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Gable Steveson is one of the hottest free agents in the combat sports world today. Having won the collegiate national championship for wrestling, Steveson was already an athlete many had their eye on but his stardom increased exponentially following his performance at the Tokyo Olympics.
At just 21 years of age, Steveson powered his way to the gold medal match in the super-heavyweight freestyle division. With less than a second remaining against 3-time world champion Geno Petriashvili, Steveson heroically snatched the points the he needed to secure gold.
Since then, Gable Steveson has been openly exploring his options as he seeks out the next step in his career. Steveson has kept fans guessing, appearing at both UFC and Bellator MMA events, as well as meeting with Vince McMahon of the WWE.
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He's also mentioned he has an interest in pursuing an NFL career, with interest from the Buffalo Bills as well as the option of returning to his college team as a 2-sport athlete, both still on the table.
While it remains to be seen which route Gable Steveson will choose, he certainly has the potential to be incredibly successful in the WWE. With the excitement surrounding his decision swirling, let us explore the possibility that he pursues pro-wrestling and take a look at potential opponents.
#5. Seth Rollins vs Gable Steveson
While Rollins is talented enough that he likely would make most wrestlers' top 5 potential opponents, the pairing with Gable Steveson does make some sense. Rollins proved during his program with Dominik Mysterio that he is able to elevate unpolished superstars into great matches.
Steveson is still very young and it may take some time for him to be performing at the level of WWE's top stars. With that being said, the media attention he is receiving at the moment won't allow WWE to slowly build him up.
Therefore, pairing these two together will allow Steveson to jump straight to the top of the card without looking out of his depth. Additionally, Gable Steveson as the american hero taking on the dastardely villain in Seth Rollins has the makings of a great program.
#4. Apollo Crews vs Gable Steveson
While Apollo Crews may not be the biggest name on this list, a program with him and Gable Steveson has the potential to be special. At WrestleMania, it seemed as though Crews was on the cusp of breaking through with his Nigerian royalty shtick adding a new dimension to his character.
Since then, Crews has faded into the background but it may not be too late for his push to be renewed. WWE could capitalize on his gimmick by pitting their American hero Steveson against the proud Nigerian.
The proud american battling a foreign villain is a tried and tested program within the WWE and there's no reason it wouldn't be a success here. The pair could go back and forth for a few weeks to allow WWE to see just how ready Steveson is for the big time.
#3. Roman Reigns vs Gable Steveson
Reigns is in the midst of a long title reign that has seen him cement himself as the face of the WWE. The man to finally topple Reigns will soar to megastar status, and while it may be too soon, just imagine if Gable Steveson was that man. It may be possible, given there's no reason an athlete like Steveson won't take to pro-wrestling like a duck to water.
On top of that, Reigns is performing at such a high level that he would undoubtedly be able to help mask any inexperience from Steveson and ensure the duo had a great match.
If Steveson is able to maintain the current swirling media attention surrounding him and eventually be the man to beat Roman Reigns, the WWE would hit the jackpot. Gable Steveson is an incredibly marketable young man and by elevating him quickly to the top of the card WWE could cash in on his popularity for years.
#2. Bobby Lashley vs Gable Steveson
This one would be interesting since Lashley, like Gable Steveson, has dabbled in both pro-wrestling and MMA. He also once held aspirations of representing USA wrestling at the Olympics before those dreams were cruelly dashed away.
While an MMA bout between the pair is likely off the table due to Lashley's age, If WWE could harness this real-life storyline, they could be on to a winner. Steveson could set his sights on the WWE championship whilst Lashley could become similarly set on his opponent's Olympic gold medal.
Lashley could become obsessed with Gable Steveson and see his arrival in WWE as an opportunity to resurrect his own dreams of winning Olympic gold. A gold vs. gold match between the pair, with both men putting their achievements on the line, would be a big pay-per-view attraction and a true dream match.
#1. Brock Lesnar vs Gable Steveson
Who else could be number 1 besides fellow University of Minnesota alumni Brock Lesnar? The beast incarnate stormed back into the WWE at SummerSlam during the same weekend Gable Steveson met with Vince McMahon.
The pair have followed very similar career paths and have known each other for some time with Steveson considering Lesnar as his role model. Both men won national championships at the University of Minnesota and both have flirted with pro-wrestling and MMA (and even the NFL).
With Lesnar being consistently booked as a monster, Steveson could be bought in, initially alongside the beast incarnate, before challenging him head on.
These two behemoths could go at it and with their extensive history together much of their storyline has already been written. WWE could use the pair's real-life history to heighten it and bring it all to a head in what would be an incredibly high-profile dream match.
