Tom Brady slapped Logan Paul after a panel at Fanatics Fest in New York on July 17, with Karl-Anthony Towns and Chris Costa intervening.
The clip reached 17.5 million Instagram views and 6.9 million X views within hours, posted with Brady, Paul, WWE and NFL as collaborators.
The rivalry began in February when Paul said his WWE career made him as athletic as NFL players; it escalated at a March flag football game where Brady threw a ball at Paul.
One day before the slap, Brady told Cody Rhodes he wanted WWE president Nick Khan to create a storyline for him, saying he could still 'showcase that I'm a little bit of an athlete.'
Social media users and outlets like The Hollywood Reporter questioned whether the slap was choreographed, noting Brady's hand may have missed Paul's face.
On Friday, July 17, Tom Brady and Logan Paul shared a stage at Fanatics Fest in New York. After their panel ended, the two exchanged heated words. Brady pulled his right hand from his camouflage cargo pants pocket and swung at Paul, appearing to slap him across the face. New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns and Fanatics executive Chris Costa quickly stepped between them. Fanatics posted the clip on social media, listing Brady, Paul, WWE and the NFL as collaborators on Instagram. Within hours, the footage had been viewed 17.5 million times on Instagram and 6.9 million times on X.
“This happened bc I was roasting Tom for beating him in flag football. And he tries to smack me?? Horrible example for the kids.”
Brady responded on X with a single word: "Dork." He later added, "I tried America... will try again next time I see this nerd."
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The animosity dates back to February, when Paul claimed his WWE career made him as athletic as NFL players. Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion, did not take the comment lightly. The two continued trading barbs ahead of the Fanatics Flag Football Classic in March, where Brady made good on a pre-game promise and threw a football at Paul during the event. The rivalry has since played out across podcasts and social media, with Brady appearing on Paul's show last year to discuss the fallout from his Netflix roast, an experience Brady said left him feeling "a stake through the heart" after talking to his children.
One day before the slap, Brady appeared on a podcast with WWE superstar Cody Rhodes and openly pitched a storyline. "I need to get an invite. I've been waiting for Nick Khan to come up with some storyline for me to get in the mix," Brady said. "I feel like I'm retired from football, and I have an opportunity to go out there and still showcase that I'm a little bit of an athlete." Paul, who has been signed to WWE since 2022, is currently sidelined with a torn tricep but remains a prominent figure. In a recent ESPN interview, he described his relationship with the company: "I'm an independent contractor with the WWE, and I respect the WWE.... They pay me handsomely -- extremely handsomely, may I add."
The timing of the slap, Brady's podcast comments, and the coordinated social media rollout immediately led fans to question the altercation's authenticity. One X user wrote, "Real slap but completely staged. Logan Paul's first reaction after getting bitch slapped in front of a public audience was to take a few steps back.... Choreographed to build tension for the WWE event." Another added, "obviously marketing strategy. tom you're better than that." The Hollywood Reporter noted that upon closer inspection, Brady's hand appeared to miss Paul's face and only made contact with his shoulder.
Neither Brady nor Paul has confirmed a WWE match, but Brady's promise to "try again next time I see this nerd" keeps the door open. With Paul's wrestling pedigree and Brady's expressed interest, a scripted showdown seems plausible. For now, the slap has delivered exactly what both men likely wanted: millions of views and a fresh storyline.
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A heated on-stage exchange between Tom Brady and Logan Paul ended with a slap, instantly going viral and fueling talk of a scripted WWE buildup.
AI text based on reports by Vulture, The Independent, SAPO and other publishers. Published .