Of all the most recent prospects for WWE, the most disappointing has been Gable Steveson.
An Olympic gold medalist and multi-time NCAA wrestling champion, Steveson was expected to fill a similar role as Kurt Angle.
There's only one problem: He's not Kurt Angle. He's Gable Steveson.
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For a variety of reasons, Steveson did not catch on with WWE crowds, resulting in him being released from the company on May 3, 2024.
Afterward, Steveson attempted to join the NFL through the Buffalo Bills and eventually returned to NCAA wrestling with his alma mater, the University of Minnesota.
Since then, there has been much criticism levied at the Olympic gold medalist, particularly at his time in WWE. However, Steveson still has one WWE personality on his side: the aforementioned Kurt Angle.
In an interview with Casey Salengo on eWrestlingNews, Angle gave his opinion on Steveson's release from WWE.
"Yeah, good kid, yeah, I talked to him a couple times; he's an incredible athlete; I mean, the kid really is," Angle said. "I don't know what happened. I don't know if he decided he wanted to quit or WWE wanted to release him. I don't know if he had a bad attitude; I don't know."
Angle was also happy that Steveson didn't stop pursuing other avenues after plans with WWE fell through.
"I don't know because I don't know him that well, but I know that he's an incredible athlete, and whatever he does from here on in, he'll be successful," Angle said.
An Olympic gold medalist himself, Angle has always been supportive of Olympic athletes, going so far as to establish a charity to help athletes raise money so they can focus on training.
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There are a variety of reasons Steveson didn't see the same success as Angle, the most significant of which was sexual assault allegations from his time at the University of Minnesota.
Even though the county attorney decided not to pursue charges, this did not alter the reaction of the WWE fanbase.
Additionally, Steveson wasn't nearly as charismatic as Angle. Angle was able to alter between arrogant heel and lovable goofball almost on a whim. Meanwhile, Steveson mostly came across as uncaring.
Finally, there is already a WWE Superstar who has taken on the Kurt Angle role: Chad Gable. While he isn't an Olympic gold medalist, he is an Olympian and has an extensive amateur background.
Needless to say, it doesn't seem like Steveson's professional future will involve the WWE.
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