Tom Brady and Logan Paul faced off in the gridiron during a flag football event, where the QB admitted NFL players weren’t prepared. The NFL-WWE crossovers are a very common thing. In the end, both lines of work require big size and immaculate physiques.

Hence, it’s no surprise that 59 NFL players have made WWE appearances. The following list is just players who have actually played an NFL game and appeared on WWE programming. Among the most interesting names, you can find the likes of:

• Bill Goldberg: Atlanta Falcons turned into WWE legend
• Bronko Nagurski: Pro Football Hall of Famer and huge wrestling draw in the 1930s
• Pat McAfee: Pro Bowl punter turned media mogul, has wrestled and commentated WWE events
• Brian Pillman: Linebacker for the Bengals, turned WWE/WCW Legend
• Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones: All Pro who appeared in TNA (WWE-adjacent)
• Reggie White & Kevin Greene: Hall of Famers that appeared at Wrestlemania XI
• Steve McMichael: Super Bowl champion with the ’85 Bears, WCW Legend as a member of the Four Horsemen
• Lawrence Taylor: Pro Football Hall of Famer, main evented Wrestlemania XI against Bam Bam Bigelow.
• Rob Gronkowski: 4x Super Bowl champion, future Hall of Famer, key part of WWE programming for months during 2020
• Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce: Eagles superstars got physical in Wrestlemania 40, helping Rey Mysterio

Brady’s WWE storyline began on a podcast

Tom Brady appeared on the Impaulsive podcast, hosted by WWE superstar, Logan Paul. The former quarterback said Paul’s athleticism was “cute” compared to stuff NFL players do. This sparked a somewhat heated argument between the two.

Then, they both played on a flag football event, where things got chirpy between them. Now, there’s reports that Brady will appear in Wrestlemania 42. With the Grandest Stage of Them All just a few weeks apart, negotiations must ramp up quickly.

Per Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, “they are in negotiations for Tom Brady, but there’s absolutely not a deal at this point for Tom Brady. So it could happen, obviously, Logan Paul and Tom Brady are working… I think people have seen that coming in, but there could be something in some form at WrestleMania.”

It’s not the first time Brady has flirted with the WWE

Last year, Brady teased his presence at Allegiant Stadium during Wrestlemania 41. “I may be there,” Brady told Fox News back in the day. “But it’s amazing what’s going on there[,] and it’s amazing what’s happening with WWE and all the different things surrounding that.” However, he didn’t appear.

Hulk Hogan was more than just a name in wrestling — he was an icon who turned his in-ring persona into a global brand. From packed arenas to Hollywood cameos, his career redefined what it meant to be a superstar.

But his story wasn’t just about the spotlight. Over the decades, he built a fortune through wrestling paydays, endorsements, and ventures beyond the squared circle, creating a financial legacy as legendary as his persona.

Yet, behind the fame and the fortune lay a tale of highs, lows, and strategic moves that shaped his wealth. His net worth offered a glimpse into how a wrestling legend transformed fame into lasting financial power.

What was Hulk Hogan’s net worth?

At the time of his death in July 2025, Terry Gene Bollea—better known as Hulk Hogan—had an estimated net worth of $25 million, according to Sportskeeda and The Times of India.

Despite his immense success in wrestling, film, and endorsements, his finances were significantly impacted by a high-profile divorce, lavish spending, and a costly legal battle with Gawker that ultimately settled for $31 million.

He built his fortune during the height of Hulkamania, commanding hefty paydays for major pay-per-view events and earning royalties through merchandise and media appearances. Even after setbacks, his status as a wrestling icon kept his legacy alive.

Hulk Hogan’s career earnings

Hulk Hogan’s financial journey from the ring to boardroom is a storytelling classic—rising from modest beginnings to become one of wrestling’s top earners. During the 1980s, his peak WWE years brought him an estimated $10 million annually.

After defecting to WCW in 1994, he signed one of the richest contracts in sports entertainment. Between 1996 and 2000 he reportedly earned approximately $13.17 million, which surpassed every other talent on the roster by a wide margin.

That deal included a base salary, massive pay-per-view revenue shares, ticket sale cuts, licensing royalties, and even $20,000 monthly payments just for appearing in NWO gear, according to Fox Sports.

Extending beyond wrestling, he continued generating income well into retirement. His WWE Legends contract has reportedly provided around $2.5 million per year through royalties, public appearances, and ongoing licensing deals as of 2024–25.

