Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson has signed with Real American Freestyle wrestling, the company announced Wednesday.
Steveson won gold for the United States at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and was named the Hodge Trophy winner as the nation's top college wrestler twice while competing for the University of Minnesota.
The 25-year-old heavyweight will make his RAF debut in May at a location to be determined.
“Signing an athlete of Gable’s caliber is a defining moment that reinforces our mission to be the professional home for the world’s best,” RAF CEO and co-founder Chad Bronstein said. “Gable is a once-in-a-generation talent who brings a level of star power and technical dominance that perfectly aligns with the high-stakes atmosphere we’ve built.”
The late Hulk Hogan co-founded Real American Freestyle last year to provide a new space for competitors to earn money in freestyle wrestling and to elevate the sport globally. The concept has worked — the company says it has surpassed eight figures in total ticketing and merchandise revenue and drawn 750 million organic social media views in its first year.
Those numbers should increase significantly. Steveson, who has 1.4 million Instagram followers, is a showman known for executing backflips after his biggest victories.
The move means a rematch with Wyatt Hendrickson now is a real possibility. Hendrickson beat Steveson to win the national title in 2025, a shocker that drew national attention beyond the sport. Hendrickson's dramatic late takedown in the final gave him the 5-4 win and ended Steveson’s win streak at 70 matches. Hendrickson signed with RAF last year and is the heavyweight champion.
Steveson has been active the past five years. After his second college championship at Minnesota, he left his shoes in the center of the mat to symbolize his retirement. He joined World Wrestling Entertainment and performed mostly in NXT, the company’s developmental brand. After his release, he tried out for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, but he did not make the roster.
He returned to Minnesota in 2024-25, going unbeaten before his loss to Hendrickson. After that, he went 3-0 in mixed martial arts matches with three first-round knockouts.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports
