Mick Foley is a big fan of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, being part of a group that bought the XFL. The WWE Hall of Famer talked to TMZ about Johnson’s big move and said his relationship with his ex-wife and business partner, Dany Garcia is what makes him a great individual. When the announcement was made on Monday, Johnson said it was Garcia who made the purchase possible.
“The greatest part of this announcement is that one of his partners in this venture is his former wife, Dany Garcia,” Foley said. “The Rock not only sets an example on how to conduct yourself as a human being, an actor, a philanthropist but as a former husband.” Johnson and Garcia got married in 1997 but divorced in 2007. At the time of their divorce, they promised each other to stay in each other’s lives as “best friends,” which has led to them being strong business partners.
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“I think that’s a great lesson for everyone to learn for the fact that they can stay amazing friends, be amazing parents to Simone, and then take on these business ventures,” Foley added. Johnson and Garcia teamed up with RedBird Capital (led by Gerry Cardinale). The group bought the pro football league for $15 million hours before it was set to be up for auction.
“For Dwayne, Gerry and myself, this property represents an incredible opportunity. It is the confluence of great passion, tradition and possibility,” Garcia said in a press release. “Sports and entertainment are the foundations of the businesses I have built. Melding our expertise combined with our commitment to deliver exciting and inspiring unique content has us all focused on developing the XFL brand into a multi-media experience that our athletes, partners, and fans will proudly embrace and love.”
For Johnson, this allows him to be involved in football again after playing for the University of Miami back in the early 90s. “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,” Johnson said in a statement. Johnson and Foley have known each other for over 20 years. WWE fans loved the two together when they were a tag team called Rock n’ Sock Connection. The duo won the WWF Tag Team Championship three times.
