In it's initial incarnation, the XFL used some of the biggest personalities from the WWE to draw attention to the sporting vision of Vince McMahon.
In one of the more iconic instances of the league's existence, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson cut a live promo before one of the league's premier games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum between the LA and Chicago teams. (check the video nostalgia below.)
This year, the XFL was slated to return and while there was some promise, the ongoing pandemic served as the final nail in the coffin for the organization.
What makes the move especially interesting is that this most recent go for the XFL was moving along well prior to the forced cancellations that came with Covid. There was a television deal in place with Fox to broadcast games. McMahon announced the revival of the league in 2018 and in two years developed an 8-team league with genuine interest from a football-enamored audience.
The first week of broadcast the league enjoyed some 5 million viewers. Though the number dwindled in the subsequent weeks, the outlook was auspicious up until the fifth week when all sporting events were forced to cancel. The league will file for bankruptcy shortly there after.
Slated to hit the auction block in bankruptcy proceedings, it now looks as there will be a new chapter in the legacy of the XFL. In a last minute move, the same man that once cut promos for the league is now the owner of it. As first reported by Sportico The Rock has teamed up with RedBird Capital to acquire the league before it went to auction for a $15mil price tag.
Though there are no additional details as to what Redbird and The Rock will be doing with the XFL, the investment firm recently acquired French soccer team Toulouse and holds properties with the New York Yankees and the NFL among others.
