Johnson, in an interview on CNBC, would not discuss the financial value of the deal with WWE, but said that the name “The Rock” means a lot to him personally.
It is a name that has become almost synonymous with professional wrestling but its bearer, Dwayne Johnson, has never legally owned “The Rock.”
That will change under a new agreement with the WWE under which Johnson will also join the board of TKO Group, the sports and entertainment company that houses
Johnson began his wrestling career with WWE in 1996. The third-generation wrestler became famous for rivalries with wrestlers including “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Triple H and his finishing maneuver, The Rock Bottom, according to his biography on WWE’s website. He has won eight WWE championships, has a New York Times bestselling autobiography, “The Rock Says,” and starred in movies including “Fast X,” “Black Adam,” “Jungle Cruise” and ”Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.”
Johnson has recently appeared on World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.’s “Smackdown” and “Raw” television programs, with rumors swirling that he may compete at this year’s WrestleMania.
“I am thrilled to partner with Dwayne and welcome his immense talent to TKO’s Board,” TKO CEO Ariel Emanuel said in a prepared statement. “Dwayne brings an incredible track record of creating content and building globally recognized consumer brands, and he will play a key role in realizing our ambitions for TKO.”
TKO also announced Tuesday that Brad Keywell will become a board member. Keywell has co-founded and led multiple companies, including Groupon, Echo Global Logistics, MediaOcean, and Uptake Technologies, where he is currently founder and executive chairman.
The additions of Johnson and Keywell will increase TKO’s board from 11 to 13 members.
Shares of TKO Group surged more than 19% in morning trading after TKO announced WWE’s weekly television show “Raw” will move to Netflix next year as part of a major streaming deal worth more than $5 billion.
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The post Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson gets rights to one of the most famous nicknames in entertainment, his own appeared first on TheGrio.
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