Bischoff: Save Tom Brady For Wrestlepalooza, Not WrestleMania

Eric Bischoff thinks WWE would be making a mistake if it saves Tom Brady for WrestleMania, arguing the NFL legend’s star power would do far more for the company’s new ESPN-backed event, Wrestlepalooza, in September.

Discussing Brady’s recent comments about wanting a WWE storyline — along with his run-in with Logan Paul at Fanatics Fest — on the latest episode of his 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff made the case that WrestleMania simply doesn’t need the boost.

“If I had to make a choice right now, I would lean into not using Tom for WrestleMania, using him for something other than WrestleMania,” Bischoff said, explaining that WrestleMania’s buyrate and attendance numbers are essentially locked in months ahead of time. “You’ve either got 75 or 80% of your market committed a couple months before WrestleMania, or you don’t… nothing significant.”

Instead, Bischoff pointed to Wrestlepalooza, comparing the potential media windfall of a Brady appearance to his own famous signing of Dennis Rodman in WCW. “This opportunity is that times 10 because of Tom’s relationship with the NFL and ESPN,” he said. “Who is not going to cover this story for 30 to 60 days out?”

Bischoff also stressed that before WWE builds any creative plan, the company needs to find out what Brady actually wants — whether he’s looking at a one-off cameo or a recurring, Rodman-style presence a few times a year. He noted that Brady’s situation differs from The Rock’s, since Rock already had built-in wrestling credibility that made his crossovers feel natural.

The conversation also touched on speculation that Brady could join TKO’s board of directors rather than simply appear on screen. Bischoff praised TKO executive Ari Emanuel’s business connections, suggesting that network could fast-track opportunities most companies would take months to build. He was less certain, though, about whether Brady has genuine interest in corporate leadership, floating the idea that any on-screen appearances could even be framed as part of a broader deal tied to a board seat.

Elsewhere on the show, Bischoff pitched a completely separate idea: a WWE spinoff aimed squarely at kids aged roughly six to twelve, built around Danhausen as the lead character. He argued that rising ticket prices and the disappearance of house shows have made it harder for WWE to hook the next generation of fans early, and that a kid-focused product needs its own dedicated writing team rather than borrowing from Raw or SmackDown’s creative staff. Occasional cameos from top roster stars would be fine, he said, but only sparingly — the show needs to stand fully on its own rather than blur into WWE’s main product.

Whether any of this reaches WWE’s actual planning is unclear, but both ideas fit patterns the company has leaned into before: cross-platform star power tied to a splashy new event, and youth-skewing spinoffs meant to widen the fan funnel. With Wrestlepalooza still building toward September and Brady’s NFL broadcasting commitments looming, Bischoff’s larger point — that timing and strategy matter more than simply chasing star power — is one WWE will have to weigh carefully in the coming weeks.