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According to Dave Meltzer on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio — WWE’s initial plan was to give Olympic gold medalist and former talent Gable Steve...
That could slow things down. There are all kinds of reasons for a wrestler to not be able to get in the ring and some of them are more serious than others. You never know when you might see someone having to sit out a good deal of time before they can have a major match and that can make things a lot more complicated. Now it seems to be slowing down the debut of a top WWE prospect. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WATCH: Undertaker Reveals Surprising Name Considered To End The Streak Back in 2021, WWE officially announced the signing of Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson. While Steveson has made some appearances and was even Drafted by Monday Night Raw, he has yet to actually wrestle a match in WWE. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Steveson is talking about returning to amateur wrestling and attempting to win another Olympic gold medal in 2024. There is no word on if he has made a decision how WWE would react to Steveson making such an attempt. The 2024 Olympic Games take plac..
There soon. There are several ways to present a wrestler and various elements have to be put together properly to make it work. One of the most important is the debut as it offers fans their first look at someone new. That can be done in a variety of ways, including building up anticipation for a wrestler’s debut. WWE has been doing that lately and now we have an idea of when someone might be showing up. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: A Trust Issue: How John Cena Earned Backstage Heat For Violating Trust NCAA Champion and Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling Gable Steveson signed a contract with WWE in September 2021. Steveson has appeared for WWE a few times since then but he has yet to wrestle his debut match. During an interview with MMAfighting.com, Steveson revealed that he is expecting to make his in-ring debut shortly after WrestleMania 39 on April 1 and 2. Steveson also said that he would like to return to the Olympics in an attempt to win a second gold medal but did not know..
That’s not good. WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle recently told a story on his podcast on AdFreeShows.com, about how he almost drowned on a recent vacation to Florida. Angle said the following: “We went to Miami, Florida,” Angle said. “The temperature was 80 degrees. We spent so much time on the beach. They had a wonderful pool at the hotel. It was a blast. I actually took my kids jet skiing. My first kid that I put on the back for me to ride them because they’re too young to drive themselves, I put her on the back and we went out, and when I went to make a turn, I slowed down and stopped, I wanted to make a turn and I didn’t put the accelerator on when I was turning and we flipped over. We went into the ocean.” “Now, Thank God my daughter is like an Olympic-caliber swimmer. I even had the safety vest on me, but it wasn’t working. I was still sinking. I can’t swim. So I’m in trouble. I couldn’t get above water. I was going under. My daughter kept her composure. The jet ski got away from..
Maybe not? Wrestling has a bit of a shaky reputation when it comes to being a real spot. There are a lot of people who will instantly point out that the endings are scripted and that is going to cause some people to look at it skeptically. It can help to have more mainstream athletes participating for the sake of offering credibility, but one such star might be taking his time getting there. Back in 2021, NCAA and Olympic wrestling champion Gable Steveson signed a contract with WWE and was officially drafted to Monday Night Raw. Steveson made an appearance at Summerslam 2021 and at WrestleMania 38, but he has yet to wrestle a match. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Steveson is considering a return to the University of Minnesota for an attempt at a third NCAA Heavyweight Championship and possibly another Olympic gold medal in 2024, though he has yet to make up his mind. There is no word on when he would appear for WWE again. Opinion: While I think that ultimately Steves..
The champ has been here for a long time. WWE has announced that June 2022 will be John Cena month and that the company will be celebrating the superstar to honor the 20th anniversary of his debut. You can see his debut match below: [This post contains video, click to play] From WWE.com: WWE was forever changed on June 27, 2002, when a then-unknown powerhouse by the name of John Cena stormed onto SmackDown for the very first time. Answering an open challenge issued by Kurt Angle, Cena boldly declared himself an agent of “ruthless aggression” before paint-brushing The Olympic Gold Medalist across the face. The rest, as they say, is history. Sixteen World Title reigns, countless Attitude Adjustments, and numerous Hollywood blockbusters later, Cena’s debut remains a watershed moment in sports-entertainment lore, the introduction of arguably the biggest Superstar of the modern era, if not WWE history. In honor of the upcoming 20-year anniversary of that seminal night, WWE is paying ..
They have their eyes on them. There are a lot of wrestlers under the WWE umbrella and some of them have some very bright futures. You can see the ones that WWE wants to turn into something bigger as the company puts in the extra effort for them. On rare occasions, you can see someone who looks poised to become one of the next mega stars though and now WWE has a pair of them in mind. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE is looking at Gable Steveson and Bron Breakker as two wrestlers who will be given superstar pushes as soon as they debut. Steveson is an Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling and a two time NCAA Heavyweight Champion. Breakker is a two time and reigning NXT Champion, as well as the son of WWE Hall of Famer Rick Steiner. Both appeared over WrestleMania weekend, though there is no word on when either will appear on the main roster full time. Opinion: This is something that makes all the sense in the world, as WWE knows what they have here. Steveson i..
