Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson reveals awkward talks with NFL chief Roger Goodell after buying XFL ahead of Championship Game
DWAYNE Johnson has revealed he held talks with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about a potential partnership after acquiring the XFL.
The Rock, 51, assured Goodell he wasn't resurrecting the spring football league to compete with his league — and received a promising response from the NFL chief.
Johnson opened up on his decision to buy the XFL in an appearance on The Pivot Podcast just a few days before the 2023 XFL Championship Game.
The actor and former wrestler said he did worry that the idea of spring football might simply doesn't work before signing on the dotted line.
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But The Rock decided to go ahead with the acquisition in 2020 to create opportunities for football prospects who go undrafted and don't make it to the NFL — like him in 1995.
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Johnson and his business partner and ex-wife, Dany Garcia, then reached out to Goodell to see if the NFL and XFL could join forces to grow the game.
"I felt like — and Dany [Garcia] felt like this too — if we can take our time, let’s not try and put [the XFL] on its feet too quick," he said.
"Let’s go to New York and sit with Roger Goodell and Troy Vincent, hat in hand, respectfully. 'Here’s what we’d like to do...' And we did that, by the way.
"So we flew up to New York after we made the acquisition.
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"Sat with Roger and Troy and some of their other executives and said, ‘Here’s what we’d like to do. There is no competition with the NFL. That’s the gold standard.’
"I said, ‘But what we’d love to do is try and grow the game of football out of respect. Is there a way that we could find a partnership?’
"And Roger looked right at me and said, ‘Yes.’ Looked right at all of us and said, ‘Yes.’"
The first XFL championship game in the Rock era will take place on May 13 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
It will feature the Alington Renegades and DC Defenders with the latter being the overwhelming favorite after finishing the regular season with a 9-1 record.
Johnson is reportedly hoping for the XFL to expand in 2025, potentially adding five franchises to the competition.
