This is what we said three years ago

“Hmmmm.

This is not the first word that we would normally use in an article in regards to an NFL retirement but we are not positive that this one will stick.

New England Patriots Tight End Rob Gronkowski has announced that he is walking away from football after a nine-year career where he was one of the most popular players in the game.”

We were right as Gronkowski returned a year later to join his long-time friend and Quarterback, Tom Brady in Tampa Bay, where they continued to make history.  

Drafted in the 2^ndround out of the University of Arizona in 2010, Gronkowski had a good rookie season highlighted by a three-touchdown game against Pittsburgh. 2011 would see him named to the First Team All Pro roster where he led the NFL in Touchdown Receptions with a 1,327 Yard season.  A Pro Bowl selection again in 2012 Gronk was injured for most of the 2013 campaign but returned with a vengeance in 2014 returning to the Pro Bowl, First Team All Pro roster and a 1,000 Yard plus season, which was punctuated by his first Super Bowl win.  2015 and 2107 would also see him named a First Team All Pro, and he captured two more Super Bowls with the Pats.  

When he rejoined Brady, he secured his fourth Super Bowl, cementing him as one of the greatest Tight Ends of all-time.  If you did not believe that, remember also that he was named to the NFL 100^th Anniversary Team.

Gronkowski retires as a four-time Super Bowl Champion, five-time Pro Bowl and four-time First Team All Pro Selection.  He had 621 Receptions for 9,286 Yards and 92 Touchdowns.  Notably in the post season he had 98 Receptions for 1,389 Yards and 15 TDs.

His stats tell a large part of the story but it does not reflect that he was also one of the best blocking Tight Ends, which made him invaluable to the Patriots offense.

Gronkowski will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2027 and he is a lock to enter on his first attempt.  

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to thank “Gronk” for all of the football memories and we are confident that he will give us many off-field moments in the future.

Endorsements mean a lot, especially when it comes from a Hall of Famer.

Brian Urlacher, who played his entire NFL career with the Chicago Bears and entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his first try in 2018, believes that he should be joined by another Linebacker, Zach Thomas.

He had this to say on the Pat McAfee Show, regarding Thomas.

“I’m going to give you one guy – Zach Thomas.  How the fuck is Zach Thomas not in the Hall of Fame? Put his stats up with mine Ray [Lewis], any other linebacker who’s even close to the Hall of Fame or been in the Hall of Fame. He’s right there with us, if not better in every category.  It pisses me off. Every year I advocate for him to get in, and he was a finalist a couple years, but they don’t put him in. I don’t understand. Maybe because he’s 5-10,” Urlacher said. “I don’t know. I have no idea. I don’t know. I don’t get it. It pisses me off.”

Urlacher is correct on everything.  An All-Decade Selection, Thomas was an eight-time Pro Bowl and five-time All-Pro, playing the bulk of his career with the Dolphins.  A Finalist the last three years, Thomas is currently ranked #10 on Notinhalloffame’s Football list of those to consider for the Hall.

Thomas will get eventually get in.  It is just a matter of when.

Both UFC and Pro Wrestling are fighting duels popular in the US. They are similar in many ways; however, differences also exist. 

UFC or Ultimate Fighting Championships was established in 1993 to manage and host MMA tournaments. On the other hand, the WWE is a form of entertainment with activities carefully scripted. 

WWE is popular among wrestlers, thanks to the high compensation to winners. For example, top wrestlers earn up to $1 million a year. 

Because of the disparities in payment, many UFC players have crossed over to WWE. Let’s take a look at UFC fighters who have crossed over to pro wrestling.

Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar is a professional wrestler, former Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter, and footballer. The 44-year-old wrestler joined MMA in 2007 and signed up with UFC a year later. He won the UFC heavyweight championship in 2009. 

