The deal was so close you could smell it: Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson says he was cooking up a nearly done deal to purchase and refurbish the Mr. Olympia bodybuilding competition before plans fell through.
- “We were close,” Johnson said during an interview with entrepreneur and podcaster Patrick Bet-David. “We were in discussions [with the Olympia].”
In the years following his retirement from pro wrestling, Johnson has pivoted to becoming a business magnate with involvement in everything from Hollywood to tequila. Still, Johnson remains a fan of competitive bodybuilding — and almost bagged its biggest event.
Dwayne Johnson on Buying the Mr. Olympia
Host Bet-David remarked that not selling the “O” to Johnson was an error on the organization’s part. “The sport isn’t what it was 10, 15 years ago,” he said. Johnson seemed to agree:
- “The Arnolds of the day, plus Frank Zane, they really had some impressive physiques.”
In 2020, the Mr. Olympia was sold to Jake Wood. When Bet-David asked if Johnson retained any interest in acquiring the organization, Johnson replied with a succinct, “No.”
He didn’t explain the pullback, but Johnson nodded as Bet-David outlined his concerns with scaling the business.
Still, Johnson has maintained close ties to the Olympia and its organizers for years. Johnson hosted the event in 2016, where the organization dubbed him its “Man of the Century.”
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The Mr. Olympia by Dwayne Johnson: Would It Work?
As one of the most prolific movie stars and captains of industry on Earth, Johnson’s prospective acquisition of the Mr. Olympia seems like a no-brainer. After all, Johnson himself is an avid recreational bodybuilder whose Hollywood pedigree hinges in part on maintaining a lean, mean, larger-than-life appearance.
Not all of Johnson’s business ventures have been successful in recent years, though. The star had high hopes for his role in 2022’s Black Adam, which Johnson hoped to use as his inroad into assuming command of the meandering DC Cinematic Universe.
- In 2023, Variety reported on Johnson’s attempted coup of DC’s cinematic wing, which included a robust pitch to Warner Bros. Discovery head David Zlasav.
- Months later, The Wrap outlined Johnson’s attempted strong-arming of DC, which ultimately resulted in Johnson’s ejection from the franchise after the underperformance of both Adam and would-be screen rival Shazam.
Any bodybuilding fan will tell you that the sport is its own beast, but Johnson, even with his occasional entrepreneurial stumble, certainly knows how to put on a good show.
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The Mr. Olympia’s historic 60th contest takes place from Oct. 10 to 13 in Las Vegas, NV. Speaking to BarBend on Sep. 11, 2024, Olympia President Solomon spoke confidently about the organization’s prospects going forward:
- “The [Mr. Olympia] has long been the gold standard. We take that responsibility seriously and our team is constantly looking for ways to grow the event, the brand, and the sport as a whole.”
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Featured Image: @therock / Instagram
