At last, the XFL has completed its first season since being reborn in 2020. In Saturday’s Championship Game, the Arlington Defenders defeated the DC Defenders 35-26 in a memorable upset.
Quarterback Luis Perez, who had joined the Renegades via midseason trade from the Vegas Vipers, was adjudged MVP of the game after completing 26 of 36 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns. But during the trophy presentation, viewers just could not help but take a look at the face of owner Dwayne Johnson, particularly in this shot:
Dwayne Johnson while handing out the XFL Championship Trophy (Image Source: Twitter/@espn)
The fans showed immediate worry over what they perceived to be Johnson’s aging:
A brief look at Dwayne Johnson’s involvement with the XFL
The XFL currently owned by Dwayne Johnson was founded in 2018 by his former employer Vince McMahon, who has also owned its 2001 incarnation, with plans to play its inaugural season in 2020. Said inaugural season began smoothly on February 8, a week after Super Bowl LIV, with the Championship Game set for April 26.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic soon dramatically affected the world, and the XFL was among the sports leagues hit the hardest. The season was cancelled halfway through the season, and the league eventually filed for bankruptcy.
That August, a consortium led by Johnson and his former wife Dany Garcia bought the XFL from McMahon for $ 15 million. In a press release, he said:
“The acquisition of the XFL with my talented partners, Dany Garcia and Gerry Cardinale, is an investment for me that’s rooted deeply in two things — my passion for the game and my desire to always take care of the fans. With pride and gratitude for all that I’ve built with my own two hands, I plan to apply these callouses to the XFL, and look forward to creating something special for the players, fans, and everyone involved for the love of football.”
The league was initially supposed to resume play last year, but it was deferred to 2023.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson reveals plans for the 2024 XFL season
It is safe to say that the new XFL has been a great success so far, having played its first full season. And asked whether there would be another, Garcia told USA Today in late March:
“Absolutely, there will be a 2024 XFL football season.”
She also revealed that the league was already planning for 2024 even as 2023 was ongoing:
“This will come out later as far as what these dates are, but we have our showcases, we have our future combine, we are planning our dates.”
Johnson concurred with her, saying that the XFL was not a mere experiment for him, but rather an investment:
This isn’t one-and-done. This isn’t ‘let’s expand the portfolio, let’s make a little money and let’s get out of the game.’ This truly is a passion project that has dated back to when we were kids coming out of the University of Miami.
