Bengaluru, August 9: Top WWE prospect Gable Steveson seized a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics and afterward the company congratulated him on the big victory through their official Twitter account.
Triple H, the owner and head of the creative for NXT also separately highlighted the win, fueling up the speculation on the next big signing for the WWE.
Steveson shocked the world after winning an Olympics Gold Medal at 125kg freestyle wrestling which is considered to be the highest honor possible for a wrestler. It was also achieved by him at an age of just 21, leaving the potential high as many renowned promotions from different genres would be waiting for him.
The fact that Gable Steveson is a huge fan of WWE, is a bonus for the Vince McMahon-owned brand. But being the NCAA Champion, he has a great base in wrestling which could also help to get transitioned into the world of mixed martial arts, bringing UFC into the equation. Professional boxing could also be a choice for him but for now, WWE and UFC seem to be in a tug of war for this bright recruit.
👀 INCREDIBLE.
— WWE (@WWE) August 6, 2021
Congratulations, @GableSteveson!🥇#Tokyo2020 #TokyoOlympics https://t.co/gPPy6Lfokx
A GOLD-MEDAL celebration!!!
— Triple H (@TripleH) August 6, 2021
Congratulations to @GableSteveson on his performance at the #TokyoOlympics. Focused until the last second, another gold meal for @USAWrestling and #TeamUSA!!!! https://t.co/3ngH9Mrbok
Dave Meltzer spoke to Around The Rings where he discussed how WWE might have an edge in the situation with their toughest competitor All Elite Wrestling not being in the mix.
“Paul Heyman (former wrestling promoter and currently an on-screen manager) has known about him long before anyone else has, back to high school and Steveson said he wants Heyman to manage him. Plus his brother Bobby is already with WWE, and he’s already been on WWE television and in the crowd at shows.”
“I haven’t heard him mentioned in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) circles but he would be a great get for them particularly if he does well.”
Steveson has known Paul Heyman since junior high school, and one of his mentors is the former WWE Champion Brock Lesnar as the two belong to Minnesota. His brother, Bobby Steveson was highly praised for some of his work at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, earlier this year.
Also, the two brothers appeared at ringside during the WWE NXT Takeover: Stand and Deliver Night Two event during WrestleMania 37 weekend in April. They were shown on camera with WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon and former WWE Senior Director of Talent Development Canyon Cemen. Triple H also did a separate introduction for him on that night.
For now, the University of Minnesota Champion is 'living in the moment' after beating Georgia’s Geno Petriashvili for that Olympic Gold medal win. There’s also a possibility that the champion could simply choose to appear in the Paris 2024 Olympics and in that case, WWE and UFC offering will take a backseat.
But as another former Gold Medalist cum WWE Champion Kurt Angle stated in recent interviews that Vince McMahon is literally drooling to sign Gable in a contract and hence he can change the scenario by opening his checkbook. A lucrative amount offering from him could certainly bring another Olympian to the mainstay division of WWE.