“I Actually Would Fight Shaq”: Rob Gronkowski Demands at Least $12 Million to Step Into the Ring

After Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul, is Gronk vs Shaq next? Shaquille O’Neal jokingly threw out the idea of a fight between him and former NFL TE Rob Gronkowski while both were sitting side by side at the Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul fight. While Shaq was only joking, it seems Gronk actually liked the idea.

A few days later, Gronk is now seriously considering the fight—but on his own terms. The 4x Super Bowl winner sat down with Julian Edelman on the Dudes on Dudes Podcast and revealed his two demands to make the fight idea a reality.

“I actually would fight Shaq in a boxing match. Here’s the thing. I would never do the UFC stuff, no matter what the payment is, no matter how much money it is. But I would box him for the right money. No doubt about it.”

This admission from Gronk, where he prioritized both money and safety, piqued Edelman’s curiosity, prompting him to ask, “What’s the right money?” Gronk’s response was immediate.

“There we go. That’s the question I was waiting for. At least $12 million. $12 million minimum.”

Meanwhile, echoing Shaq’s statement that the fight wasn’t pre-planned, Gronk explained what actually led to the chatter about the two fighting. He clarified that the Tyson vs. Paul bout was the starting point and their meet-up was more of a coincidence.

“I sit down and Shaq’s next to me. I was like, oh this is going to be a great fight. I love Shaq, and I’m already friends with Shaq. Well, I wasn’t already fighting him. The fight started because of that situation of us sitting next to each other and the interview happened.”

More importantly, a friendly fight between 7-foot-1-inch Shaquille O’Neal and 265-pound Rob Gronkowski is exciting to the fans for several reasons. The most prominent are their colorful personalities and the immense fan bases they have in the NBA and NFL worlds.