Gable Stevenson has been released from WWE.
The 2020 Olympic freestyle wrestling gold medalist chose to explore a future in pro wrestling instead of MMA after his historic performance at the Tokyo Games, and scored in the last second to clinch the victory and earn a viral finish. After the curtain closes, promotional activities will end.
Officials close to WWE confirmed his release to MMA Fighting on Saturday, following initial reports from professional wrestling official Dave Meltzer.
Stevenson, 21, was already an NCAA champion at the University of Minnesota, but decided to give the Olympics a shot after the start of the Olympics was delayed due to the global pandemic. Stevenson stormed through the American heavyweight division to qualify for the Olympics.
He continued his dominant run at the Olympics, not allowing a single point in his first three games and outscoring his opponents 23-0. In the final, Stevenson defeated 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Geno Petriashvili in thrilling fashion to win the gold medal and become the youngest American ever to accomplish that feat.
After his Olympic exploits, Steveson considered a future in either professional wrestling or MMA, thanks to his deep ties to professional wrestling, including training with former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.
Steveson ultimately decided to try his hand at WWE, where he signed an exclusive contract, but he also talked about eventually moving to MMA someday.
“I want to fight,” Stevenson told MMA Fighting in 2021. I'm not afraid of being hit. I'm not afraid to go out and lose in front of a big crowd, or win in front of a big crowd. It doesn't matter to me. I go out there to entertain people and for myself, to do what I love. I mean, I love fighting and I love WWE. I like both. “
Over the next few years, Steveson made brief appearances on WWE television, but was never a full-time performer other than sporadic matches on television.
With his release from WWE, Steveson could potentially make a move to MMA, and even when he was training to become a professional wrestler, Steveson continually teased a move to MMA. I was there. Most recently, Stevenson trained at Kill Cliff MMA in Florida, the same team responsible for fighters such as Shavkat Rakhmonov, Gilbert Burns and Michael Chandler.
In fact, Stevenson helped Bellator welterweight champion Jason Jackson hone his wrestling ahead of his recent victory over Ray Cooper III.
It is unclear whether Stevenson intends to explore a future in MMA after his release from WWE, but the path for that to happen is now clear if he so chooses.
