Dwayne Johnson Joins TKO Board, Gains Full Ownership of ‘The Rock’ Name
WWE and Hollywood Star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has joined the Board of Directors at TKO.
TKO has disclosed the appointment of Dwayne Johnson, popularly known as “The Rock,” to its Board of Directors. Additionally, Johnson has been given complete ownership rights to the “The Rock” trademark.
TKO Executive Chairman Vince McMahon praised The Rock for his unparalleled understanding of sports, entertainment, media, and business while TKO CEO Ariel Emanuel also expressed excitement about partnering with him, highlighting his remarkable talent in content creation and brand building.
TKO appoints Dwayne Johnson to Board of Directors@TheRock @WWE @ufc pic.twitter.com/bhTgADAEb7
— TKO (@TKOGrp) January 23, 2024
WWE has also engaged in a services and merchandising agreement with Dwayne Johnson, granting him ownership of the trademark “The Rock.” The name honors his father, WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson, and his grandfather, Peter Maivia, a posthumous WWE Hall of Famer.
The Rock was also present at NYSE with some other TKO board members and executives to ring the opening bell.
As a third-generation performer, Johnson commenced his WWE journey in 1996, establishing himself as one of the organization’s premier Superstars throughout its storied history. In WWE, The Rock secured the WWE Championship eight times, claimed the Tag Team Championship on five occasions, and held the Intercontinental Title twice.
He was one of the biggest stars in the company during his run in WWE from 1997 to 2003. He has returned to WWE for several more appearances and to headline WrestleMania in 2012 and 2013 against John Cena.
In his Hollywood career, The Rock has starred in several popular movies like Jumani series, Fast and Furious series, Journey, G.I. Joe, and most recently, Black Adam. He has garnered significant acclaim, winning Teen Choice Awards for Choice Fantasy Movie Actor and NAACP Image Awards for Entertainer of the Year. Additionally, TIME recognized him as one of the world’s most influential people in 2016 and 2019.
The Rock made a WWE TV comeback recently at WWE Raw Day One on January 1, taking down Jinder Mahal and teasing a future showdown with Roman Reigns.
