Kurt Angle Comments On Gable Steveson's Debut At WWE NXT Great American Bash

Gable Steveson made his long-awaited professional wrestling debut last weekend during "WWE NXT" Great American Bash, facing Baron Corbin in a bout that ended in a no-contest. The 2020 gold medalist seemingly called back to fellow Olympian Kurt Angle during the encounter, applying an ankle lock and dropping the singlet straps much in the way Angle had done before. Angle gave his own review of the match during "The Kurt Angle Show". The Hall of Famer started by saying that he feels sorry for the comparisons being drawn between them. 

"I feel badly for him because he's being compared to me at this point in time, and he hasn't even barely started, he just started out right now so I don't know how his future is going to be," Angle said, "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." Angle continued about what he had heard of Steveson's debut, and said that it had been noted to him that the crowd got more heated when particular Angle mannerisms were used.

Angle then declared his belief that WWE is intentionally making this the case, actively working the similarities between the wrestlers as part of a heel persona. "So they're gonna have him copy and mimic me, this is what I believe, they're going to have him copy and mimic me, so he can p**s the fans off, so that he starts out as a heel. because it's easier to be heel starting out than it is babyface. So I think they're the one who actually told him to do this stuff, I really believe that and I think the WWE is brilliant for doing it."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "The Kurt Angle Show" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.