Olympic Gold Medalist Gable Steveson Signs With WWE

In the company’s first-ever NIL deal, Steveson will join the WWE roster while defending his NCAA title for the University of Minnesota.

Last Saturday, Gable Steveson took to Twitter to announce he signed a contract, but he did not disclose who. 

At the time, the Wrestling Observer reported that the former NCAA champion and Olympic gold medalist signed with WWE and reportedly met with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon at last month’s SummerSlam pay-per-view. 

On Thursday, WWE announced its NIL deal with Steveson, saying he will join the WWE roster while defending his NCAA title for the University of Minnesota.

No start date or details have been announced.

Steveson is a two-time All-American and has won two Big Ten titles with the school.  And, he took home gold at the Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first U.S. heavyweight to win the men’s freestyle 125kg event since 1992. Steveson turned what looked like certain defeat into a victory by securing a final takedown with a half of a second remaining in the match. He celebrated with a backflip.

“It was an emotional rollercoaster,” Steveson said to Sports Illustrated during an August interview. “Very quickly, I had so many thoughts rushing through my head. When I was losing, I reminded myself I didn’t come that far to be second. I went to Japan to bring home the gold. So I put my heart out there and followed my instincts, and thankfully it worked.”

He told SI that if he ever went to the WWE, "I’d be a ‘Paul Heyman Guy.'"