Gable Steveson has recently opened up about the difficulties he faced balancing careers in the WWE and the NFL, acknowledging that trying to juggle both commitments ultimately hindered his success. The Olympic gold medalist, who became the youngest freestyle wrestling champion at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, signed with WWE the following year, fulfilling a childhood dream. However, his time with WWE was short-lived, as he was released in May 2024.
Challenges with WWE and the NFL
Steveson explained that while his experience with WWE initially went well, it became clear that he couldn’t split his focus between two highly demanding careers. He elaborated on this during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, noting:
”When I got to WWE, everything was great, and everything went great the whole time. It just wasn’t the right time. After I signed with WWE, I tried to go back to wrestle [in the amateurs], and you can’t consistently do one foot in, one foot out of everything.”
After leaving WWE, Steveson pursued an NFL career with the Buffalo Bills, but was cut before the start of the preseason in August. Reflecting on his short-lived ventures in both sports, he shared:
”Of course there’s going to be disappointment. I feel like I could have done so much more in the business and I could have lasted a really long time…So there’s no problem with it, I’m good to go. I’m going through college wrestling again and restarting everything and getting back to where I was.”
Restarting His Career
Steveson is now focused on returning to the roots of his success—amateur wrestling—and is determined to regain the form that made him a champion. His journey back to square one involves a recommitment to college wrestling, where he aims to rebuild his reputation and career.
Potential MMA Career
In addition to returning to wrestling, Steveson has expressed interest in pursuing a career in mixed martial arts (MMA). He had the chance to train alongside Jon Jones, one of the UFC’s most dominant fighters, during Jones’ training camp ahead of his UFC 309 heavyweight title fight against Stipe Miocic. Steveson credited this experience with reigniting his passion for MMA, explaining:
”I’ve dipped and dabbed in MMA for a while now. After being in that camp with Jon Jones, that definitely put a major spark in me to go out there and do MMA. Not sure the promotion yet, but Jon definitely lit a fire under me…With the wrestling, with the boxing work, with the jiu-jitsu, I feel like I could be very good really quick.”
Jones, who has praised Steveson’s potential, even suggested that the young wrestler could become a UFC heavyweight champion in the future.
Steveson’s transition to MMA, if it happens, could be a natural one given his wrestling pedigree, and it seems like he is ready to embark on a new challenge.
