WWE looks to be adding another renowned Olympian to its developmental talent pool.
ESPN reported Wednesday that WWE signed Olympic wrestling champion Tamyra Mensah-Stock, which was later announced on WWE.com. She already reported to the WWE Performance Center to begin training.
Mensah-Stock had been linked to WWE since 2021 but stayed in amateur wrestling to move forward from a third-place finish in the world championships, she told ESPN. Her decision resulted in winning the 2022 world championship in Belgrade, Serbia.
“I didn’t want to end my career on that note,” Mensah-Stock said. “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.”
Prior to this, Mensah-Stock won the gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics in freestyle wrestling.
Mensah-Stock joins a lineage of Olympic wrestlers who have signed with WWE, most notably Kurt Angle, who became one of the company’s biggest stars of the 2000s through stellar matches and a character that shined bright against other top talents to create memorable programs.
Another former Olympian, Chad Gable has starred for WWE in NXT and on the main roster, combining for four tag team championships over the past decade.
WWE signed Gable Steveson in 2021 to add another prominent Olympian, but his pursuit of qualifying for the 2024 Olympics has stalled his WWE career advancement.
As for Mensah-Stock, she told ESPN that she hopes to join WWE’s main roster “within one year.” It’s a lofty goal, but if she makes a smooth transition to professional wrestling and cuts effective promos, perhaps this isn’t far-fetched. WWE always needs new stars, so she could be the next big name for the women’s division.