Kurt Angle on WWE Fans Rejecting Gable Steveson During His In-Ring Debut

Gable Steveson's WWE in-ring debut at the NXT: The Great American Bash event didn't go as smoothly as one might have hoped. The Olympic Gold Medalist's match with Baron Corbin only lasted six and a half minutes before ending in a double countout and the fans in attendance booed Steveson every time he hit a move that resembled Kurt Angle. The WWE Hall of Famer addressed the situation on the latest episode of his podcast. 

"Well, I feel badly for him because he's been compared to me at this point in time and he hasn't even barely started," Angle said (h/t WrestlingNews.co). "He just started out right now. So I don't know how his future is going to be. I know he's really talented, really athletic. I'm not sure how he is as far as entertainment-wise, but as far as in the ring, I heard he's really good. But no, I don't think it's a fair assessment to compare him to me right now. I think down the line, you can do that." 

Is WWE Trying to Make Gable Steveson a Heel?

He went on to theorize that WWE is trying to get fans to boo Steveson on purpose by having him imitate Angle. Ironically, Steveson could outdo Angle's Olympic wrestling resume if he wins another gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. 

"I heard, this is crazy but people have been coming to me and telling me, 'Hey, he wrestled Baron Corbin in NXT and the fans were booing the heck out of him, and then he pulled his straps down and the fans were even more pissed.' You know what? I think that is something that the WWE is actually doing," Angle said. "They want to make him a heel so they're gonna have him copy and mimic me. This is what I believe. I think they're gonna have him copy and mimic me so he can piss the fans off so that he starts out as a heel because it's easier to be a heel starting out than it is to be a babyface. I think they're the ones that actually told him to do this stuff. I really believe that and I think the WWE is brilliant for doing it."

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