Monday Night Raw Date: February 7, 2022 Location: Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado Commentators: Jim Smith, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves We have less than two weeks to go before Elimination Chamber and a lot of the big matches are set. Since this is Raw, we have two Elimination Chamber matches set up, plus Becky Lynch vs. Lita, as Smackdown doesn’t seem all that important this month. Tonight is a special show since we are on SyFy due to the Winter Olympics, so we have NO COMMERCIALS in the first hour. I’m thrilled too. Let’s get to it. We open big with the final round of the Academic Challenge between RKBro and the Alpha Academy. This time around, it’s a Quiz Bowl competition and after looking at the spelling bee/scooter race being split, we’re ready to go. Chad Gable explains the rules: it’s one point per question and if you get it wrong, the other team gets to steal. One point per answer, first to give points wins. Alpha Academy gets the history question (who was the first President wit..
He’s a special guest star. All wrestlers are athletes, but there is always a certain stigma about their athletic status. As a result, WWE often tries to tie themselves to more mainstream athletics whenever they can. It can be even better when a “real” athlete joins the promotion, and one such athlete was on hand this week in something of a special preview. Olympic Gold Medal winning wrestler and WWE signee Gable Steveson was in attendance for this week’s edition of Monday Night Raw. Steveson sat in the front row and was greeted by Bobby Lashley during the show. Steveson is signed to a name, image and likeness contract with WWE and is expected to join the company following the end of the college wrestling season as he tries to defend his NCAA wrestling title. Back in October, Steveson was drafted to Monday Night Raw. Steveson has been around a bit before. Check out his time in WWE: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post cont..
You might need to get it together. There are a lot of moving parts in WWE and sometimes it seems like things are a little bit messy. You will see stories that suggest that WWE does not exactly have it together backstage, as it feels like there are communications issues abounding. It seems that was the case again, as a wrestlerwas written into a show without actually being around. Earlier this month, WWE held the second night of the 2021 WWE Draft. There were several moves made throughout the Draft, including more than one surprise. The final Monday Night Raw pick was used on Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson, who has yet to wrestle a match with WWE. According to Fightful Select, Steveson was listed on the show’s itinerary for the night and included him making an entrance. However, Steveson was not at the building and there is nothing to suggest he was ever scheduled to be there. Steveson is not expected to debut for the company until after college wrestling season ends in the sprin..
He might be worth a look. Wrestling occupies a weird place in the sports world, as it is not considered a “real” sport, but the people involved are considered athletes. The people in a ring are going to be putting in some serious effort and that is something that is often recognized. However, there are several sports that are held in higher esteem, but now athletes from a different sport might want to try his hand, and foot, at wrestling. Tareg Ali Hamedi, a silver medalist in karate in the 2021 Summer Olympics, appeared at WWE Crown Jewel and took out Mustafa Ali, following Ali’s loss to Mansoor. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Hamedi is interested in a career in wrestling as he was impressed by the WWE’s production. WWE would be interested in having a Saudi Arabian celebrity and sports star on its roster. There is no word on when Hamedi would be interested in signing with WWE, should he ever do so. It was a big moment. Check out the save, the fallout, and some other..
There’s your game changer. The WWE Draft has the potential to shake up a lot of things in the company in a hurry and sometimes it happens more than others. You never know when you might see a move that can change everything at once and occasionally it comes from the least likely location. That might be the case this year with a huge Draft pick being made this week. In the final round of the 2021 WWE Draft, Monday Night Raw selected Olympic Gold Medalist Gable Steveson with its final pick. Steveson won a gold medal in freestyle wrestling earlier this year at the Tokyo games and signed with WWE soon thereafter. It is not clear when Steveson will make his in-ring debut, as he is under a special contract with WWE which allows him to continue his college career at the University of Minnesota. He will begin full time with WWE when he graduates next spring. WWE has a history with Olympians. Check out some of their time in WWE: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains..
It would be a generational match. WWE is in a weird place at the moment as they are having to try and figure out a way to restock their shelves but continue to rely on their old guard in big spots. At some point WWE has to bring in someone new and those older stars could help elevate them in a hurry. That might be the case with a recent signing to the company. Last week, WWE officially signed Gable Steveson, an Olympic Gold Medal winning wrestler, to a contract with the company. According to F4WOnline.com, WWE is planning to have Steveson face Brock Lesnar in a special match at WrestleMania in a passing of the torch style moment. It is not clear when this will happen or when Steveson will be making his debut for the company. Steveson is scheduled to return to the University of Minnesota to defend his NCAA Heavyweight Championship next season. This has potential. Check out the two in action, plus Lesnar at WrestleMania: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains ..
He’s a special one. Back in 1999, a wrestler named Kurt Angle debuted for the WWF. This was one of the most important signings the company has ever seen, as he was the first ever Olympic Gold Medal winner in professional wrestling history. That is not something that comes around every day and it did not come around again for twenty years. Now things have changed. According to ESPN.com, Olympic Gold Medal winning wrestler Gable Steveson has signed an NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) contract with WWE. This comes after rumors of such a signing and after Steveson made an appearance at Summerslam last month. Steveson’s contract is unique as he is allowed to defend his NCAA championship at the University of Minnesota. WWE will set up a special training facility near the university so Steveson can train with the company’s coaching staff. Once Steveson graduates in May, he will begin his regular WWE contract. WWE has a history with amateur wrestling stars. Check out some of their history: [T..
