Quick Takes on How WWE Should Book Rob Gronkowski, Aleister Black and More

Just as Rob Gronkowski was starting to settle in at WWE, the three-time Super Bowl champion announced his return to the NFL and left wrestling fans wondering what the future holds for him inside the squared circle.

WWE acknowledged the 24/7 champion's signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during Friday's SmackDown and explained that he may have to defend the gold on the gridiron. Time will tell when we will next see Gronk on WWE TV, but it's worth noting that this would be the perfect opportunity to retire the title.

Although that was arguably the biggest piece of wrestling-related news to break in recent days, there was plenty more that happened that shaped what we will see at Money in the Bank on May 10. That included qualifiers for the men's and women's ladder matches on Raw and SmackDown.

Of everyone who has advanced to the men's ladder matchup, a case can be made for Aleister Black being the best possible choice to capture the briefcase. On the SmackDown side of things, the blue brand has a handful of issues to address, such as the sad state of the tag team division and Baron Corbin's tiresome "king" gimmick.

Not to be lost in the excitement surrounding the Money in the Bank madness, AEW produced yet another entertaining edition of Dynamite, a show that was highlighted by the culmination of the AEW TNT Championship Tournament quarterfinals.

With the semifinals of said tourney set to go down Wednesday and Money in the Bank soon to follow, this installment of Quick Takes will tackle those topics and all of the other developments in the world of wrestling.

What Does Rob Gronkowski's Return to the NFL Mean for His WWE Career?

Gronkowski coming out of retirement from football was always a possibility, but few fans expected it to happen this soon. The former New England Patriot signed with WWE in March, and after serving as the host of WrestleMania 36 and winning the 24/7 Championship, it appeared the company had big plans for him heading into SummerSlam in Boston.

But Gronk's trade to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers all but eliminates any chance he gets physical in WWE as long as he's back in football. That raises the question of how WWE will book him going forward, if at all.

While he may not be able to wrestle anytime soon, he could still appear for WWE on occasion in a non-wrestling role, similar to what we saw at WrestleMania. Even if SummerSlam is bumped from Boston because of the coronavirus pandemic, he should be involved in some form or fashion.

If Gronk intends to take time off from WWE all together to focus on football, then WWE must find a way to take the title off of him in a creative way. The 24/7 Championship jumped the shark long ago, but WWE has a chance to make one more moment with the belt by having an active WWE performer pin him for it on Gronk's own turf in Tampa Bay.

Beyond that, he can continue to act as an ambassador for the company and return whenever WWE is looking for a ratings boost. Regardless of whether you are a fan of his over-the-top enthusiasm, there's no denying that he can bring new eyes to the product if utilized properly.

It's Time for Baron Corbin to Ditch His 'King' Character

Baron Corbin often doesn't get the credit he deserves for being as exceptional of a heel as he is, but his shtick as the 2019 King of the Ring has overstayed its welcome.

The former United States champion has undergone several character changes since debuting on the main roster four years ago, yet the greatest gimmick he's had to date was when he was targeting wrestlers who had history on the independent scene during his time in NXT. He thrived in that role and could have been taken seriously as a top talent.

He was in the midst of an identity crisis around this time a year ago, coming off his run as the interim Raw general manager. But becoming the King of the Ring was not the answer. Although his string of matches in the tournament was tremendous, giving him the full king treatment was a mistake and ruined any momentum he had.

That has been especially evident throughout his rivalries with Roman Reigns and Elias in recent months. To his credit, Corbin garners great heat from fans, but he can only go so far with his current one-dimensional character.

As Corbin prepares to win his second Money in the Bank ladder match, WWE should start to phase out the royalty gimmick and focus on what brought him to the dance in the first place. Contrary to popular belief, Corbin can work as a world championship contender—just not while he's parading around in a cape and crown.

Booking the Remainder of the AEW TNT Championship Tournament

The quarterfinals of the AEW TNT Championship Tournament are in the books, and the semifinals are bound to be even better Wednesday night on Dynamite.

First, Lance Archer will go one-on-one with Dustin Rhodes, who vowed to retire had he lost to Kip Sabian this past week. Considering Archer only recently arrived in AEW and is undefeated, it's virtually guaranteed that he will advance to the final (and annihilate his archrival's brother in the process).

Cody vs. Darby Allin on the other side of the bracket, however, isn't as predictable. Both guys could conceivably go on to face off against Archer for the title, and most fans would be happy either way.

Allin is an incredibly popular performer and should be rewarded with a championship reign eventually, but Cody makes more sense at the moment. It should be noted that Archer has wanted a match with Cody for weeks, and Double or Nothing would be the perfect place for them to clash.

Per the stipulation of his loss to Chris Jericho back at Full Gear, Cody can never again challenge for the AEW World Championship. It would be logical for him to become the inaugural AEW TNT champion instead. But again, Archer is one of the company's hottest prospects and should be booked to look as dominant as possible for the foreseeable future.

All signs point to Archer emerging from this tourney with the gold.

SmackDown's Tag Team Division Remains in a State of Flux

Among the many problems that have been plaguing SmackDown since its move to Fox in October is the blue brand's stagnant tag team division. An abundance of teams isn't the issue so much as the lack of depth.

The New Day regained the SmackDown Tag Team Championship earlier in April. Although the group still has a lot left in the tank, there's nothing fresh about them as champions considering they only dropped the belts to The Miz and John Morrison at the end of February.

Worse yet, the alternatives aren't much better.

Other than Miz and Morrison, whose reign was cut short, there aren't many viable challengers to the SmackDown Tag Team Championships. The Usos have been in that position countless times over the past decade, while Heavy Machinery, The Lucha House Party and The Forgotten Sons aren't at that level yet.

It seems every possible combination of SmackDown's tag teams has been done to death by this point. Splitting up Miz and Morrison—a possibility based off their loss to Lucha House Party on Friday night—would be premature as well.

WWE may have thought that calling up Forgotten Sons would inject new life into the brand's tag team scene, but that has not been the case. More attention must be paid to making tag team wrestling a priority again, specifically on SmackDown.

Why Aleister Black Must Win the Men's Money in the Bank Ladder Match

As we discussed last week, this year's Money in the Bank ladder matches will be unlike any other fans have seen before. The gimmick will be taken to new heights when the Superstars attempt to climb the corporate ladder at WWE Headquarters in an effort to become Mr. or Ms. Money in the Bank.

Of the five competitors confirmed to be participating in the men's matchup, Aleister Black makes more sense than anyone else to claim the contract.

Black has largely gone unbeaten since arriving on Raw more than a year ago and has been wisely protected in that time. WWE arguably should have already pulled the trigger on his push, but it's better late than never. The men's Money in the Bank briefcase hasn't been used to create a new star in years. Black has been ready for the main event for a while, and a monumental win like this one could be what takes him to that next level.

Raw has done an excellent job of spotlighting its brightest up-and-coming stars lately, so there's no reason for Black to remain in the midcard for much longer. The briefcase has elevated several notable names over the past decade and a half, and Black should be no exception.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.