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First Olympic champion to compete in WWE

First Olympic champion to compete in WWE
Who
Kurt Angle
What
First
Where
United States (Detroit)
When
14 November 1999

The first Olympic champion to compete in WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) is Kurt Angle (USA), who made his official in-ring debut at the Survivor Series in Detroit, Michigan, USA, on 14 November 1999. He defeated his opponent, Shawn Stasiak, in under six minutes.

Despite having a broken neck, Angle won a gold medal in heavyweight freestyle wrestling (≤100 kg) at the Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, on 31 July 1996.

Following in Angle’s footsteps, Tokyo 2020 gold medallists, Gable Steveson and Tyra Mae Steele (b. Tamyra Mariama Mensah Stock), signed with WWE in 2021 and 2023, respectively.