Former WWE wrestler Gable Steveson gets dominant victory in boxing debut

It took less than 15 seconds for Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson to win his boxing debut.

The former WWE NXT wrestler made quick work of his opponent on Thursday night, defeating Billy Swanson in an event put on by Dirty Boxing in Nashville, Tennessee. The full show streamed live on YouTube. A clip of Steveson’s knockout can be seen below:

Steveson, an elite amateur wrestler on the Olympic and collegiate stage, signed with WWE in 2021. His arrival received much hype and fanfare, but his pro wrestling career did not go as planned. His only televised match took place for NXT in 2023 and received poor reviews from fans.

After being released by WWE in 2024, Steveson attempted to make it into the NFL with the Buffalo Bills. He later returned to college wrestling and now has the goal of joining UFC. Steveson won his MMA debut for Legacy Fighting Alliance this September.

UFC executive Mick Maynard was in attendance at the Dirty Boxing event — and Steveson made an appeal to Maynard after winning his debut.

“I think a special guest was here to come watch me,” Steveson said. “His name is Mick Maynard with UFC. And he’s right there. So, Mick, you’ve seen a little bit. I would love to show a lot more. And, man, hopefully you believe in me. And I appreciate you.”

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Joseph Currier
Joseph Currier

Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.

In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.