Gable Steveson drawing NFL interest, training in MMA after WWE release
Gable Steveson, the Olympic gold medalist and two-time NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion, has garnered interest from multiple NFL teams following his recent departure from WWE, his agent Dave Martin confirmed to Ariel Helwani of "The MMA Hour."
Steveson has also been training in mixed martial arts at the highly touted Kill Cliff FC gym in South Florida, under head coach Henri Hooft and former UFC champion Robbie Lawler.
WWE surprisingly released Steveson last weekend after the 23-year-old spent three years in the professional wrestling organization's developmental program. Steveson signed an NIL deal with WWE in September 2021, just months after winning his first national title, and made various live appearances throughout his tenure with the company. Steveson also competed in one more collegiate wrestling season while in WWE, successfully defending his title in 2022.
"Gable Steveson is very grateful for the opportunities he had with WWE and would like to thank everybody in the organization who helped him get there," Martin said in a statement obtained by Helwani. "He would also like to thank all the fans who have supported him on his professional wrestling journey. Now, Gable is ready to resume competing against elite-level competition and looks forward to sharing big news with you all very soon."
In addition to potential opportunities in the NFL and MMA, Steveson, who competed in collegiate wrestling out of the University of Minnesota, could also choose to return to that sport next. Steveson has one more year of collegiate eligibility because of a COVID-19 waiver granted to student-athletes by the NCAA in 2021. Steveson's last collegiate match took place in March 2022 when he became a two-time champion.
Martin told Helwani that there is "no shortage of opportunities" for Steveson to compete.
At least two NFL teams are interested in inviting Steveson to minicamp before the 2024 season gets underway this fall, Helwani reports.
Steveson, one of the greatest collegiate wrestlers of all time, captured the gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
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