After failing under the ownership of WWE owner Vince MacMahon 22 years ago and suffering a false start in its 2020 return, the XFL returned at the weekend and, for the most part, the spring league got off to a strong start.
Now under the ownership of WWE legend Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and his ex-wife Dany Garcia, who bought the league from his former wrestling boss after the 2020 season was cut short due to COVID-19, the eight-team league has returned to fill the void following the end of the NFL season earlier this month.
Headline-making former NFL star Josh Gordon was one of the shining lights on Sunday night, although he could not help the Seattle Sea Dragons make a winning start on the road with the DC Defenders winning 22-18 at Audi Field.
Gordon, 31, earned first-team all-pro honours as a breakout star with the Cleveland Browns and he won the Super Bowl with the New England Patriots in 2018, but his NFL career was marred by off-field issues and several violations of the league's substance abuse policy – missing three whole seasons due to suspensions.
Josh Gordon in action for the Seattle Sea Dragons. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)His last NFL gig came in a two-game stint with the Tenessee Titans in 2022, but he showed that he can certainly still play with six catches for 74 yards and a touchdown in his XFL debut, and that scoring grab evoked memories of Kansas City Chiefs superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
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The shovel pass has become one of the reigning NFL and Super Bowl MVP's trademark plays, and Sea Dragons QB Ben DiNucci, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys, scrambled to his left under pressure and he came up with an inspired flick toss on the run to find Gordon in the endzone.
The viewing figures for Week One of the XFL season are yet to be released, but all four games drew in crowds in excess of 12,000 and highlight-reel moments from big names like Gordon will be vital to making the league stick after two previously failed attempts.
Gordon is perhaps the biggest name Johnson and his investors have got on board this season, with former NFL stars Vic Beasley and Martavias Bryant on the Vegas Vipers' roster, while veteran NFL backup and ex-Alabama Crimson Tide hero AJ McCarron is playing under centre for the St Louis Battlehawks.
Ben DiNucci of the Seattle Sea Dragons flips a pass for a touchdown to Josh Gordon. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)Johnson, who played as a defensive tackle in college for the Miami Hurricanes before a brief stint in the Canadian Football League before turning to professional wrestling, was in attendance for the clash between the Vegas Vipers and the Arlington Renegades on Saturday.
In keeping with his electric WWE promos, he took the microphone before kick-off and told the crowd: "We say this with great gratitude and humility, and an insane level of excitement. I declare these words as we kick off our season: XFL, let's ball out baby."
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