Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson – one of the most famous professional wrestlers of all-time – is a fan of one of the sport's newest ventures, All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The company has been around for just over a year, but has already had success in snatching an audience away from the WWE, which has had a monopoly on the sport for decades. Johnson holds a pivotal role in the legacy of the WWE, only adding to the intrigue of him tuning in to watch one of the company's rivals attempt to thrive.
Before he was one of the highest-paid actors in all of Hollywood, Johnson was a professional wrestler, like his father before him. After a short professional football career, Johnson began pursuing professional wrestling in the mid-90s, eventually becoming one of the biggest figures in the history of the WWE. He was a two-time WCW champion, two-time WWF intercontinental champion and eight-time WWE champion before moving primarily towards acting in the mid-00s.
That's why his endorsement of the upstart AEW is so significant. During a live chat on his Instagram on Sunday, Johnson was responding to fan questions, one of which was about what he was watching during these quarantine days. He immediately launched into praise for AEW, saying "Yeah, I watch AEW. I'm very happy for the success of that company because it's always a good thing and it creates a hunger, which is good."
AEW presents a natural rival to the WWE. They've signed some of the top talent and executives away from the WWE and have poached some of the top young wrestlers in the sport. The company has also generated a lot of positive reviews for their AEW Dynamite program, which has been airing on TNT since the beginning of October. While the ratings for the series have sagged over time, TNT extended the company's contract through 2023, suggesting the network has plenty of faith in the growth of AEW.
The sport of wrestling has generated plenty of headlines during the coronavirus pandemic, with the spotlight seemingly increasing by the day. The WWE pulled off WrestleMania 36, albeit under strange circumstances without fans. The sport has also been declared "essential" in Florida (despite recommendations), meaning it can keep being filmed without fans under the state's stay-at-home orders. Ronda Rousey has also generated headlines for the WWE, though for the wrong reasons. It's unclear how much longer AEW will be airing episodes of their flagship show due to the coronavirus, but having the backing of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will almost certainly be a boon for the company's bottom line.
Source: Dwayne Johnson/Instagram
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