WWE Rumors: Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson Released from Contract After NXT Run

Gable Steveson's run in WWE has come to an end.

Per Dave Meltzer of WrestlingObserver.com, the Olympic gold medalist was among a group of wrestlers released from NXT on Friday.

Steveson was a high-profile signing by WWE in September 2021, one month after his victory at the Tokyo Olympics. He was the first person who signed with the company as part of the Next in Line program.

The deal allowed Steveson to continue his college wrestling career at the University of Minnesota. He won his third straight Big Ten title and second straight national title in the heavyweight division in 2022.

WWE included Steveson in the 2021 draft, adding him to the Raw brand. He made his first television appearance at WrestleMania 38, hitting Chad Gable with a suplex.

Steveson was later moved to NXT and had his first official match against Baron Corbin at NXT Great American Bash in July 2023. The bout ended in a double countout.

After not appearing on television for a couple of months following his debut, Shawn Michaels told reporters said they were "trying to figure out" the best way to use Steveson while working within his schedule.

Steveson did work several NXT house shows at the end of last year. He wrestled dark matches against Cedric Alexander and Cameron Grimes on SmackDown in January and February. He defeated Alexander in his last match on Feb. 9.

Given the hype around Steveson's signing when it originally happened, his actual tenure in WWE was extremely underwhelming. He was the second Olympic gold medal winner to sign with the company, joining Kurt Angle.

Steveson had no experience in professional wrestling and was only 21 when he initially signed with WWE. If he wants to continue in the business, he could get in-ring work with indie promotions around the world and attempt to return to WWE in the future.

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