Brock has had four victories but lost three times during his time in the UFC. He first appeared in WWE in 2002 at only 25 years and had a short stint of two years. In a move that surprised the WWE fraternity, Brock walked away from a lucrative seven-year contract worth $45 million in 2004. However, he came back during the 2020 SummerSlam 2020 PPV match. 

Currently, WWE no longer advertises Brock for WrestleMania Backlash. However, they still promote him for Money in the Bank 2022. Therefore, he is still a pro wrestler with WWE. 

Matt Riddle

Matt Riddle is a 36-year-old professional wrestler and a former MMA. He is under a WWE contract where he makes appearances on the Raw Brand. 

Matt Riddle made his debut in the UFC in 2008, and at 22, he was among the wrestlers who fought during the Ultimate Fighter season. After two failed drug tests, he parted ways with UFC in 2013. 

In 2014, he started training for pro wrestling where he performed a year later. He then became the Monster Factory Heavyweight Championship winner. 

In 2015, he joined the WWN for the Evolve performances and in 2016, he made a debut for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla(PWG).

In 2018, there were reports that Riddle signed with WWE and the same year, he made appearances at NXT TakeOver-Brooklyn IV. 

He has competed in stellar performances in the Royal Rumble, SmackDown, Tag Team Champions, and Elimination Chamber matches. 

Junior Dos Santos

Junior Dos Santos is a 38-year-old Brazilian MMA wrestler and professional wrestler. He made his star appearance in UFC in 2008 when he defeated Fabricio Werdum in the first round. 

In 2021, he made appearances in All Elite Wrestling(AEW), supporting American Top Team boss Dan Lambert. 

Presently, he has made appearances for AEW in 30 competitions, where 21 were wins, 15 knockouts, and one by submission.

He's a part of Khabib Nurmagomedov's Eagle FC.10 Mar 2022, an MMA promotion company.

Conclusion

Despite top wrestlers moving to pro wrestling, UFC sport odds and sponsorship deals have increased the sport's popularity. As the numbers continue rising, so will the revenues. With better payments for the wrestlers, there may be fewer crossovers in the future.

If you are a regular sports player or even somebody who is just starting off taking part in sporting activities, it may well be the case that you would like to increase your competitiveness levels. Well, there are plenty of different ways in which you can do this, and it is certainly worth thinking about them in a higher level of detail. This way, you can really compete at your highest level and achieve the goals that you have set out for yourself. Check out this list of ways that you can boost your own competitiveness in sports. 

Set Realistic Goals for Yourself 

First of all, you are going to need to set out some realistic goals for yourself that you can work towards. When it comes to goal setting, you need to work on making your goals stretch you just enough without getting to the stage where they are out of reach and you are never going to achieve them. You should also be thinking about how you can take a step-by-step approach to your goals rather than just setting one big goal that appears like it is totally out of reach. 

Watch Your Favourite Sports and Players 

Next up on the list, there is certainly going to be a lot that you are able to learn from watching your favourite sports teams and players. This way, you are really going to be able to emulate what they are doing, as well as taking steps towards boosting your overall levels of enthusiasm and inspiration. In fact, there is a lot to be gained from watching all types of competitive endeavor, and you can certainly include esports as a central part of this list. You can even bet on League of Legends at Thunderpick if you are already a major esports fan. 

Get a Coach 

Another potential option that you can make the most of is to get a coach of your own. This way, they are going to be able to provide you with much more of a sense of direction in terms of what you are able to accomplish. At the same time, you could also look to get a workout partner or somebody you are close to who is going to push you on to achieve even greater heights. The opportunity to have a sense of friendly competition alongside somebody else can really prove to be highly appealing in so many different ways.

Celebrate Your Wins 

When you eventually get to the stage in which you are reaching your goals, this is your chance to start to celebrate your wins. This is an excellent opportunity to have a little treat for yourself. If it is something that helps you in your endeavors, such as buying an extra piece of sports equipment, this is even better. 

All of these factors can really make all the difference in terms of you being able to boost your overall levels of competitiveness in sports.