Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 28 (Reuters) - The XFL and USFL said on Thursday that the two troubled American grid iron leagues plan to merge and begin play next year. The XFL is owned by movie star Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson while the USFL is under the ownership of Fox Corp. In a joint statement the XFL and USFL said the merger will be subject to customary regulatory approvals. Neither the XFL or USFL or a new league pose a threat to NFL dominance with the merged entity continuing to play a Spring schedule. McMahon relaunched the league in 2020 but never finished the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Persons: Landry Jones, Kirby Lee, Dwayne, Johnson, Vince McMahon, McMahon, Steve Keating Organizations: Dallas Renegades, XFL, LA Wildcats, Health Sports Park, The Renegades, Wildcats, USA, USFL, Fox Corp, National Football League, Fox, NBC, Disney, NFL, longtime WWE, RedBird Capital Partners, Thomson Locations: Carson , California, USA, U.S, Toronto