Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson acquires XFL

(L-r) Kevin Hart as Calvin and Dwayne Johnson as Bob in "Central Intelligence." CREDIT: Claire Folger, Warner Bros. Pictures

By The Associated Press

Former wrestling star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson said he has acquired the XFL.

The 48-year-old Johnson made the announcement Monday  on Twitter. The price reportedly is $15 million.

The XFL had eight franchises and played five games out of a planned 10-game schedule before canceling the remainder of its season in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It drew decent TV ratings early on and had deals with ESPN and Fox.

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The league suspended operations and laid off all of its employees on April 10 and filed for bankruptcy protection on April 13.

Since ending his wrestling career, Johnson has became a movie star, including in the “Fast & Furious” and “Jumanji” franchises.

Spring football is a difficult challenge, as the Alliance of American Football found out in 2019, not lasting a full season, either.

A previous version of the XFL also played one season in 2001.