Rob Gronkowski is a WWE champion.
The former New England Patriots star tight end pinned his friend Mojo Rawley on Sunday to become the 24/7 champion on the second night of a two-day WrestleMania 36 at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla. The event was held on a closed set with only essential personnel due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Gronkowski, who was the host of the event, nearly won the belt – which can be defended anytime and anywhere — on Saturday night. Instead, Rawley broke up the 30-year-old Fox Sports football analyst’s pin attempt on R-Truth to claim the belt.
“I’ve won three major championships in my life and that’s cool and all, but that’s in the past,” Gronkowski said early in the Sunday show, referencing his Super Bowl wins with the Patriots. “I wouldn’t mind winning the 24/7 title before the end of tonight. I’m here at WrestleMania, I want that title.”
Rawley’s title reign was short lived after Gronkowski declared early in the broadcast Sunday he was going after the championship. Gronkowski ended up jumping off a small balcony into a large group of wrestlers who were chasing after Rawley. After the wipe out, it was Gronkowski who pinned the champ and ran off with the belt.
The Pro Bowl tight end and former teammate of Tom Brady made his official WWE debut on “Friday Night SmackDown” on Fox in March 20. This year, SummerSlam is scheduled for TD Garden for Aug. 23 in Boston, and is the likely target for Gronkowski’s first true WWE match.