Over the years, the Champ has gone through several other iterations, from tube to solid-state, from tweed to Tolex, but it consistently remained a key piece of gear for casual players and professional artists alike. While both of these early versions were tweed, the Champ was overhauled in 1964 in the “blackface” style with a black Tolex covering.Īs with the rest of Fender’s amp lineup, the Champ and Vibro Champ were outfitted with the “silverface” look in 1968, and that existed until 1982, a year thtat birthed the Champ II with 18 watts of power, a 10-inch speaker and newly designed circuitry. It was soon replaced by the even-smaller Champion 600 a year later. The Champ storied history began in 1948 as a 4-watt amp with a single 8-inch speaker in the form of the original Champion 800. To this day, the Champ continues it’s long run of popularity, especially with the tweed '57 Custom Champ.
And in 2011, Fender honored that relationship with Clapton’s signature tweed tube EC Vibro Champ. When you hear “Layla,” “Bell Bottom Blues” and “I Shot the Sheriff,” you’re hearing an original-era Champ. Need proof? One of the most notable artists to rely on the Champ is Eric Clapton.Ī tweed Champ was Clapton’s main studio amp for 1970 Derek and the Dominos masterpiece Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs and for acclaimed 1974 solo album 461 Ocean Boulevard. Small but mighty, it has delighted, inspired and surprised guitarists since 1948 as an indispensable practice amp and prized recording amp, which means that for well more than half a century now, nothing beats a Champ. "With pride and gratitude for all that I've built with my own two hands, I plan to apply these callouses to the XFL, and look forward to creating something special for the players, fans, and everyone involved for the love of football.Few amps have been in the Fender family longer or in more varied forms than the venerable Champ. In August 2020, Johnson announced that he teamed up with his wife and a sports management company to buy the XFL, which went bankrupt earlier in the year, for $15 million. "The acquisition of the XFL with my talented partners, Dany Garcia and Gerry Cardinale, is an investment for me that's rooted deeply in two things-my passion for the game and my desire to always take care of the fans," Johnson said in a statement. The show stars Johnson and other actors playing younger versions of the actor.
In 2021, Young Rock, a television series about the life of Johson, premiered. Johnson returned to his wrestling roots by appearing as himself in Fighting with My Family (2019), based on the true story of female wrestling champion Saraya "Paige" Bevis. Later that year, he was back in action mode with the Fast & Furious spinoff Hobbs & Shaw, alongside Jason Statham. Next up for the action star was Rampage, based on the popular 1980s arcade game, which hit theaters a few months before the July release of Skyscraper. Johnson returned to this role the following year for The Scorpion King. Trying his hand at comedy, he appeared in 2005's Be Cool with John Travolta and Uma Thurman and 2007's The Game Plan. He first made a big splash as the Scorpion King, a supernatural bad guy, in 2001's The Mummy Returns.
Outside the wrestling ring, The Rock launched a successful acting career, dropping the stage name and simply going by Dwayne Johnson. Also known as "The People's Champ," The Rock went on to win a combined 17 WWE titles over his acclaimed career. He later joined another band of elite wrestlers known as The Corporation and began a notorious feud with Steve Austin. A year later, he joined The Nation of Domination, eventually taking over its leadership and calling himself The Rock.
After a couple more matches, including a tag team win with Bart Sawyer, the WWE signed him under the name Flex Kavana. With few prospects in professional football, Johnson turned to wrestling, debuting in the WWE against the Brooklyn Brawler in Texas.