Published 16:02 IST, June 5th 2020
Rob Gronkowski disliked by top WWE SmackDown stars after WrestleMania 36 fiasco: Reports
According to reports, Rob Gronkowski was not a popular figure backstage in the WWE. After his WrestleMania 36 fiasco, he caused lot of anger in the locker room.
As it appears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski's WWE career is over before it could even take off. Despite signing a contract with the company only in March, reports indicate Rob Gronkowski has exercised the release clause in his WWE contract as he wants to focus on his NFL return. According to the latest report from Fightful Select, Gronkowski was not a well-liked person backstage in the WWE, especially after his WrestleMania 36 fiasco.
Rob Gronkowski WWE career over in just over two months?
Rob Gronkowski served as the host at WrestleMania 36 and even got his hands his first WWE title after he won the 24/7 championship on Day 2 of the show. As a part of the segment, Gronkowski was seen jumping off a platform onto a bunch of superstars, which allowed him to pin Mojo Rawley for the title. After the show concluded, reports stated the three-time NFL champion initially refused to do the dive as he was afraid of being injured.
WWE chairman Vince McMahon had to talk him down and eventually convince him to do the move. However, this hesitation from Gronkowski caused the filming of WrestleMania 36 to be delayed by over two hours, which is noted to be the reason behind the backstage heat for the former Patriots star.
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Per reports, Rob Gronkowski was expected to make frequent appearances on SmackDown before he opted to return to the NFL. While RAW superstars were mentioned to be least bothered about his status with the company, SmackDown superstars are said to be particularly unhappy with his sudden backing out of his WWE deal. The report also states that even the most easy-going superstars in the locker room did not have anything positive to say about Gronkowski. One of the top names in the company was even quoted saying, "A f****ing clown who we are so much better off without” about Rob Gronkowski.
Despite the backstage heat, Rob Gronkowski would most probably remember his WWE stint fondly. He became the 24/7 champion at WrestleMania 36 and held the title for a record 58 days (as recognised by WWE), making his title reign the longest singular reign in 24/7 title history.
Rob Gronkowski opted to come out of retirement and sign a one-year deal with the Buccaneers. At Tampa Bay, the 30-year-old will team up with longtime teammate and friend, Tom Brady, who left the Patriots for the Bucs earlier this year. It is believed that Tom Brady played a big role in Rob Gronkowski's decision to leave the Patriots.
Even before the 2020 season started, the Buccaneers are already reaping the rewards of signing the Patriots duo. Last month, reports stated, Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski Bucs jersey were among the current top 10 jerseys being sold in the NFL. Four Brady's jerseys and two Gronkowski's jerseys headlined Buccanneers' dominance in NFL's top 10 best-selling jerseys.
Updated 16:02 IST, June 5th 2020