Hulk Hogan’s investments

Hulk Hogan parlayed his fame into many ventures: he launched themed eateries like Pastamania and Hogan’s Beach, built a beer brand (Real American Beer), and licensed his name for projects like Slam, a $7 million bar planned near Madison Square Garden, though he did not hold majority ownership.

Real American Beer alone has expanded into national grocery chains and licensing bids—most notably an ongoing move to acquire the Hooters brand amid its bankruptcy, signaling his ambition to turn nostalgic branding into modern lifestyle equity.

Flair, another cornerstone of wrestling history, took to X (formerly Twitter) to reflect on their deep bond. Despite the fierce rivalry they once shared in the ring, Flair made it clear that their friendship extended far beyond the squared circle. The two were companions in both triumph and hardship.

“I am absolutely shocked to hear about the passing of my close friend @HulkHogan! Hulk has been by my side since we started in the wrestling business. An incredible athlete, talent, friend, and father! Our friendship has meant the world to me. He was always there for me—even when I didn’t ask for him to be,” Flair wrote.

“He was one of the first to visit me when I was in the hospital with a 2% chance of living, and he prayed by my bedside. Hulk also lent me money when Reid was sick. Hulkster, no one will ever compare to you. Rest in peace, my friend!”

What happened to Hulk Hogan?

Hulk Hogan has died at the age of 71. According to TMZ, emergency responders were dispatched to the WWE icon’s home in Clearwater, Florida early Thursday morning after a call regarding a “cardiac arrest.”

Reports indicate that Hogan was declared dead at the hospital shortly after. Prior to his passing, multiple police cars and EMT units were seen parked outside his residence. The legendary wrestler was carried out on a stretcher and treated by Clearwater Fire & Rescue personnel before being transported to a nearby medical facility, where he was later pronounced dead.

Hogan’s legacy

The news of Hogan’s passing has sent shockwaves through not only the world of WWE but the entire sports and entertainment community. Hogan’s influence spanned generations, and his legacy is deeply woven into the fabric of professional wrestling.

He headlined numerous WrestleMania events, played a crucial role in elevating WWE to mainstream popularity, and became the face of a movement with the rise of “Hulkamania.” His charisma and larger-than-life persona inspired millions of fans and countless future superstars.

As tributes continue to pour in from around the globe, it’s clear that Hogan’s impact both in and out of the ring remains unmatched. His passing marks the end of an era, but the legacy of Hulk Hogan will live on forever in the hearts of wrestling fans everywhere.

Two days ago, multiple reports emerged suggesting that the LA Rams were looking to move Kupp via trade. However, head coach Sean McVay poured cold water on those talks after his team’s victory against the Vikings, stating, “I’m really glad to have Cooper Kupp back with us and I expect it to stay that way,” McVay told Michael Baca of NFL.com.

In a post-game interview, SportsCenter’s Scott Van Pelt spoke to Kupp and asked him about his hairstyle and why they couldn’t see his eyes during the interview. Kupp shocked everyone by mentioning the legendary WWE superstar The Undertaker as the reason for his unique look.

Cooper Kupp Mimics The Undertaker with His Haircut

Drawing inspiration from the iconic look of The Undertaker, Kupp stated, “I’m going with the Undertaker thing,” Kupp laughed, “And I was just too lazy to throw my hair back.”

Kupp has had an up-and-down start to the NFL season, playing in just two games due to an ankle injury suffered on Sept. 15. When healthy, Kupp is one of the best receivers in the NFL. His ongoing injuries are one of the main reasons the Rams could move their star player, who has two years remaining on his contract after this season, making nearly $40 million until 2026.

Who is The Undertaker?

The Undertaker, whose real name is Mark Calaway, is a retired professional wrestler and one of the most iconic figures in WWE history. Known for his dark, mystical persona, he debuted in WWE in 1990 and quickly became a fan favorite. The Undertaker is famous for his signature moves, including the Tombstone Piledriver and the Chokeslam.

His character is often associated with themes of death and the supernatural, including a backstory involving a “mortician” and a “deadman” gimmick. He is also known for his remarkable undefeated streak at WrestleMania, which spanned 21 matches before being broken in 2014. The Undertaker’s legacy includes multiple championships, memorable feuds, and an influential role in shaping professional wrestling. He officially retired in 2020, marking the end of an era for wrestling fans.

After WCW’s closure, Booker T continued to thrive in WWE, where he won the World Heavyweight Championship once and became a two-time WWE Tag Team Champion. His memorable feuds and entertaining persona made him a fan favorite, and he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame twice: first as an individual competitor and later as part of Harlem Heat.

