Gable Steveson debut

Former  Olympic gold medalist, Gable Steveson made his official in-ring debut this past weekend at NXT's Great American Bash event, and to say that the reviews for his first pro bout were mixed would be an understatement.

While many anticipated his WWE debut, as it might've given some indication of if management signed another future superstar, after the NXT broadcast, there are more questions than answers. Is Gable Steveson ready for the WWE? Did the office put him in the right situation? Can he truly make the transition from the amateur ranks to the pro genre?

Those questions remained unanswered after the six-minute match he had with Baron Corbin finished with a double count out, a rather lackluster conclusion if WWE brass wanted to propel Steveson for his debut. First, it must be mentioned that Baron Corbin, despite the silly way he was booked for the past several years, was the right guy as an opponent for the amateur standout. Corbin is solid in the ring, could help lead Gable through it, and most importantly, he worked a safe match with the rookie. That being said, outside of some stellar suplexes, Steveson's first offering as a WWE performer wasn't anything to be overly enthusiastic about. He looked like a very athletic rookie that was somewhat unsure at times and his punches looked very choreographed. It wasn't a terrible segment, but given his amateur status, it had to be considered at least somewhat underwhelming.

That's the double-edged sword to to speak of these type of scenarios, Steveson was offered a WWE deal after he won gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 so it's obvious that the company wanted to capitalize on that. If he was just an amateur standout, he wouldn't have been given the promotional push and the hype prior to his first televised bout. The other side of the coin is that with the contract and perks that go along with it, there are expectations for more progress than the typical WWE recruit. Keep in mind, there's a laundry list of talented athletes that go through the WWE Performance Center that, for whatever reason, just aren't going to be successful at the sports entertainment business. They sign developmental deals, don't make an impression, and exit the Performance Center without it making any headlines.

The 23-year-old Steveson signed a Next In Line contract in September of 2021 that slated him for the developmental system after he finished his amateur run. So far, it's unclear if he actually concluded his time on the amateur mat or not. He was actually drafted to the Raw brand and made an appearance at Wrestlemania 38, but nothing materialized from it, which was an indication that he didn't progress as expected at the Performance Center.

Where the whole situation gets murky is that there's still speculation that he might pursue another gold medal in wrestling at the Paris Olympics in 2024. He won the Open World Championships in April to advance to the World Wrestling Championships in September and a win there would get him a spot on the United States Olympic team. Given his stellar amateur record, he certainly has the skills to win gold again so it'd make sense if he wanted to compete in the Olympics again. That being said, that doesn't really accomplish anything for the WWE, and the reason that they offered in the NIL contract was to get him into the WWE system, not simply act as a placeholder until the next Olympic games.

Perhaps, the reason that Steveson didn't initially make progress at the Performance Center is that he still competes in amateur wrestling. Remember, the nature of the amateur ranks is to prevent your opponent's offense, which is a complete contrast to working with your opponent to complete maneuvers in the pro game. Considering how dominate he is in the amateur style and still a novice to sports entertainment, it might be best for him to exit the WWE program until after the Olympics in 2024. Granted, the WWE will be a part of a corporation worth several billion dollars after the Endeavor merger, but they didn't reach that status with illogical financial decisions. Gable Steveson has been on the WWE payroll for two years, and the company has very little to show for it.

At the same time, the Endeavor merger makes Steveson's contract inconsequential in the grand scheme of things so maybe management will keep him under the WWE umbrella even if he goes to the next Olympic games with the notion that they might be able to get some press or an eventual payoff from it. It's just difficult to see how Steveson will generate the type of revenue for the company that can justify keeping him under contract for several years before he makes it to television on a full-time basis. Obviously, if he intends to wrestle for Team USA in Paris, he will have to train for it so he won't be at the Performance Center to practice bumps with other WWE recruits.

It's a rather odd dichotomy for everyone involved.

For the WWE, they signed the guy to at least a solid contract since he would've received good money offers for other ventures. They've paid him for two years, and clearly, if he made the type of progress they originally expected from him, he would've been put on Raw prior to this since he was drafted to the brand. At this point, what exactly are they paying him for, especially if he plans to continue in amateur wrestling? The other part of the equation is what Gabe Steveson brings to the table. He inked a WWE deal because he was a sports entertainment fan. That being said, if he isn't ready for television, why flounder as a novice in pro wrestling when he still has the chance to win gold as an amateur at the Olympics?

If I had to guess, I'd say that the NXT debut was a chance for WWE brass to get a look at where Steveson is currently and what type of commodity they have for sports entertainment.

The problem is that any competitor only gets the chance to make one first impression, and the match at The Great American Bash was an impression of a lot of sizzle, but no substance. Don't get me wrong, Gable Steveson is an incredible athlete, but that doesn't automatically mean that he will be able to successfully transition to the WWE. There's only one Kurt Angle so any comparisons to him are either silly or unfair. Brock Lesnar is also a very unique commodity so it'd be unfair to expect Steveson to be the next Lesnar, But again, if Steveson isn't ready for television, it might be best for him to leave the WWE and pursue the Olympics instead.

All things considered, I don't think the office did Gable Steveson any favors with a double count out finish booked for his debut match, but at the same time, he looked very inexperienced during a rather short segment so it probably wouldn't be beneficial to put him on live television again. Taking his age into account, I'd say it would be best for Gable Steveson to exit the WWE to pursue another gold medal and then prehaps return to the company for a fresh start in a few years. If the company wants to keep him under contract is rather moot, but after the NXT match, he's clearly not an asset for the company.