Former Olympic champion and rape accused Gable Steveson is fired again

*Trigger warning* The following article discusses cases of sexual harassment and may be disturbing to some readers. Please exercise caution.

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It was not a good Tuesday for former Olympic gold medalist (and rape suspect) Gable Steveson.

Steveson, who competed in freestyle wrestling at the 2020 Olympics (after allegedly sexually harassing an intoxicated woman), was released by the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday after playing in the team's season opener. Although he played 14 snaps and recorded one tackle and one QB pressure, Steveson (whose rape case resulted in a legal loophole being closed to no longer protect accused rapists in Minnesota who harass intoxicated women) also briefly competed in WWE under the NXT banner.

He was released from his WWE contract earlier this year after having only one official, televised match against Baron Corbin at the Great American Bash in July 2023. It was a double count-out.

Steveson was released in May 2024 and immediately signed with the Bills despite having no football experience.

“Unlike when he was competing for NCAA championships and Olympic gold, Gable Steveson was unlikely to make the Buffalo Bills' 53-man roster,” wrote Grant Gordon of NFL.com. “Steveson didn't make the cut and the gold medalist was released Tuesday, NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo reported. Garafolo added that Steveson could end up on a practice squad after Tuesday's roster cuts.”

Whether he joins the training team, tries his hand at independent wrestling, or works for Best Buy and fades into well-deserved obscurity… his future is currently uncertain.

“Pro wrestling didn't work out and now Steveson is at another crossroads,” Gordon continued. “He could see if he can sign with another team, probably as a supplement to the practice squad, or maybe try MMA. For now, though, Steveson's NFL aspirations are on hold.”

Speaking of ambitions on hold, Steveson and another University of Minnesota student named Dylan Martinez had to put their college wrestling careers on hold for a while after they were accused of sexually harassing a woman in 2019.

The two were arrested in June 2019 on suspicion of criminal sexual conduct, but they were never actually charged with committing a crime because of a loophole in Minnesota state law called the “Intoxication Loophole.” According to the Twin Cities Pioneer Press, it states that “a person who is sexually assaulted is not considered 'mentally impaired' if they have voluntarily consumed alcohol or used drugs to the point where they can no longer give reasonable consent. To meet this standard for impairment, current law requires that the drugs or alcohol must be 'administered to the person without their consent.'”

Essentially, the law states that a person who was knowingly drunk is not considered “mentally impaired” and can therefore still give consent, even if, for example, the person accused of the assault was not drunk.

“A March 24 ruling by the Minnesota Supreme Court has put the issue in the spotlight,” the Pioneer Press continued. “The court overturned a Maple Grove man's rape conviction because the woman he attacked had been drinking before the attack and therefore was not considered 'mentally impaired' under current law.”

Because of these two cases, Minnesota State Representatives Kelly Moller (DFL-Shoreview) and Marion O'Neill (R-Maple Lake) have drafted a bill to update the law and “close the loophole.”

“Victims who are so intoxicated that they are unable to give their consent have a right to justice,” Moller said when presenting the bill.

The bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 75 to 59. It then passed the Senate by a vote of 45 to 21. It was finally signed into law by then-governor and current vice presidential candidate Tim Walz.

Steveson maintained his innocence throughout the investigation and even made a statement to Ringside News in his defense.

“One of the challenges for me personally, especially in the last few months/years, has been reading the criticism and attacks on my character from people who don't know me and my values,” he told the website. “No one has ever made any charges and the whole matter has been difficult for everyone involved… Hopefully, going forward, people who don't know me will realize that kindness, respect and empathy are virtues that I take very seriously in my life.”

To be clear, he never denied sexually abusing the woman, so many people may not be too upset if he continues to be fired for things he never should have done in the first place.

Follow Nick on Twitter/X at @WesternRebel

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