The changes to the name, look and feel rules paid off for many college athletes. A superstar fighter, Minnesota’s Gable Steveson, just signed a contract that could set him up for an incredible professional opportunity down the road.
Steveson is one of the best freestyle fighters in the world. After winning back-to-back gold medals at the Big Ten Championship, he won the NCAA National Championship at 285 pounds and took home the Dan Hodge Trophy for Best High School Wrestler of the Year.
In May, he won the 2021 Pan American Continental Championship in Guatemala City and last month he took home the Olympic Gold in Tokyo, leading to true international stardom. There has been a lot of speculation about his future, but today he has taken a step towards his dream of competing in WWE.
We saw several big name Olympic wrestlers take turns at the sports entertainment company. With today’s NIL news, this seems like the way to go for Gable Steveson.
“I have been in WWE since I was very young. I’ve been with guys like Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman for a long time. So, growing up watching them, being a wrestling artist, I felt like I was the right choice. ” https://t.co/U4GwRIFpiL
– Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) September 9, 2021
Childhood dream fulfilled. I officially signed with him @WWE!!! Thank you for the opportunity !! LET’S GO TO WORK ????????
– Gable Steveson (@GableSteveson) September 9, 2021
Certainly there are those who would like to see him compete in the sport itself, although WWE certainly offers him a lot of exposure and potential to become a star in many other fields. We’ve seen WWE Superstars like The Rock, John Cena and Dave Bautista leverage their success in the ring in key roles in Hollywood.
This also opens up another possibility in the NIL space for Olympians, proving once again that the opportunities are not limited to sports like soccer and basketball.
The best wrestler in the world comes to the best wrestling company in the world! I love to see this! Gable Steveson is WWE! https://t.co/CDDttbwX8J
– Seth Rollins (@WWERollins) September 9, 2021
Every reason to believe that Gable Steveson will be a great signing for WWE.
If he has any aptitude for professional wrestling, he has a star stamped on him. https://t.co/QDOVxhcGpL
– Alex McCarthy (@AlexM_talkSPORT) September 4, 2021
Hey, what Gable Steveson just did for the sport of wrestling is ridiculous. He just stood up, but the fighting community came back after him. @WWE fans will have no choice but to see the work of these high school fighting monsters.
We owe it to you, man! Thanks ???????? https://t.co/XCF9oTucOu– Nate Jackson ✍???? (@natejackson__) September 9, 2021
Bro Gable Steveson signing a NIL with WWE while fighting for Minnesota is huge for NCAA fighters everywhere. I am excited about the future of NCAA wrestlers and professional wrestling in general!
– Denzel Dejournette (@DesmondTroyWWE) September 9, 2021
Gable Stevenson considered going in another direction and taking his skills to the octagon of MMA. The UFC wanted him to go through regional fights before giving him a chance to fight for a contract, for ESPN. He says he did not speak to the company about the path he would take for the UFC.
Steveson, 1.83 m tall and 265 pounds, spoke to the UFC and also considered pursuing a career in the NFL; it was a hot commodity after Tokyo’s Olympic gold medal win, a last-second victory over Geno Petriashvili, which he celebrated with a jump back.
Sources told ESPN’s Marc Raimondi that the UFC wanted Steveson to gain experience in the regional MMA scene before taking him to Dana White’s Contender Series to compete for a contract. The formula would have been similar to what the UFC did with former NFL All-Pro Greg Hardy. But Steveson said, “We never talked about it, so I have no idea.”
His loss is WWE’s gain. One has to imagine that Vince McMahon’s team will try to follow him quickly, assuming he proves to be just as natural in the world of wrestling entertainment as the actual sport.
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