Triple H (Only makes special appearances)
Tyson Kidd (Out with a spinal cord injury)
The Undertaker (Only makes special appearances)

April 25, 2016

Sneak peek: Seth Green imagines kid wrestlers for 'Camp WWE'


Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and John Cena are superstars in a pro wrestling ring, but Seth Green is on a mission to make their kid selves just as entertaining while toasting marshmallows and driving grownups crazy.

The actor and longtime wrestling fan is reimagining grapplers as 8-year-old boys and girls at summer camp in the adult animated series Camp WWE. The show premieres on demand May 1 on the WWE Network streaming service.

Green and his team at Stoopid Buddy Stoodios regularly tackle pop culture with series such as Robot Chicken and SuperMansion, but with Camp WWE, Green says, “getting to introduce these characters to a different audience (and) a new generation in a way they’ve never seen before is like a unique kind of privilege for me.”

The summer camp is headed up by Vince McMahon — with the WWE chairman, president and CEO voicing himself — though he’s an even more over-the-top persona than in the ring, as he rides giraffes and takes swigs from McMahonade. His daughter Stephanie McMahon and Triple H are 15-year-old camp counselors, while “Nature Boy” Ric Flair and Sgt. Slaughter are activity supervisors for the kids.

January 30, 2016

WWE Issues Statement Responding to Accusations of Sexism


Following WWE programming last week, two story line points emerged which caused some stir on the internet and on social media, and lead to accusations of sexism towards women on WWE TV.

One of the story line points in question was when Ric Flair, at last Sunday’s Royal Rumble, forcibly kissed Becky Lynch during her match to distract her from Charlotte, an act which was mostly lauded by the announce team as a joke. The second story line was on WWE Raw this past week when The Rock delivered a speech to Lana describing an apparent sexual encounter the two had last year.

The story lines prompted writer Alex Groot to pen an editorial over at Vocativ.com, called “WWE’s Looming Sexism Problem”. The following is an article excerpt:

Sadly, such treatment is nothing new for Lana, real name C.J. Perry, who was once positioned in storyline as a strong, confident manager and mouthpiece for Rusev, the “Bulgarian Brute” who tore through much of the roster upon his arrival. But before long, John Cena was calling her a “ho” and suggesting she performed favors to procure matches, rival Ryback was taunting her about “going all the way” with a fellow competitor, and lead commentator Michael Cole led off an interview by probing into her sexual history.

What do all these characters have in common? They were positioned as babyfaces in their storylines, the good guys that fans were expected to support and cheer for. That, for far too long, has been the strange ethos of the WWE, where women are objects, crude name calling is to be cheered, and slut-shaming is righteous. Indeed, it is no secret that the company has a checkered, problematic past, not only with women, but with race, homophobia, and taking care of its own employees. The empire Vince McMahon built has a rather retrograde history, much like that of American professional wrestling, more broadly.

WWE issued an official statement to Vocativ, responding to the article, and it reads as follows:

“WWE programming, which features fictional characters that cover a range of personalities similar to movies and television shows, tells stories of good versus evil. In addition, as our on-going storylines develop, we will continue to position women as both strong competitors and compelling individuals.”

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