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Give the internet credit for this one – everyone figured out almost instantly that whatever’s going on between Tom Brady and Logan Paul is what wrestling fans call a shoot. That’s insider terminology for something that blurs the line between real and scripted.
Brady and Paul probably don’t actually hate each other. But that’s not really the point. People are watching them try to convince the world otherwise, and it’s working. Wild stunts built for attention are basically the Paul brothers’ whole business model. Turns out, they might be Brady’s retirement plan too.
For anyone who missed it: Brady slapped Logan Paul on stage at Fanatics Fest last week, following some back-and-forth trash talk on social media. WWE happily posted the clip themselves – which tells you everything about how “real” this whole thing actually is.
Then, just a few days later, cameras caught Brady and Paul flipping each other off at the World Cup final on Sunday. Paul sold the anger a little better, if we’re being honest and keeping score.
None of this is out of character for Paul. He and his brother Jake built massive social media followings and turned that fame into real stints in WWE and boxing. For Brady, though, it’s new territory – and there’s been plenty of criticism already about the NFL’s greatest quarterback getting into kayfabe (wrestling’s term for staged storylines presented as real) with an internet personality. He’s already hinting he wants to actually get in the ring.
Brady clearly isn’t interested in being some retired quarterback who quietly enjoys his ownership stake and fades into the background. Fair enough.
Tom Brady’s not the first NFL/WWE crossover
Brady isn’t breaking new ground here. Lawrence Taylor headlined WrestleMania 11 back in the day. Rob Gronkowski walked away with the WWE’s 24/7 championship at WrestleMania 36. Even William Perry, of “Fridge” fame, threw hands in a battle royal at WrestleMania 2.
So if this whole thing is building toward Brady wrestling Paul at SummerSlam, or teaming up with Gronk against the Paul brothers at some future Survivor Series – none of that would be shocking. It wouldn’t be beneath Brady, either. NFL quarterback might feel like a sacred job title in this country, but let’s not act like crossing into pro wrestling diminishes it.
Sure, it looked a little strange watching the NFL’s only seven-time Super Bowl champion flip off Logan Paul at the biggest sporting event on the planet. But there are far worse midlife crises out there than landing in a WWE storyline.
Brady’s doing retirement his own way.
Brady is still in the public eye
Brady’s career doesn’t really have a comparison point in American sports. He went from a sixth-round afterthought to – arguably, and certainly by trophy count – the greatest player in his sport’s history. And he did it inside a Patriots organization that discouraged personality, quirks, or anything resembling individuality from its players.
Now he’s making up for lost time. He owns a piece of the Raiders and plays an active role there. He’s cashing in as Fox’s top announcer, reportedly for a record-breaking contract, one that required the NFL to bend its own ownership rules just so he could keep the job. He’s funny and active on social media, unlike his playing days. He fronts an annual flag football event as a side project. And now, at almost 50, he’s slapping WWE stars on live TV and openly talking about wrestling for real.
There’s a real chance Brady turns himself into a heel again – wrestling terminology for the villain – just like fans once turned on him and the Patriots dynasty. He doesn’t seem bothered by that possibility one bit. When WWE star Cody Rhodes asked him at Fanatics Fest whether he’d rather play the good guy (babyface, in wrestling terms) or the villain, Brady didn’t hesitate.
“It’s such an easy choice – I’m a bad guy,” Brady said. “I’ve always been a bad guy.”
The pattern here is obvious by now: Brady was never going to quietly disappear after one of the greatest careers in sports history. Maybe he’s not headlining Saturday Night’s Main Event a decade from now. But he’ll find some way to stay relevant, stay visible, and stay exactly where the cameras are pointed.
Thought you were done booing Tom Brady? He’s got other plans.
