Gable Steveson said he’s following in the “Brock Lesnar” path.
Steveson, 21, said former WWE superstar and UFC fighter Brock Lesnar helped him decide to pursue a pro wrestling career. The 21-year-old’s NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) contract will kick in for its three-year deal immediately after his final year at the University of Minnesota.
“[Brock] was a good part [of the decision] because the Brock Lesnar path, like we talked about, he started with WWE and went to the NFL and made it to the final stages of being on the team, then went to UFC,” Steveson said.
Lesnar also competed at Minnesota and won a national championship.
Steveson took the sports world by storm after his last-minute victory at the Tokyo Olympics.
It wasn’t long until rumors surfaced that MMA leagues and the WWE were interested in potentially signing the young wrestler.
Steveson also sent out cryptic messages, hinting to Dana White with an emoji that he was interested in a deal, but he said nothing ever came out of it.
In the end, it was the WWE who Steveson signed with, which was a “childhood dream” of his.
Lesnar won the WWE championship five months after he debuted at 25, becoming the youngest champion in the title’s history. He then had a short career with the Minnesota Vikings, and moved onto the UFC until 2016.
“So, I mean the Brock Lesnar route is helpful for me, and I want to pave my own way and have my own destiny. He was a big help in this, and it was cool that he gave me some guidance,” he added.