WWE Hall Of Famer Kurt Angle has given his thoughts on what he perceives as the biggest issue facing Gable Steveson when he debuts in WWE.
After winning Olympic Gold in Tokyo, Steveson became one of the most sought-after combat athletes in the world. With Steveson already an NCAA Champion, Danny Hodge Trophy winner, and Junior World Champion, his resume attracted a sting of suiters.
Gable Steveson was the first to sign a NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) contract with the company when he signed with the WWE in September, and the company recently signed 15 more athletes to NIL contracts as part of this new program, including two sisters that WWE reportedly hopes could be the “next Bella Twins.”
Surprisingly Steveson was included in the WWE Draft in October, being drafted to Raw when he eventually appears on WWE television on a full-time basis.
Speaking on a special Q&A available on AdFreeShows.com, Kurt Angle thinks the need to be a larger than life personality could be an issue for Steveson, but one he expects his fellow Olympic Gold Medallist to overcome:
“Gable Steveson is a phenomenal athlete, especially for his size. The kid is a super athlete, I think he’s going to adapt well to pro wrestling. The only issue is I don’t know his personality. I don’t know how open he is, if he’s able to come up with a great character that people will relate to or that people will absolutely hate.”
“You can be a great wrestler but if you don’t have the character and the promo skills, you’re going to be stuck in the mud. Someone like Gable Steveson, who is an Olympic Gold Medallist, they’re going to bring him in larger than life. A lot of pressure is going to be put on him just like it was for me. I think Gable is going to do a good job, I think he’s going to adapt very well and I think he’s going to have a lot of success in WWE.”