The Olympic Gold Medalist continued his undefeated streak in a surprise match before WWE SmackDown went on air

Gable Steveson made his first appearance since his disappointing match against Baron Corbin at NXT: Great American Bash.

The Olympic Gold Medalist continued his undefeated streak in a surprise match before WWE SmackDown went on air

Gable Steveson, Triple H, and Kurt Angle (via TJR Wrestling)

Gable Steveson is the only WWE superstar who has won an Olympic gold medal after the legendary Kurt Angle. He has been in a handful of matches at NXT house shows, securing victories in all of them. After five months, Steveson made another appearance on SmackDown and competed in a match.

The 23-year-old wrestled with Cedric Alexander in a singles match. This match took place before the special New Year’s Revolution edition of SmackDown went on air. Steveson won the match, and this elongated his undefeated streak to 12 wins.

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He has a record of 12 wins, 0 losses, and 1 draw. The latter came against Baron Corbin at the NXT Great American Bash. However, the Olympic gold medalist would want to forget that match because of the heavy criticism he received during the match. It is regarded as one of the worst matches of last year by the fans.

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It looks like WWE has some plans for him, although he was removed from the WWE roster. He went through a lot of criticism for using Kurt Angle’s moves, with the fans chanting ‘You’re not Angle’ during his matches. It will be interesting to see how he comes back and whether he gets the crowd behind him. 

Kurt Angle believes comparing Gable Steveson to him is unfair

Gable Steveson has always looked up to Kurt Angle as his mentor, and that is not a secret. He even used some of his moves, like the German suplex and ankle lock. However, the WWE Hall of Famer did not find it fair to compare Gable with him.

Kurt Angle and Gable Steveson
Kurt Angle and Gable Steveson (via Wrestling Observer)

Kurt Angle expressed how he feels about people comparing Gable to him on The Kurt Angle Show and said he is talented and athletic. However, he further added that he has just started his career, and there is much more to learn for him in the company. 

Well, I feel bad for him because he’s being compared to me at this point. He hasn’t even barely started, so I don’t know how his future is going to be. I know he’s talented and athletic. 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.
Kurt Angle on Gable Steveson via his podcast
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Although Steveson has just started his career in WWE, the creatives believe in his ability to get better with time. The match against Cedric on the New Year’s Revolution edition of SmackDown could be the start of something big for the 23-year-old. The WWE Universe can expect more of Gable Steveson in 2024.

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