Gable Steveson, the 2020 Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling, has been released from WWE as he looks to explore a future in professional wrestling rather than MMA. The 21-year-old wrestling sensation made headlines with his historic run in Tokyo, culminating in a viral finish that allowed him to claim the championship in dramatic fashion.
Sources close to WWE confirmed Steveson’s release to MMA Fighting, following an initial report from wrestling insider Dave Meltzer. Steveson, who was already an NCAA champion at the University of Minnesota, decided to take a stab at the Olympics after a delayed start due to the global pandemic. He dominated the heavyweight division in the United States to qualify for the Olympics and continued his impressive run by not allowing a single point in his first three matches.
After capturing gold at the Olympics, Steveson contemplated a future in either professional wrestling or MMA, thanks to his deep ties to the sport, including training with former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar. While he signed an exclusive contract with WWE, Steveson had expressed interest in eventually making the move to MMA.
With his release from WWE, Steveson now has the opportunity to potentially pursue a career in MMA, something he had continuously teased even while training to become a pro wrestler. The path is clear for Steveson to make the move into MMA, as he has already been seen working out at Kill Cliff MMA in Florida and helping Bellator welterweight champion Jason Jackson with his wrestling skills.
While Steveson’s future plans remain uncertain, fans are eager to see what the young wrestling prodigy will do next as he continues to make waves in the combat sports world.