Olympic gold medalist wrestler Gable Steveson recently spoke with Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour to discuss his WWE signing and more. You can watch the full interview at the end of this article.
For those who missed it, you can click here for a recent backstage report on Gable’s unique WWE contract, and you can click here for recent comments by WWE President & Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khan and Triple H.
Below are some highlights from the interview with Helwani, plus video:
Gable on his WWE contract and how the deal came together:
“After this year, it’s a three-year deal. This year is extra….going back to school came before the Olympic Games. I wanted to go back and win a National Title. With WWE, it came really quick because they allowed me to come back and why wouldn’t I wrestle one more year and go on stage with WWE? It was a win-win and I had to take the opportunity.”
Gable on whether WWE suggested he skip his senior year of college:
“That never came up. I told them that I wanted to go back and finish school. Their number one priority was, ‘you can do that.’ Vince, Nick Khan, and Triple H all said, ‘Go win the National Title. Everything will still be in place for you. Get your degree and we’ll see you after that.’ Part of my deal is I can go on stage during my school time.”
Gable on if he expects a WWE NXT run or to go straight to the main roster:
“There’s a very good chance that I go straight to the main roster and not go to NXT. I’m open for anything. With the way things are going, I think I’m going to jump straight to the main roster. I know there’s a lot to learn and I’m ready to soak everything in like a sponge and be ready to go out there and put on a good show for the crowd.”
(H/T to Fightful for the quotes)
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