Gable won the Olympic gold medal in wrestling with a buzzer-beating win, one of the most dramatic moments from the Tokyo Games. He then met with WWE, UFC, and other major organizations to decide his next step. He ultimately settled on WWE, and he's become the next hot thing in combat sports.
- Amy Kaplan
Combat Sports Editor
Best fan moment of the year
Gable Steveson won Olympic gold with just one second remaining in the final match and immediately shot into stardom. With the Olympics behind him, he became the hottest free-agent athlete on the market, weighing the decision to sign with the UFC, WWE, or pretty much any other combat sports league he wanted.
How this fandom is changing sports
Steveson showed that an athlete could have value even before competing. The wrestler was getting bids from the UFC for MMA, a sport he’s never competed in. Ultimately, he signed with WWE and will debut perhaps in 2022.