Rob Gronkowski and WWE: Lio Rush called Gronk a hot piece of garbage at a show. In Boston.
Rob Gronkowski’s next move after his retirement from the NFL was the subject of much speculation Monday, only hours after he announced his decision Sunday night. Some think his departure might only be temporary, and that he’ll return to the Patriots after skipping the grind of training camp and the early portion of the regular season. Others see an acting career ahead of him, with Gronkowski’s goofball persona propelling him to even greater stardom.
Still others see a perfect place for Gronkowski’s combination of brawn and showmanship: pro wrestling, in which he’s dabbled inbefore, notably at WrestleMania 33 in 2017 when he helped his buddy Mojo Rawley win a battle royal by charging the ring from his seat.
That speculation got a bit of a bump during this week’s episode of “Monday Night Raw,” when heel manager Lio Rush dared take Gronkowski’s name in vain at a card taped in Boston, no less.
Advertisement
“You really should just quit while you were ahead, you really should,” Rush said to Finn Balor, the nemesis of Rush’s charge, WWE Intercontinental champion Bobby Lashley. “Now you are gonna be forced to leave the game as a beaten, broken, hot piece of garbage like Rob Gronkowski.”
That sounds like a setup, especially with WrestleMania 35 coming up on April 7. Whether that’s the path Gronkowski wants to take is another matter: The burly tight end was oft-injured during his NFL career, and while pro wrestling is scripted, there certainly is a high level of physicality involved.
Nevertheless, Rawley told TMZ on Monday that he wouldn’t be surprised to see his pal in the squared circle.
“That wouldn’t surprise me one bit,” he said. “He’s always been a wrestling fan. I know WrestleMania [33], he was all excited about it, we still joke around about it, we’re still really proud of that moment. So yeah, man, in the future I’m sure at some point you’ll see him inside the WWE ring at one capacity or another.”
Advertisement
Rawley added that WWE would be “pretty receptive” to a personality such as Gronkowski joining the outfit.
“A guy that can move the way he can, just his size and his overall demeanor and charisma, yeah that’s kind of what we recruit around, that’s exactly what we’re looking for here,” he said. “He’d be a perfect fit.”
Asked what he would tell Gronkowski if he called to ask about a career in wrestling, Rawley got very excited.
“Yo, let’s go baby, it’s time to turn up,” he said. “The handcuffs are off, you don’t have the Patriots and the NFL locking you down anymore. I’ll tell you what: If you thought Gronk was wild before, I’m telling you — I’m telling you — wait till you see him without the shackles on, because it’s a whole ’nother beast. I’m actually pretty excited about this!”
Read more from The Post:
Yale rescinds admission of student linked to scandal involving soccer coach
UC Irvine coach apologizes for using ‘Queen’ taunt to rattle Oregon player
There’s only one perfect NCAA tournament bracket left. It probably isn’t yours.
The Sweet 16 is set, and boy is it top-heavy
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZMCxu9GtqmhqYGaGcHySaGlvZ6essm65wKeYoJ2iYrCiuMuem2aqn5d6qL7Op6Kor6Ogtm60zq1kqaGVmLJus8CrmZqflWLAqbvWZpmoq6Sku3A%3D