Knowing a thing or two about breaking through and building a career, Booker T spoke on his “Hall of Fame” podcast, where he revealed who he considers the best women’s wrestlers of all time, a list that includes WWE women’s wrestling royalty.

Booker T on the Best Women’s Wrestlers of All Time

Booker T stated, “It’s going to be Sherri Martel, Trish Stratus, Sable, and Lita.” The former wrestling star noted how women’s wrestling has changed over the years, but these female competitors have taken the division to new heights.

When looking at Booker T’s picks, one might consider Trish Stratus and Lita the complete package, as they had the looks and talent to carry matches. Sherri Martel is regarded by many as one of the best managers of all time, while Sable helped promote wrestling through her looks more than her in-ring abilities.

Booker T was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 6, 2013, with his brother, Lash, doing the honors. Later, on April 6, 2019, they were both inducted again as part of the 2019 class, representing their tag team Harlem Heat. This achievement made Booker a two-time Hall of Famer.

This shocking accident affected not just the fans present but also the entire wrestling community, as Owen was known for his talent and dedication. In the aftermath of Owen’s death, there was widespread grief from fans and fellow wrestlers. He was remembered for his wrestling skills and his kind personality. The tragedy sparked important conversations about safety in professional wrestling, leading to changes in how stunts are conducted. Owen Hart’s legacy lives on, as many continue to push for improved safety measures in the industry to prevent similar accidents.

In Netflix’s new documentary series on disgraced former WWE owner Vince McMahon, the incident is presented in a way that suggests it was a freak accident and that while Owen’s death was a tragedy, the WWE was also a victim of shoddy work by the rigging team. Not so, says Owen Hart’s widow, Martha Hart, who spoke about the documentary and how McMahon simply brushed off Hart’s death as a mere accident.

Martha Hart on Vince McMahon’s statements about Owen Hart’s death

Martha Hart issued a statement on the documentary series, which focuses on the life of Vince McMahon. The documentary was mostly shot before McMahon’s highly publicized sexual abuse case with former employee Janel Grant.

Hart’s statement was issued as follows: “The real truth is that on May 23, 1999, out of a desire to cut costs and achieve a ‘quick release’ effect that a rigging expert specifically warned against, WWE hired unqualified riggers to arrange a stunt in which Owen was to rappel from the rafters.

“As a result, the riggers used incorrect equipment that caused Owen to fall to his death. It was pure negligence that killed my husband.”

Martha asserts that the series enables Vince McMahon to argue that “the apparatus they were using was defective,” and she points out that WWE reached a settlement in its lawsuit with the manufacturer of the harness involved in the stunt.

“What the documentary fails to mention is that the equipment used was never meant for a rappelling stunt,” Martha says in her statement. “Instead, a harness meant for dragging stunt people behind cars on movie shoots was used with a sailboat clip meant to release under a load of only six pounds of pressure. Had WWE hired qualified riggers who followed proper protocol that included redundancy, as is typical practice, and used the correct equipment, Owen would not have died that night.”

Martha Hart insists that no one from the Netflix documentary series ever reached out to her regarding the series and that she “refuses to let Vince McMahon or anyone else rewrite that history.”

This event stirred significant conversation about what might have driven him to such actions. After Benoit’s passing, researchers examined his brain and discovered that he had Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). The findings showed extensive damage akin to that seen in individuals with advanced Alzheimer’s disease, prompting many to associate his tragic actions with the head injuries he experienced throughout his wrestling career.

This incident served as a crucial turning point in raising awareness about the long-term consequences of repeated head injuries in the world of professional wrestling. It also led WWE to erase Benoit’s legacy from its records.

Vince McMahon on Chris Benoit

In the new Netflix docuseries about the life of former WWE owner Vince McMahon, one of the many sad subjects discussed was the tragic end to Chris Benoit and his family. McMahon dubbed the troubled wrestler as “crazy.”

‘Chris Benoit was considered an excellent wrestler. And from what we knew, a great guy. There is no correlation between steroid use and what happened to Chris Benoit. Human beings are imperfect. Chris went crazy. It happens in all forms of life, so that’s the only conclusion I can draw.‘

The new Netflix docuseries about the former WWE owner is six episodes long and focuses on many controversies in WWE history as well as the personal life of McMahon.

Mesut Özil shocked the world with his significant body change, as soccer fans knew the 35-year-old as a lanky playmaker. Özil has been showing off his massive new frame on social media and bulked up in the year since his retirement.

Now according to Marca, the five-time German player of the year has squashed all rumors that he will be signing to wrestle for the WWE.

