NEWS: The XFL is Officially Official

Royal Rumble Airs Sunday, Jan. 28! Subscribe to WWE Network To Get Your First Month Free & Instant Access To All Special Events

NEWS: WWE Chairman Vince McMahon called a press conference this afternoon to officially announce his latest venture, the resurrection of the failed 2001 football league the XFL. McMahon announced that the $100 million dollar self financed eight team league will begin its first season in 2020. McMahon promises this version of the XFL will be different than the last one that quickly fizzled after only one season of play. For starters, McMahon pledges that the games will be gimmick free: no more He Hate Me types and also the games will be shorter. McMahon hopes to keep all the action to under two hours. McMahon also promised that no one with a criminal record would ever play in the league, which would hypothetically eliminate some of his own WWE Superstars. McMahon promised to make the XFL politics free stating,

"People don't want social and political issues coming into play when they are trying to be entertained. We want someone who wants to take a knee to do their version of that on their special time."

If anyone tries taking a knee or making a political display that some speculate has cost the NFL in ratings, McMahon, who owns all eight teams, has an answer for that as well,

"I can say, 'Here are the rules, and as long as you are playing football in the stadium for us, you follow these rules."

While 2020 may seem like a long wait to most fans, there is a method to McMahon's madness. He has learned from his previous mistakes with the 2001 XFL,

"It's extremely important that we have time to get together and get them practicing so we can have a quality product."

McMahon believes the league will be a success in 2018 because unlike the early oughts, television ratings are no longer the main determining factor in determining success,

"To me the landscape has changed in so many different ways. Just look at technology and companies like Facebook and Amazon bidding for sports rights. Even if ratings go down, there's no denying that live sports rights continue to be valuable and continue to deliver."

Interestingly each player in the XFL will be given a yearly salary; however, McMahon plans to pay players more for excelling on the field,

"To me that's common sense. Everyone in America lives when they perform, they get a raise or bonus. That's capitalism."

McMahon doesn't see his league as direct competition to the NFL, nor does he see his league as a developmental league or a feeder league. Instead the 72 year old head of the WWE plans to learn from the NFL's mistakes, as well as his own. Whatever the outcome of the new league, McMahon is $100 million worth of serious and dead set on success.