Are the St. Louis BattleHawks coming back following purchase of XFL by ‘The Rock’?
Known by professional wrestling fans around the world as “The Rock,” Dwayne Johnson returned to his athletic roots Monday when he and his business partners purchased the XFL.
ESPN reported Monday that Johnson, a former defensive lineman at the University of Miami before becoming one of the most successful professional wrestlers and actors in the world, along with business partner Dany Garcia and Redbird Capital Partners, has agreed to pay $15 million for the XFL.
The group said the XFL, whose eight teams include the St. Louis BattleHawks, plans to have a season in 2021..
Started and previously owned by WWE owner Vince McMahon, the XFL declared Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in April. Since that time, the XFL has sought buyers with the group headed by Johnson buying the league Monday.
The sale is pending approval of a bankruptcy judge Friday.
Johnson issued the following the statement:
“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,” he said.
This will be the XFL’s third attempt at establishing itself. Following a failed attempt in 2001, the league came back in 2020 only to have the season suspended and eventually canceled at the midway point by the COVID-19 pandemic.
St. Louis had a 3-2 record at the time of the shutdown and was the league’s most successful franchise. Featuring a wide-open offense led by quarterback Jordan Ta’Amu, the BattleHawks had drawn two of the league’s three largest crowds while winning both their home games at the Dome at America’s Center in downtown St. Louis.
One of the top players in the XFL, Ta’Amu signed a free agent contract with the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in March.
