Even at age 74, Vince McMahon is still fearless when it comes to professional wrestling. Back in late March the WrestleMania 36 taping featured a spot where NFL all-pro tight end Rob Gronkowski (who was serving as the show’s host) dived from a platform onto a crowd of wrestlers and pinned Mojo Rawley to become the new WWE 24/7 Champion. It was Gronk’s first real spot since joining WWE (and it might be his last given that he’s already back in the NFL), and according to Sean Ross Sapp at Fightful Select he was initially too nervous to try the move
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To prove to him that he wasn’t in any danger, McMahon reportedly got up during rehearsals and did the move himself. He then looked at Gronk said something along the lines of “Not so bad, is it?”
Gronkowski was apparently still nervous about doing the move, so WWE used some camera tricks to make it look like his jump was much higher than it actually was (one source told Sapp the move looked like “a toddler jumping into the pool for the first time.”
Gronk’s reign as 24/7 Champion has unofficially reached 47 days, making it the longest single reign in the title’s history. Nobody has tried to take it from him since, though R-Truth hinted he’s going to “get his baby back” during a promo at Money in the Bank on Sunday.
“Congratulations to Rob Gronkowski, the current WWE 24/7 Champion, on his return to football,” WWE wrote in a statement shortly after Gronkowski announced his NFL return. “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.”
