Gable Steveson Withdraws From Upcoming World Championship Competition

WWE Superstar Gable Steveson will not be competing in the 2023 Senior World Championships later this month.

Steveson signed with WWE in 2021, shortly after his Olympic Gold Medal victory at that year's Summer Games in Tokyo, Japan. That same year, Steveson became the first-ever Superstar to be drafted (being selected by Raw) prior to having a match. Following a delay in plans for the Olympian, Steveson made his in-ring debut at NXT Great American Bash in July of this year, going to a count-out draw with Baron Corbin.

Despite being a WWE Superstar with a match to his name, Steveson has continued a career in amateur wrestling and has teased competing in next year's Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France.

This week, Steveson notified USA Wrestling that he will not be competing in the 2023 Senior World Championships at the 125 kg weight class in the event that will take place in Belgrade, Serbia. Mason Parris who is No. 2 on the 2023-24 U.S. Senior Men’s Freestyle National Team will be replacing Steveson in competition.

Steveson returned to freestyle wrestling for the first time since the Olympic Games when he won the 2023 U.S. Open in Las Vegas, Nevada. Steveson later secured his position on the 2023 U.S. Senior World Team with his victory at Final X in Newark, New Jersey in June.

Steveson isn't the only Olympian to sign with WWE. Earlier this year, Tamyra Mensah-Stock signed with WWE, becoming the third gold medalist under contract and the first female gold medalist.

In 1999, Kurt Angle made his debut for the World Wrestling Federation and would go on to have a Hall of Fame-worthy career. Gable Steveson competed at the 2012 Summer Games in London, England but did not win a medal. Four years earlier, Ronda Rousey captured Bronze at the Beijing, China games in Judo.