He has the resume. WWE has a lot of wrestlers on its roster and brings them in from all over the place. While there is often an an emphasis on prior professional wrestling experience, it is not exactly a requirement. The company also has a tendency to sign athletes from other sports, but in this case it seems that they have gone with a little bit of both. According to F4WOnline.com, Olympic gold medal winning wrestler Gable Steveson has signed a contract with WWE. This comes as Steveson sent out a tweet saying he had just put pen to paper. Steveson had said that he wanted to sign with WWE and made an appearance at this year’s Summerslam. WWE has yet to make an announcement about the signing. Steveson will be in elite company. Check out how Olympians have done in WWE: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: This is about as much of a no brainer as you can get. Steveson was just named ..
Keep the shelves stocked. There have been a lot of wrestlers leaving WWE and NXT over the last few months and that is likely to be the case again in the future. The shelves have been greatly depleted in a near record time, but that at some point some new wrestlers are going to be brought in. That seems to be the case again, and there are some names that might ring a bell. WWE has announced six new names as part of the Performance Center Class of August 2021. Some of the signings are related to WWE stars, with another having a different kind of wrestling connection: • Joseph Fatu, the younger brother of the Usos, standing 6’2 and weighing 240lbs. He played college football and has been wrestling for two years. • Ben Buchanan, the son of former WWE star Bull Buchanan and a high school wrestling champion, standing 6’4 and weighing 250lbs. He was the Alabama high school wrestling champion and was undefeated in the 2019-2020 season. • Bobby Steveson, the brother of Olympic Gold Medal wi..
It worked before. When you break it down to its purest form, wrestling is not complicated. Ultimately, a match is usually won by holding someone down or making them submit in a hold. It is one of the most basic forms of athletics that you are going to find and it has been around for a very long time. There have been some high level people involved in it, and now WWE might be going after another one. This week in Tokyo, Tamyra Mensah-Stock won a Gold Medal in the 68kg division in freestyle wrestling. Following her win, she was asked if she would ever consider signing with WWE, replying that she had always wanted to. WWE tweeted out a video of the response. There is no word on any possible negotiations between the two sides or if she is planning to continue amateur wrestling. WWE has a history with Olympians, with the most famous example being Kurt Angle, a former Gold Medal winner in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Other Olympians have tried their hand in WWE, including Ronda Rou..
That would be crossing a line. Wrestling is a lot of things, but ultimately it is a medium for the masses. Fans are going to want to see what is going on with the wrestlers and their feuds, but sometimes you see or hear something that is going to rub people the wrong way. That was the case this week and now one of the bigger wrestling promotions had to make a change. This week on AEW Dark, which took place in Charlotte, North Carolina, Max Caster performed a rap on the way to the ring. The rap referenced United States Olympic gymnast Simone Biles’ mental health issues as well as the Duke University lacrosse team rape allegations. The rap was heavily criticized on social media and has since been edited off of the YouTube video of the show. There is no word on if Caster will be punished in any way. This wasn’t going to go well. Check out the rap, plus some less controversial stuff from AEW: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This po..
Mark your calendars. There have been all kinds of changes taking place throughout the wrestling world over the last year, with some of them being a bit more important than others. Some wrestlers have come and gone and now fans are going to be back for most major promotions by the end of the month. The changes are not done yet though, even if one of them is going to be minor. According to PWInsider.com, both the July 27 and August 3 episodes of NXT will be broadcast on the SyFy network instead of USA due to USA’s coverage of the Summer Olympics. There is nothing to suggest that Monday Night Raw will be moved due to Olympics coverage. The Olympics are scheduled to run from July 23 until August 8 in Tokyo, Japan. NXT has been doing fairly well as of late. Check out some of their recent efforts: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: This is one of those things that happens every now an..
Hopefully it works. Every wrestler has some kind of medical issues, even if they are minor problems. At the same time though, there are some wrestlers who have major issues that have to be dealt with in one way or another. Some of these are things that could end a career if not corrected, along with changing someone’s life in a bad way. One wrestler is dealing with just such a problem. AEW’s Anthony Ogogo has released a video on Twitter, announcing that he is undergoing eye surgery to fix a deviated septum. Ogogo blames the injury on Billy Gunn sending him into the barricade and promises to get even with Gunn no matter what. There is no word on how long Ogogo will be out of action with the injury. Ogogo’s most recent match, the fifth of his career, took place on the June 4 edition of AEW Dynamite. Ogogo is a former British Olympic boxer who was forced to retire due to his eye injuries. Ogogo is blind in his left eye and has had ten operations on his eyes over the years. As mentioned ..