Goodnight, sweet prince: The Gronk Era in WWE has officially come to an end. Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski signed a limited-appearance deal with WWE just in time for WrestleMania 36 earlier this year, where he appeared as host and won the 24/7 Championship from his best friend Mojo Rawley by kinda-sorta dropping from a raised platform onto a pile of guys waiting to catch him, trust fall-style.
Shortly after WrestleMania 36, the tight end, who had previously said he was retired from football, was unexpectedly traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to be reunited with Tom Brady. So what did that mean for his WWE deal? Well, it’s over, according to Wrestling Inc., who says Gronk had a clause in his contract that allowed him to exit if he returned to the football field. Thankfully, Gronk graciously did the job on his way out the door to a more-than-willing R-Truth:
According to Dave Meltzer, Gronk had a three-event deal with WWE: WrestleMania 36, SummerSlam and whatever this fall’s Saudi Arabian megashow would have been called. That’s all gone now, though, as Gronk and TB12 once again are going for a ring together this fall. When reached for comment, Mojo Rawley definitely did not say, “Alas, poor Gronk! I knew him, WWE Universe, a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy. He hath borne me on his back a thousand times, and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is! My gorge rises at it.” But maybe he’s thinking it.