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Dwayne Johnson, better known as 'The Rock,' has just been appointed to the board of directors at TKO Group Holdings, the American media conglomerate presiding over both the UFC and WWE.
The announcement led to a massive 23% spike in TKO Group Holdings' stock price. A tweet from MMA personality Jed I. Goodman highlighted the growth the stock saw on X (formerly Twitter).
Check out the tweet below:
While the complete terms of the deal involving 'The Rock' are yet to be disclosed, it appears to feature a promotional and merchandising agreement that will allow the WWE to use his name for up to a decade. In exchange, Johnson will be given $30 million in stocks.
It represents a shrewd business move by Johnson, who has experienced unprecedented levels of success in the entertainment and combat sports world. With regards to the UFC, he inked a sponsorship deal with the promotion, with the fighters now being required to wear his Project Rock shoes.
However, it is his agreement with WWE that will draw fan interest due to his past as a performer in the pro-wrestling promotion. Furthermore, he made a recent appearance in which he teased a future program with reigning Undisputed WWE Universal champion, Roman Reigns.
Both men have been linked to a potential program for some time now, with many believing that they will headline a WrestleMania together. Whether that comes to fruition or not remains to be seen, but fans will certainly tune in the moment the WWE and Johnson decide to commit to the storyline.
When Dwayne Johnson considered becoming an MMA fighter
During a recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, Dwayne Johnson claimed that he once strongly considered signing with PRIDE back in 1997 due to the poor fan reaction he was receiving in WWE (then WWF) and the higher pay fighters enjoyed in Japan. He said:
"I started talking to Ken Shamrock at that time, who's wrestling with us. I run into Mark Kerr, I start talking to him, 'Hey, tell me a little bit about PRIDE.' And I have this idea in my head, 'Maybe I should train to MMA.""
Check out Dwayne Johnson talk (0:00) about how close he came to fighting in MMA in the clip below:
He further claimed to have sought advice about fighting in PRIDE from Ken Shamrock and Mark Kerr, who were signed to PRIDE in 2000 and 1998 respectively.
