Retired NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski challenged WWE wrestler Logan Paul to a fight during the upcoming Fanatics Flag Football Classic, following Paul's decision to withdraw from a proposed boxing match with former NFL running back Le'Veon Bell.[1][2]

Gronkowski, a four-time Super Bowl champion who played 11 NFL seasons primarily with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, made the comments on the "Up & Adams" show. The 35-year-old said: "If Logan Paul wants a piece of me, we are both playing in the flag football game on March 21. I’m down to throw on the field and even throw my fists."[1][3]

Paul, 29, an American wrestler signed to WWE since 2022 and a professional boxer with a 11-1 record, had offered $1 million to any NFL player willing to box him. Bell accepted, but Paul later cited WWE's objection over injury risk outside its promotion as the reason for cancellation.[1][4]

Bell, who played eight NFL seasons with teams including the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets, has competed in celebrity boxing. He defeated fellow ex-NFL running back Adrian Peterson by fifth-round knockout on June 24, 2023, in Atlanta.[5][6]

The incident echoes tension between Paul and Gronkowski's former teammate Tom Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl winner and current FOX Sports analyst. Brady described Paul's WWE career as "cute" while promoting the event, prompting Paul to reiterate his $1 million boxing challenge on social media, naming players including Brady and Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett.[1][2]

The Fanatics Flag Football Classic is set for March 21, 2025, at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, following a relocation from Saudi Arabia amid regional tensions involving U.S., Israeli, Iranian and other forces. A player draft is scheduled for March 18, with participants including Gronkowski, Paul, Brady, Garrett, Saquon Barkley, Davante Adams and Alvin Kamara.[3][7]

Sources

1. Fox News Digital
   Rob Gronkowski calls out Logan Paul over backing out of Le'Veon Bell fight
   March 14, 2025
   https://www.foxnews.com/sports/rob-gronkowski-calls-out-logan-paul-leveon-bell-fight
2. Fox Sports
   Gronk challenges Logan Paul to brawl at flag football game
   March 14, 2025
   https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/gronkowski-paul-flag-football-callout
3. Fanatics Sports
   Fanatics Flag Football Classic official page
   Accessed March 15, 2025
   https://www.fanaticsfest.com/flag-football-classic
4. WWE.com
   Logan Paul discusses canceled boxing match with Le'Veon Bell
   March 10, 2025
   https://www.wwe.com/article/logan-paul-nfl-boxing-challenge
5. ESPN
   Le'Veon Bell knocks out Adrian Peterson in 5th round
   June 25, 2023
   https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/37941409/le-veon-bell-knocks-adrian-peterson-5th-round
6. BoxRec
   Le'Veon Bell vs. Adrian Peterson fight report
   June 24, 2023
   https://boxrec.com/fight/950000
7. Los Angeles Times
   Fanatics Flag Football Classic relocated to BMO Stadium
   March 5, 2025
   https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2025-03-05/fanatics-flag-football-classic-la