Dwayne Johnson has accumulated quite a reputation in the entertainment industry for his “walnut personality”, as categorized according to boxing legend Muhammad Ali’s typology, which basically goes to mean — hard on the outside, soft on the inside. However, celebrities rarely ever had a reputation for being utterly altruistic. The Rock, as the WWE veteran has come to be known, has recently been tied up in a mess that can soon lead to becoming a scandal, all for a UFC partnership deal.
Dwayne Johnson’s ‘Project Rock’ Ignites Scandal at UFC
On the surface, Dwayne Johnson‘s new sponsorship deal with the UFC might not strike as much of a big deal. But upon a closer inspection by some of the combat sports devotees, ugly facts rear their heads and unpleasant details about the exploitation of the industry’s fighters come to light. Until very recently, the Ultimate Fighting Championship was considered a hazardous liability for any big company to attach itself to. But the $70 million Reebok deal of 2014 changed all of that.
Also read: Dwayne Johnson Reveals How He Got the Name – ‘The Rock’
Now, with companies lining up to have their logos imprinted on the fighters’ chosen garb, this year, the Rock trumped them all with his talk of legacy and hard work. Project Rock is now collaborating with the UFC and is serving as its official footwear partner. But how much of this partnership serves to benefit the ones who actually make up the foundation of the industry? The deliberation has led to the discovery of financial details (or lack thereof) that could possibly indicate a brewing scam.
Missing Reports Point Toward Exploitation of UFC Fighters
In every major deal that has been made with the MMA industry, a fiscal report relevant to the partnership/sponsorship is presented to maintain a modicum of transparency as to who gets paid and how much. Those reports are published on well-founded websites like Yahoo Finance, Bleacher Report, and FightBook MMA. But this year’s Project Rock x UFC deal hasn’t been featured at the aforementioned sites due to the lacking updates.
Combat sports journalist, John Nash, brought the issue to public attention when allegations started surfacing about the partnership not only directly harming independent contractor revenues but also contributing to a side profit for the two parties involved, leaving barely any economic benefit for the fighters.
This surely seems upsetting for all parties involved, especially for Dwayne Johnson who’s making progress in his business ventures in leaps and bounds. But these allegations are merely just that, at this point, since none of the fighters have actually come forward voicing their discontentment. In fact, even Francis Ngannou, the heavyweight champion who has remained the most vocal about fighter pay has been singing nothing but praises for the Rock and his new venture at UFC.
Source: Sportsmanor
