Gable Stevenson, an Olympic wrestling champion and two-time NCAA titlist for the Gophers, has been terminated from his contract with World Wrestling Entertainment, a professional wrestling website reported Saturday.
Steveson, a former Apple Valley High School star, signed with WWE shortly after winning the men's heavyweight freestyle gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. He returned to the Gophers while training with WWE and won his second consecutive NCAA Heavyweight Championship in 2022 before retiring from amateur wrestling.
Steveson continued training with WWE in Florida and made his professional debut in July 2023. Still, he flirted with returning to the Gophers for his final season of eligibility in 2023, then returned to the mat with a World Championship berth. He withdrew 10 days before the tournament last September.
When in Minnesota, Stevenson often trains with the Gophers wrestling team. He could not be reached for comment Saturday.
Steveson was one of 11 players cut from WWE on Saturday, but he was never popular among wrestling fans. There has only been one televised game since he signed with the organization.
Wade Keller, who runs the website Pro Wrestling Torch, told the Star Tribune last year that Stevenson needs to develop his charisma to make a mark in the wrestling world.
“We're waiting to see if he's going to be a compelling character, both within WWE and among the fans, who will be drawn to the stories he tells in the ring,” Keller said.
What's next for Stevenson? He still has one year of college eligibility left, so that's one of his options. As for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Stevenson did not participate in the U.S. Olympic Trials in April. Mason Paris won the trial in the 125 kg weight class and will represent the United States in Paris.
Despite not participating in much amateur wrestling after 2022, the 23-year-old Stevenson may still be the best freestyle heavyweight in the world. At the 2023 Final Parris won the bronze medal after Stevenson withdrew.
Steveson may not have provided the drama that WWE wanted, but he certainly showed a flair for the dramatic in amateur wrestling. He won the gold medal at the 2021 Olympics in thrilling fashion. Steveson, who trailed three-time world champion Geno Petriashvili of Georgia 8-5, won with two takedowns with 10 seconds remaining. He scored the decisive takedown with 0.2 seconds left, sparking wild celebrations in Minnesota and Japan.