The Rock Becomes Board Member of WWE's Parent Company TKO, Obtains Trademark to Name

Legendary WWE Superstar Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was named a member of the TKO Group Holdings board of directors Tuesday.

TKO, which is the name of the company formed by the WWE-UFC merger, also added another board member in Brad Keywell, bringing the number of board members from 11 to 13.

In a press release distributed by TKO, Johnson divulged that he has also taken full ownership of the trademark for his nickname "The Rock" as part of the agreement, saying:

"My grandfather, 'High Chief' Peter Maivia, and my dad, Rocky 'Soulman' Johnson, would've never thought this day would come. Which is why I'm very humbled to have a seat at the table that has decades of history and family legacy for me. A table that my family helped to build. Being on the TKO board of directors, and taking full ownership of my name, 'The Rock,' is not only unprecedented, but incredibly inspiring as my crazy life is coming full circle.

"At my core, I'm a builder who builds for and serves the people, and [TKO CEO] Ari [Emanuel] is building something truly game changing. I'm very motivated to help continue to globally expand our TKO, WWE, and UFC businesses as the worldwide leaders in sports and entertainment—while proudly representing so many phenomenal athletes and performers who show up every day putting in the hard work with their own two hands to make their dreams come true and deliver for our audiences. I've been there, I'm still there and this is for them."

Vince McMahon, who was the longtime owner of WWE and is the current executive chairman of the board for TKO, commented on the move as well, saying: "Very few people on the planet understand the convergence of sports, entertainment, media and business like Rock. We are proud to have him join the TKO board to help take our company to new heights."

WWE legend and head of creative Triple H welcomed The Rock to the board of directors in the following post on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well:

The Rock signed with WWE in 1996, and after a shaky start under the name Rocky Maivia, he eventually transformed his attitude and character, becoming The Rock.

With that, he went on to become an eight-time WWE champion, two-time WCW champion, five-time WWE tag team champion, two-time intercontinental champion and one-time Royal Rumble winner.

The Rock departed WWE in 2004 to embark on a Hollywood acting career, and he has gone on to become one of the most recognizable and successful actors in the world.

By joining the TKO board of directors, The Rock brings not only his pro wrestling expertise to the table, but also a knowledge of how to cross over and enjoy success in other realms.

The Rock, 51, has made sporadic appearances for WWE over the past two decades, with the most recent one occurring on an episode of Raw earlier this month.

At the end of his appearance, The Rock mentioned "The Head of the Table," which is one of the nicknames of his cousin and reigning undisputed WWE universal champion Roman Reigns.

That has led to rumors and speculation of a Rock vs. Reigns dream match potentially taking place at WrestleMania 40 in April, although that hasn't been confirmed.

However, with The Rock being part of TKO's board of directors, it presumably opens the door for him to work more closely with WWE moving forward, including more potential appearances and even matches.

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