What happened to Gable Stevenson? All about why the Tokyo gold medalist & WWE star didn't qualify for Paris Olympics amidst 'unretiring' concerns

Tokyo heavyweight freestyle champion Gable Stevenson won't be competing at the upcoming Paris Olympics, as he failed to show up at the U.S Olympic Trials that were held on April 19th and 20th in Pennsylvania. The WWE wrestler had announced his intentions to make it back into the US National team in 2023, a year before the Games.

Stevenson originally rose to fame as a teenager, winning the 2015 and 2016 Cadet World Championships, as well as the 2017 Junior World Championships. He then signed with the Minnesota Gophers for his collegiate career, claiming three Big 10 Championships and two individual national titles.

In 2021, Gable Stevenson made his Olympic debut, winning gold on his first try in the 125 kg freestyle category. After coming back from Tokyo, the wrestler signed with WWE in September of 2021. He announced his retirement from amateur wrestling the next year in March, leaving his shoes on the mat after winning the NCAA Division I finals.

However, in March of 2023, Stevenson announced that he intended to return to the sport to make it to the Paris Games, telling MMAFighting.com,

“I miss being on the mats. I miss showcasing my skills every year and going out there and putting on a good show and going out there and winning the national tournament. I miss it. I still have that competitive fighter and hope to get back out there really soon. I know the Olympics is next year, and I hope to be a part of that and keep moving forward and keep winning big titles for the USA also.”

“I feel I have a lot more left in the tank to showcase. I want to prove USA right and keep moving forward overall and become one of the best American amateur wrestlers ever, and I hope I can achieve the Bruce Baumgartner status of having a bunch of medals and having the accolades to show and be a part of WWE and be an entertainer, too,” he went on to add.

A couple of months later, in July 2023, Gable Stevenson did indeed come back to amateur wrestling. Competing at the 2023 US Open Wrestling Championships. he won gold before going on to clinch the top spot at the 2023 Final X and earning a berth at the World Championships. However, he opted out of competing at the Worlds that were held in September.

While Stevenson had qualified for the US Olympic Wrestling Team Trials that were held on April 19th and 20th at Penn State University, he didn't make an appearance at the event, losing his chance to book a ticket to the Paris Olympics.

Gable Stevenson released by WWE

On May 3, 2024, Gable Stevenson was released by the WWE less than three years after he was signed. In his time as part of the WWE, the Olympic Champion had only one televised match. Speaking to The MMA Hour about Stevenson’s plans, his manager, David Martin, confirmed that the 23-year-old intends to return to elite competitions, saying,

“Gable Steveson is very grateful for the opportunities he had with WWE and would like to thank everybody in the organization who helped him get there. He would also like to thank all the fans who have supported him on his professional wrestling journey. Now, Gable is ready to resume competing against elite-level competition and looks forward to sharing big news with you all very soon.”

Martin also said that several NFL teams had reached out to the Tokyo Olympic Champion, but that route seems an unlikely choice for the youngsters. Gable Stevenson does have a year of collegiate eligibility left, and fans will be curious to see if he returns to the NCAA circuit in the coming year.