WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T Reacts To Gable Steveson Departure

Gable Steveson is no longer with the WWE after being released by the company in April 2024. The Olympic gold medalist joined the company in 2021, but never fully settled into life in WWE following an extensive amateur freestyle wrestling career. The company saw big potential in Steveson when he initially arrived, signing him to a big-money contract, but things just never panned out for the Olympian. WWE Hall of Famer Booker T was asked about Steveson on his "Hall of Fame" podcast, where he explained that Steveson had all the tools, but lacked the drive. 

"He had the look, he had everything," Booker said. "He had all of that man, and for it not to pan out, I think it was him not really...buying all in. Not really saying, 'I'm really going to throw everything into doing this and being the best at it. One foot in the door and one foot out, let's just say that."

Booker believes that Steveson's mind may have been somewhere else. "Could he have cut it and really pull this thing off? Probably, but I really think that [amateur] wrestling bug was still in his system and it was hard for him to really get it out. Seemed like he still has something to prove there, again just having one foot in and one foot out, I think that was his problem." 

Booker witnessed Steveson wrestle firsthand on "NXT." The Olympian was heavily booed by the crowd at the 2023 Great American Bash event, with some fans turning on him due to his controversial past, which includes sexual misconduct allegations against the star. 

Please credit "Hall of Fame" when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.