LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 08: WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon speaks at a news conference announcing the WWE Network at the 2014 International CES at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas on January 8, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The network will launch on February 24, 2014 as the first-ever 24/7 streaming network, offering both scheduled programs and video on demand. The USD 9.99 per month subscription will include access to all 12 live WWE pay-per-view events each year. CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs through January 10 and is expected to feature 3,200 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to about 150,000 attendees. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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Laugh all you want, but it looks as if the XFL making a return is getting closer to becoming a reality than most may think.

Last week, a rumor had started making the rounds that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was aiming to revive the XFL, the rebel football league he started with NBC that only lasted for one whole season back in 2001. While WWE never denied the rumors completely, most just laughed it off as a crazy McMahon idea that would never really come to fruition.

Well, if you’re leaning toward the side of doubt, you might want to lean the other way.

ESPN’s Darren Rovell is reporting on Thursday that McMahon and Alpha Entertainment, the separate company that Vince is starting to run this venture and possibly a few others, have filed for five different trademarks in relation to the football league. So, the reality is really beginning to set in that the XFL could be making its return sooner rather than later.

Vince McMahon's Alpha Entertainment has filed for five trademarks to "XFL." — Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) December 21, 2017

It should also be noted that this report from Rovell came on Thursday not too long after it was revealed McMahon had sold many of his WWE shares to help fund his new Alpha Entertainment group.

Vince McMahon just sold 3.34m shares of $WWE to fund his "Alpha Entertainment LLC". (That would be worth about $105m+ USD at current stock price.)https://t.co/zj12YzrI5W pic.twitter.com/kRVL2aUioN — Chris Harrington (@mookieghana) December 21, 2017

There are still a lot of hoops to jump through in regards to getting the renegade football league back up and running again, but the movements we’ve seen on Thursday show that the wheels are in motion for an alternative to the NFL to make its way back into our lives.

Now, whether or not McMahon and whomever he’ll be partnering with to bring another brand of football to the table for us can right the wrongs we saw back in 2001 to make sure things are more successful this time around … well, that remains to be seen. And it appears as if we’re going to get the chance to find out.