Mesut Özil on love of fitness

Mesut Özil stated, “I go to the gym almost every day. (…) I don’t have a special goal. I’m not waiting for an offer from the WWE, haha. I actually just do it for myself, to stay in shape. It’s a lot of fun. I have my own gym at home and a personal trainer.”

During his career the great Özil played for many top clubs including Schalke 04, Real Madrid, Arsenal, and Fenerbahçe.

Özil played in three World Cups for Germany, 2010, 2014, and 2018 winning the 2014 tournament.

Now in a tell all interview with Wrestling News, the IMPACT Wrestling referee is promoting his new book, Earl Hebner: The Official Story, the 74-year-old shed some light on some of Wrestling’s darkest and most iconic moments.

One of those moments was Vince McMahon’s reaction when ill-fated wrestler Owen Hart fell from the ceiling of the Hy-Vee Arena, previously known as Kemper Arena, at Over the Edge 1999, landing in the ring and later at the hospital dying from the fall.

Earl Hebner opens up on Owen Hart’s death

In the interview Hebner states, “(Vince McMahon) is sitting right where (Hart) was. When it all happened, he saw it and he never moved. He stayed right there. When they brought Owen through the gorilla, he was in that same chair. He might have stood up, I can’t remember, but he never made a way to get closer like everybody else was.”

One of the most highly criticized decisions McMahon ever took in his life was after it was confirmed that Hart had died, he forced his staff and performers to finish the show, later citing he didn’t want “incite a riot or panic”.

For Hebner the decision of McMahon’s actions were clear, “Anytime there’s a death in any sport, I think it should be stopped and cut off. There’s always tomorrow. You can always go back tomorrow. If you had a big thunderstorm or power outages, you wouldn’t have the show, right? Okay, so what’s the big deal? A man lost his life and you’re still gonna have the show? It’s horrible. It’s called money.”

In the video Haaland gets a call from John Cena with Cena dressed in full Manchester City gear and a blonde wig, representing the locks of Erling Haaland.

Erling Haaland announces that Manchester City will play matches in New York, Chapel Hill, Columbus, and Orlando. Cena is seen celebrating the announcement in a funny manner until Erling Haaland gets to see Cena via his cell phone.

Manchester City summer tour 2024 schedule

The Citizens are set to take on AC Milan at historic Yankee Stadium on July 27th, the game will have the added bonus that Christian Pulisic will most likely play that match for Milan.

Before that Manchester City will take on Scottish giants Celtic at Chapel Hill on 23 July at Kenan Stadium.

Then City goes to Florida to take on Pep Guardiola’s former club Barcelona at the Camping World Stadium, Orlando on 30 July 2024.

The tour rounds out with a clash against Chelsea in Columbus, Ohio at Ohio Stadium that seats 100,000 fans.

Peter Laundy, Senior Vice President Partnerships at City Football Group, said: “We are pleased to announce the details of our 2024/25 preseason tour today as we prepare to return to America with an exciting four-match series delivered in collaboration with FC Series this summer.  

“Our 2022 pre-season visit to the United States was hugely successful, including our sell-out fixture at Lambeau Field, Green Bay and the Club’s presence, fan base and status continues to grow significantly within the region”.

In an interview for Newsmax the 64-year-old former pro wrestler made a damning claim that WWE executives for a long time put talent in “bad situations”, meaning forcing them to partake in sexual favors.

According to Paul Roma, his former tag team partner Jim Powers told Roma that a WWE executive made a pass at him and that he told WWE brass at the time. Roma also went on to explain that another former tag team partner quit the business altogether after a WWE executive at the time wanted a sexual favor in exchange for money.

Paul Roma on WWE executives’ sexual misconduct

Roma also indicated that WWE executives who made passes at wrestlers ranged from bookers, those in charge of actually putting a card together, agents, those assigned to make sure wrestlers are on time, and other executives were all offering drugs, money, and position in exchange for sexual favors.

Roma stated that WWE executives “put you in really, really bad situations, especially once you started making some money,” on “Banfield.” “You find out that your job’s on the line. Either do it or get fired, and I witnessed quite a few that walked away. Money wasn’t worth it to go that route.”

All of these details have begun to come to light after Vince McMahon’s allegations of sexual misconduct and using company funds to lavish the plaintiff Janel Grant with gifts after allegedly demeaning her via sexual acts ranging from threesomes to using her as a bargaining chip for contract negotiations with other talents.

A report from News 4 in Jacksonville has reported that a Chicago based law firm is seeking more victims to speak out about McMahon and the WWE’s practices.