Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson may have moved on from WWE to making Hollywood blockbusters, but the former pro wrestler has never forgotten his roots. He makes regular cameos on WWE whenever the opportunity presents itself. The last time The Rock appeared in the ring was during WWE SmackDown’s premier episode in 2019.
Recently, while appearing on the Pat McAfee Show, he was asked about his thoughts about the merger between WWE and UFC. The conversation took this turn when McAfee asked, “Did you think you’d ever see the day Vince (McMahon) would sell the company?” In response, the Rock said, “No, I never thought Vince would ever sell the company, but I’m not surprised, because he’s always about the big picture, he’s always about growth.”
The Rock was clearly taken aback by Vince McMahon’s decision to sell the company, but this is not the first time he has pitched in on this topic. At the beginning of the year, The Rock mentioned that a merger between the WWE and UFC is a long time coming.
Dwayne Johnson thinks Vince McMahon and Dana White will work well together
In the past, The Rock has even spoken about Dana White and Vince McMahon. “I see smooth sailing with those guys. They’ve known each other for a very long time,” Rock said earlier this year. “We all have, as a matter of fact, and I see smooth sailing with this.”
According to the new structure, Ari Emanuel will be CEO of the UFC-WWE combined company, with Vince McMahon serving as executive chairman. Dana White will remain president of the UFC while Nick Khan will be president of WWE.
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Currently, the combined assets of the two companies stand at a staggering $21 billion. Moreover, there are plans in place to make the UFC-WWE conglomerate a publicly traded company. The timeline for this process is somewhere between five to six months. This merger is undoubtedly one of the biggest in sports history. As such, combat sports will be changed forever in the coming years thanks to this development.
Fortunately for White and McMahon, the two will still have creative control over their own ventures with any disagreements to be handled in-house. Both bosses would be glad to have autonomy, which will allow for the smooth running of their respective organizations, albeit under one umbrella.
What do you guys think of this merger? Let us know in the comments below.