Booker T On Gable Steveson's WWE Release: He Had One Foot In The Door And One Foot Out

Booker T says Gable Steveson didn't fully buy in.

Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson signed with WWE in 2021. He made a few appearances over the years and made his in-ring debut at NXT Great American Bash 2023. Steveson worked several dark matches and live events, but the company released him in May 2024.

Bianca Belair And Jade Cargill Challenge Liv Morgan And Raquel Rodriguez To WWE Women's Tag Title Match

Speaking on his Hall of Fame podcast, Gable Steveson's release came up in the conversation. Co-host Brad Gilmore shared his belief that Steveson was one of the biggest flops in WWE history.

“As far as the build-up, you could see that, with what people were expecting to see from Gable Steveson. Just because he had the look, he had everything you check off as far as the box goes, he had all of that. For it not to pan out, I think it was him not really buying all in, not really saying, ‘Man, I’m really gonna throw everything into doing this and being the best at it.’ He had one foot in the door and one foot out, let’s just say that. I think that’s what it was more than anything. Could he have cut it and really pulled this thing off? Probably. But I think that wrestling bug was still in his system, and it was hard for him to really get it out. It seemed like he still had something to prove. There again, just having one foot in and one foot out, I think that was his problem," Booker T said.

In August 2023, Booker T said that he was on the fence about Steveson, and he said he wasn't Kurt Angle. Check out his comments here.

Gable Steveson's agent has said that multiple NFL teams have reached out after his WWE release. More information is available here.

If you use the above quotes, please credit the original source and link back to Fightful with an h/t for the transcription.

Get exclusive pro wrestling content on Fightful Select, our premium news service! Click here to learn more.