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Cody Rhodes Wants to See Tom Brady with WWE at WrestleMania After NFL Retirement
February 2, 2023
Cody Rhodes is on his way to the main event of WrestleMania 39 after winning the men's Royal Rumble match, and he is hoping to run into another superstar athlete at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
During an appearance on WWE's The Bump (h/t Nikunj Walia of ThirstyForNews.com) on Wednesday, Rhodes called for retired NFL quarterback and future Hall of Famer Tom Brady to make an appearance on the Grandest Stage of Them All:
"I was very shocked to see that [Brady had retired], not shocked as well because time comes for us all," Rhodes said. "Tom Brady needs to maybe find his way to WrestleMania, maybe find his way anywhere WWE. Tom, live it up now. There might be a future here."
Brady announced his retirement last offseason, but about a month later, he reversed course and decided to return for his 23rd NFL season and third campaign as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
While Brady and the Bucs won the NFC South, the season was largely a struggle for them after going just 8-9 and being ousted by the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card Round.
Rather than returning to the Bucs again or testing free agency, the 45-year-old announced his retirement Wednesday, noting that he will remain retired for good this time.
Brady is one of the most recognizable athletes in the world and arguably the greatest player in NFL history with seven Super Bowl wins, five Super Bowl MVP awards and three NFL MVP awards to his credit in 23 years with the New England Patriots and Bucs.
Having Brady at WrestleMania would perhaps get even more eyes on the product because of his crossover appeal, which is something WrestleMania has always been built on.
Celebrity involvement is at the very core of WrestleMania's success, dating back to the first WrestleMania in 1985 when Mr. T teamed with Hulk Hogan against "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff in the main event.
Brady's longtime friend and teammate, future Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski, is a noted WWE fan who hosted WrestleMania 36 and held the 24/7 title for two months.
It is unclear if Brady shares Gronk's love for pro wrestling, but now that he is retired, he is free and clear to explore any number of interests outside of football, including WWE.
Regardless of whether or not Brady accepts the WrestleMania invitation, it will be the biggest event of Rhodes' career, as he is set to challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship in the main event.
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