Wrestling Standout Gable Steveson Signs With WWE
After weeks of teasing between MMA and professional wrestling, Gable Steveson has made his decision to sign with the WWE and take the next step of his career to pro wrestling. Steveson won the gold medal in the Olympic Games this summer and took home the NCAA championship shortly before that.
In the deal with the WWE, Steveson will be able to return to Minnesota, where he won his NCAA Championship, and will wrestle his senior season. Steveson also has a NIL clause in his contract with the WWE allowing for him to make money while at the school with the new name, image, and likeness rules set in place by the NCAA earlier this year. Steveson will likely begin training for pro wrestling while still attending Minnesota.
To go to the UFC, reports coming through are that the UFC wanted Steveson to gain experience on the regional MMA scene then come in the Contender Series.
A breakout star with a infectious personality, Gable Steveson broke out in the past year. With high flying backflips after wins, wrestling fans have flocked to Steveson. Going into the Olympics, Americans watched as he clinched the gold medal in the final seconds of the championship match in an incredible comeback.
Gable Steveson, Brock Leanar, Minnesota, and WWE
Steveson is following in the footsteps of fellow Minnesota alumni, Brock Lesnar. Lesnar, too, won a National Championship in college. He then took to pro wrestling, building a name for himself even further then migrating over to MMA and the UFC. Lesnar and Steveson have trained together at Minnesota and Lesnar likely had an influence on the decision.
While many wanted to see Steveson take his superb wrestling to mixed martial arts and compete there, it’s hard to argue that the move to WWE is more lucrative to the Minnesota attendee.
