For years, Kurt Angle was the only Olympic gold medalist in WWE.
That changed when Gable Steveson signed the company’s first NIL deal back in September of 2021. He was drafted to Monday Night Raw in October of 2021, but he has yet to debut on the brand and recently announced that he was making a return to amateur wrestling.
Now, according to a report from ESPN, WWE have signed another Olympic gold medalist in Tamyra Mensah-Stock. Mensah-Stock won gold in the Women’s Freestyle wrestling 68kg event at the Tokyo Olympics back in August, becoming the first Black woman to win a gold medal in wrestling.
Mensah-Stock has made a handful of appearances for the sports entertainment giant in the past. At SummerSlam in 2021, she was honored alongside Gable Steveson to celebrate their Olympic wins in Tokyo. The following November, she made an appearance on an episode of NXT, being shown on-screen alongside her husband as Raquel Rodriguez made her entrance to face Dakota Kai.
“I Need A Change” – Tamyra Mensah-Stock On Joining WWE
Speaking to ESPN, Mensah-Stock explained her decision to remain in amateur wrestling after coming in third place in the 2021 world championships and why she’s now making the transition to professional wrestling.
“I didn’t want to end my career on that note, so I did another world championships, I wiped the floor with everybody, and I was like, ‘Man, this is not fun anymore. I need a change.’ Something in the back of my head that’s just been itching at me, a dream of mine for I don’t know how long. I just wanted to be in the WWE.”
The star reported to the WWE Performance Center on Monday, and spoke highly of the experience. She told ESPN that she wants to be on the main roster within one year’s time.
“I love watching the athletes just in the ring, just going what they do best. I just see their personalities just shine through the television, and I see their strength. Just everything about them resembles me, and I’ve just wanted to be a part of that.”