New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, right, screams as he hits wrestler Jinder Mahal, left, in the ring during WrestleMania 33 on Sunday, April 2, 2017 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
It's official: former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is the latest veteran professional athlete to sign with WWE.
A source for The Wrap says that Gronk will debut on the March 20 episode of WWE Smackdown, and he will also make an appearance at WrestleMania 36. He will not be leaving his analyst gig with Fox Sports; WWE's partnership with FOX will allow Gronk to juggle both gigs. It means, most likely, that Gronk's WWE deal will make him a part-time feature attraction, as opposed to the full-time performer that Ronda Rousey was from 2018-19.
Obvioulsy, due to Coronavirus, everything in the sports world is up in the air, including Wrestlemania, which is said to still be happening, but likely at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. Still, with the show going down, it appears that Gronk will have some sort of presence in the WWE going forward.
Gronk retired from the NFL a year ago and was bound to find something befitting his athleticism and outsized personality to pass the time. But really, we've seen this coming for years. His dad was college roommates ay Syracuse with Mike "I.R.S." Rotunda, the father of current WWE superstar Bray Wyatt. It was the Gronkowskis who convinced current WWE superstar Mojo Rawley to follow his sports entertainment dream. And in 2017, Gronk interfered to help Rawley win the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 33.
Still, it's important to keep expectations realistic; Rousey was unusually gifted in the squared circle, and she had the fighting background to begin with; Gronk will probably take a little longer to get adjusted. Here are 7 WWE superstars Gronk should fight at WrestleMania (either this year's or next year's)--a combination of midcarders and main eventers who could build his WWE career to the stratosphere.
Jinder Mahal
Let's get the obvious choices out of the way first. Jinder Mahal and Gronk have history. It was Gronk who cost Mahal his chance at winning the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 33. Gronk was both fun and convincing--so convincing, in fact, that one of the security officers tried to restrain him from getting in the ring. The referees then had to pull her off for trying to do her job.
As a first feud, Mahal would be a physically intimidating, logical starting point for Gronk's WWE career. It's a guaranteed win for the future NFL Hall of Famer, and the two men can keep the action impactful and simple.
John Cena
John Cena is a Hollywood actor these days, so it would take some scheduling to get this match arranged. But the 16-time champion is from West Newbury, Massachusetts, and Gronk is a New England sports hero who helped the Patriots win three Super Bowls.
Imagine booking a match between these two in New England. Imagine the electricity in the air. Imagine the stare down. It's the sort of big league moment that professional wrestling was made for.
The 24/7 Championship has been a fun diversion; it gives the overstuffed talent roster something to go after when they're not being actively used in a storyline. But the current champion, Riddick Moss, has held it since January—longer than anyone else has held the title thus far. Someone has to take it off of him, and it might as well be Gronk.
Think about it: Moss captured the title by turning on Rawley, who is Gronk's real-life best friend. To have Gronk face Moss and avenge his friend would be a great way to transition him into WWE. Plus, most of the 24/7 matches are gimmicky comedy spots. They're well-suited to Gronk's goofy personality, and they can cover for his lack of in-ring experience while he receives additional training.
Mojo Rawley
At first, Mojo Rawley, who knows Gronk in real life, would be an ally rather than a foe (maybe a tag team partner?). But this is WWE; after a while, one of them will inevitably turn upon the other. And Rawley can be flexible, depending on how the audience receives Gronk. If Gronk gets cheered, then Rawley can play the heel. If Gronk gets booed, then Rawley can play the babyface.
Ultimately, it comes down to what Gronk actually wants to do. Does he want to build a narrative over the course of a year? Or does he just want to do special attraction matches with main eventers? If he chooses the former, then Rawley would be a great opponent to follow Mahal.
Braun Strowman
At 6'6”, Gronk is a pretty tall guy—taller than the majority of the WWE roster. But one wrestler who is even taller (and certainly more built) than Gronk is Braun Strowman. Like Gronk, Strowman has an agility that belies his size, he can even do a kip up from a prone position.
A match between these two would be a sight to see; rather than a lumbering battle of giants, it would be a fast-paced showcase, filled with 'I can't believe they just did that' moments.
Baron Corbin is a rare commodity in WWE: he's a heel who gets a universally negative response from fans. Thus, Corbin would be a great way to consolidate audience support for Gronk before putting him in a PPV main event.
A solid worker with a reputation for being safe, Corbin also has a football background. He was an offensive lineman for the Colts and the Cardinal, but he never got the opportunity to play a regular season NFL game. WWE could easily use that fact to explain Corbin's resentment of the newest WWE superstar.
Brock Lesnar
Two genetic freaks, squaring off in the squared circle? Sign us up. Lesnar is a once-in-a-lifetime athlete. He's an NCAA All-American wrestler. He's a UFC heavyweight champion. He's one of the most dominant WWE superstars in history—a homegrown talent who began his in-ring career in developmental territory OVW.
A match with Gronk could be a contest of interdisciplinary excellence. Spear versus F5. Shoulder tackle versus German suplex. The possibilities book themselves.