How Gable Steveson Signing With WWE Opens Doors for Several Collegiate Wrestlers

Published 09/12/2021, 9:00 AM EDT

Tokyo Olympics 2020 gold medalist, Gable Steveson, made history in WWE before even wrestling his first match. The 21-year-old signed a NIL contract for the WWE, which means Steveson will be part of the company and simultaneously compete at the collegiate level.

The NIL (new name, image, and likeness) deal is a kind of compensation contract. According to the rule, an NCAA athlete can sign an NIL contract with any professional organization and capitalize on their status and personalities without affecting their college eligibility.

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Steveson took to Twitter to acknowledge that his WWE contract will not affect his involvement with the wrestling team, Golden Gophers.

Dear @GopherWrestling, I’m Back! 〽️
— Gable Steveson (@GableSteveson) September 9, 2021

The Minnesota Golden Gophers are a Division I college wrestling team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which is Gable’s hometown.

Gable Steveson inspires young and upcoming wrestlers

One thing Steveson has done is set an example for his young peers who look to break into the world of wrestling, which is by no means a joke.

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A fellow collegiate wrestler on Twitter acknowledged Steveson’s hard work and how his WWE signing has inspired the younger talent to move in a particular direction.

“Yo, what Gable Steveson just did for the sport of wrestling is ridiculous. He just straight up [put] the wrestling community on his back by returning. @WWE fans will have no choice but to watch these collegiate wrestling monsters work. We owe you dawg! Thank you”

Yo, what Gable Steveson just did for the sport of wrestling is ridiculous. He just straight up but the wrestling community on his back by returning. @WWE fans will have no choice but to watch these collegiate wrestling monsters work.
We owe you dawg! Thank you 🙏🏾 https://t.co/XCF9oTucOu
— Nate Jackson ✍🏾 (@natejackson__) September 9, 2021

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Written by:

Prithvi Mishra is a WWE and AEW author for EssentiallySports. Having started his career as a UFC writer, Prithvi has nearly 2 years worth of experience in covering combat sports. Eventually, Prithvi decided to write for his passion and first love- pro wrestling.

How Gable Steveson Signing With WWE Opens Doors for Several Collegiate Wrestlers

Gable Steveson inspires young and upcoming wrestlers

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