Video: WWE Stars Share Their Favorite Olympic Athletes, Events And Memories

Today, WWE continued its live event tour of Japan with the first of two shows in Tokyo. Elsewhere in Paris, France, thousands of athletes have gathered for the official Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, which will be followed by two weeks worth of multi-sport competitions. Ahead of this year's Opening Ceremony, a number of WWE Superstars weighed in with their favorite Olympic events, memories, and athletes on the latest episode of "WWE Pop Question."

Regarding their preferred Olympic event to watch, answers ranged from Greco-Roman wrestling to gymnastics to track to weighlighting. For former WWE Raw Tag Team Champion Chad Gable, his personal favorite hits close to home, as he competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in the very event.

"My favorite Olympic event to watch is, of course, Greco-Roman wrestling, being a participant of it myself," Gable said. "A close second would be handball. I actually got a chance to watch some handball live in 2012, in London. It is a brutally, brutally violent and physical sport." 

Former NXT Tag Team Champion Julius Creed revealed himself as an amateur competitive wrestling fan as well, though his fandom spans a bit more broadly. "My favorite Olympic event to watch has got to be the wrestling," Creed said. "I grew up with it. I'm so excited for it once again every four years. I really, really look forward to it."

Gymnastics emerged as the most watched sport amongst WWE Superstars, with the likes of Tiffany Stratton, Johnny Gargano, and R-Truth identifying it as one of their go-tos. Stratton is a former gymnast herself. Gargano, on the other hand, has no experience in the field. Nevertheless, he constantly finds himself "amazed' at the capabilities of the gymnastic performers.

Other notably watched events include track and Olympic weightlifting, which were pointed out by Chelsea Green and "The Ring General" Gunther, respectively.

Looking back on past Olympics, the WWE Superstars also circled some of their favorite memories. For Chad Gable and Johnny Gargano, the sight of an injured Kerri Strug claiming gold for the 1996 USA gymnastics team remains unforgettable.

"Probably one of my earliest, and still to this day, one of my favorite memories of the Olympics was when Kerri Strug had her inspiring performance in 1996 and landed an injured ankle [coming off the vault] and hopping around, but kept her composure like an adult, like a pro," Gable said.

Four years before Strug's incredible comeback, Team USA particularly impressed in the sport of basketball. Together, known as "The Dream Team," the 1992 men's Olympic basketball team emerged undefeated, with their final victory over Croatia earning them a gold medal. Notable players on this team include Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen, and Michael Jordan. "When that team was announced, I was like, 'Oh my gosh, all my favorites and on the same team at the same time? This is the best,'" The Miz recalled. 

Fast forward to 2008, German weightlifter Matthias Steiner boasted overall silver at the European Championships, and later, a gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Beijing. Steiner's victories didn't come without some challenges, though. "Matthias Steiner, German weightlifter, heavyweight, was not a favorite to win the competition," GUNTHER said, "but had a tragic loss of his wife I think close to the competition, and he went for a weight that was unrealistic for him to achieve, but in that moment, he surprised everybody."

In the same year, the USA women's Olympic gymnastics team walked away several medals of their own. "I remember watching the 2008 Olympic Games, and Shawn Johnson won the gold on the balance beam. I thought that was so amazing," Tiffany Stratton said. "I think I was 9 or 10 years old, and that's what inspired me to become a gymnast."

Regarding favorite Olympics athletes, The Miz identified fellow former WWE Champion Kurt Angle as his. Before signing with WWE, Angle had a memorable run in the 1996 Summer Olympics, where he won a gold medal in the heavyweight freestyle wrestling weight class while battling a broken neck.

Chad Gable, a former Olympic wrestler, extended praise toward another former Olympian, namely Aleksandr Karelin, who specialized in Greco-Roman wrestling. "A lot of guys have legends told about themselves, but none to the level of this guy," Gable said of Karelin.

For Tiffany Stratton and Chelsea Green, American gymnast Simone Biles remains the greatest Olympic athlete of all-time. In 2016, Biles acquired individual gold medals for vault, floor and all-around, while also earning bronze on the balance beam. Stratton also noted that she was amazed by the work of another famous gymnast, Shawn Johnson.

In the field of swimming, WWE Tag Team Champion Grayson Waller believes fellow Australia native Ian Thorpe outshines the man who many consider to be the best Olympic swimmer — Michael Phelps. Thorpe won five gold medals in his Olympic career, the most of any male Australian swimmer. "I know Michael Phelps might have some more gold medals, but back in the day, the Thorpedo man, no one could compete with him. He was a different level," Waller said.

Another nod of recognition was directed at former track cyclist Chris Hoy, who boasted seven Olympics medals in his respective career. This specific shoutout was given by former WWE NXT Tag Team Champions Pretty Deadly (Elton Prince and Kit Wilson).