"You've gotta cut it off" - Gable Steveson jokingly tells Brock Lesnar to get rid of his new Viking hairstyle
Brock Lesnar was seen sporting a Viking-esque hairstyle at WWE SummerSlam on Saturday. 'The Beast Incarnate' was recently called out for his new hairdo by Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson.
Steveson was present at the event, which was where Lesnar first publicly appeared donning his new look. The 21-year-old claims to have told Lesnar that the hairstyle looked "ugly."
He also recounted the incident when Brock Lesnar told him to do away with his afro in order to look more professional. Noting his mentor's instructions, Gable cut his hair short and grew a beard.
Steveson told Ariel Helwani during The MMA Hour show:
"Brock came in one day, we were practicing. The first video you probably saw of me and him wrestling, he was real tired. He came in and he was like, you've got to cut that s**t off of your head. I was like, 'what do you mean? I like it.' And he was like, 'No, you've got to look like a professional.' And so I thought about it for a few months and mid-match I'd get my hair pulled. Few months later... I was like, you know what? I'm going (to short) and I'm going to grow a beard out."
"[Brock Lesnar] comes out Saturday at Summerslam. He got this ugly hair and beard and all that. I was telling him, 'Yo, you remember you telling me to cut my hair and I told him you gotta cut yours now.' Bro, you gotta cut it off," added Gable Steveson.
Check out Gable Steveson's appearance on The MMA Hour below:
When Gable Steveson first met Brock Lesnar
Gable Steveson was 18 years old when he first interacted with University of Minnesota wrestling team alum Brock Lesnar. That was when he got to roll with Lesnar, the 2000 NCAA Division 1 champion.
Steveson remembers being intimidated by Lesnar's remarkable physique despite being in his early forties.
"I was scared as hell of him. Dude came up and he is about like 6'3"-6'4". He was absolutely ripped. And I was like, he is bigger than I thought...when I first saw him, I was like, 'Come on now!'. But as the time went on we closer," said Gable Steveson.
Gable Steveson is so far undecided about transitioning into pro-wrestling, akin to his mentor Brock Lesnar.
He recently met with WWE chairman Vince McMahon and is expected to sit with UFC president Dana White for a possible pro-MMA venture.