Rob Gronkowski Now Has the Longest WWE 24/7 Championship Reign

Weeks before he announced his return to the NFL and was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, NFL All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski hosted both nights of WrestleMania 36 and captured the WWE 24/7 Championship. Gronk hasn’t been seen on WWE television since, and surprisingly WWE didn’t strip him of the championship after news of his return broke. He’s mentioned the title a couple of times in interviews, jokingly saying that he plans on defending it throughout the NFL season, but as of this week Gronkowski has already made the record books with the title.

As of Thursday, Gronk unofficially have the longest single reign as 24/7 Champion. Because WrestleMania was filmed across two days (March 25-26) it’s hard to pinpoint the exact state date of his reign, but at a minimum the reign will be at 42 days by Friday. That sets the new record for longest single reign, previously held by Riddick Moss at 41. Because WWE only recognizes’ the start of Gronk’s reign from when it was shown on television, they technically only count his reign being at 32 days, but by the end of next week that asterisk will be gone.

“Congratulations to Rob Gronkowski, the current WWE 24/7 Champion, on his return to football,” WWE’s initial statement read. “Per the rules of the 24/7 title, Gronk must defend his championship at all times in any location. He could be celebrating a touchdown pass from #TomBrady…anytime, anywhere.”

“We need a lot of security,” Gronkowski said in a video conference call with media the week of his return. “We need security everywhere. Every tunnel, every entrance. Everywhere in the stadium because I’m the 24/7 WWE title belt champion right now, of the world. Everyone is coming for me. My friends are coming for me and it’s special right now to have it during this quarantine time because no one can find me. No one gets me. So I’m the champ for a while.”

So far both R-Truth (a 35-time champion) and Mojo Rawley have teased trying to take the title back from Gronk.