Steveson is actually back!?!?

[Dark Energy]

USA wrestling reporting Gable will be wrestling at the US Open.  Wow.  Pretty cool.  

[Eagle26]

Wow! I did not see that coming. Awesome news!

[VakAttack]

Feels like I picked a good year for my first trip to the US Open, especially if Spencer goes.

[Crotalus]

Certainly spices things up. 

https://youtu.be/8tWiZwMtvOY

[Plasmodium]

He is potentially the right skill set, size and age to bounce between UFC and WWE.

[billyhoyle]

6 hours ago, Plasmodium said:

He is potentially the right skill set, size and age to bounce between UFC and WWE.

The problem may be that WWE decided he isn't their type.  In WWE, actual wrestling talent means nothing compared to being a character like Logan Paul or roided-up like Lesnar.  Gable is an incredible wrestler, but maybe not what WWE is looking for.  And with UFC and WWE merging, he probably isn't what UFC wants either. 

Over the past five to ten years, UFC's business model has shifted from being an actual sport to more of a WWE-like show.  The UFC WWE crossover athlete that will sell PPVs is Logan Paul.  I'm sure Jake Paul will be one as well. A.J. Ferrari would also have been an absolute star in both UFC/WWE if not for the fact that he seems to want to go to prison. And of course, people who put on exciting fights like Bo Nickal will have success in UFC, just not at the level of a Logan Paul. 

[Plasmodium]

3 hours ago, billyhoyle said:

The problem may be that WWE decided he isn't their type.  In WWE, actual wrestling talent means nothing compared to being a character like Logan Paul or roided-up like Lesnar.  Gable is an incredible wrestler, but maybe not what WWE is looking for.  And with UFC and WWE merging, he probably isn't what UFC wants either. 

Over the past five to ten years, UFC's business model has shifted from being an actual sport to more of a WWE-like show.  The UFC WWE crossover athlete that will sell PPVs is Logan Paul.  I'm sure Jake Paul will be one as well. A.J. Ferrari would also have been an absolute star in both UFC/WWE if not for the fact that he seems to want to go to prison. And of course, people who put on exciting fights like Bo Nickal will have success in UFC, just not at the level of a Logan Paul. 

Agreed  Steveson's aptitude for WWE is unknown.  I feel Logan Paul and AJ Ferrari aren't currently big enough for the WWE and if they got big enough (e.g. Bobby Lashley), they'd be useless in the UFC.

[billyhoyle]

5 hours ago, Plasmodium said:

Agreed  Steveson's aptitude for WWE is unknown.  I feel Logan Paul and AJ Ferrari aren't currently big enough for the WWE and if they got big enough (e.g. Bobby Lashley), they'd be useless in the UFC.

Logan Paul is now the main draw in WWE. Ferrari obviously won’t me be in it, but my point is he would have excelled. 

[VakAttack]

It's notable this is happening shortly after Vince took back the leadership of the on-air product from Triple H and the company was sold.  It's possible that Triple H saw a future for him, but that Vince doesn't.

[jross]

Gable will do well if he lets his ego loose. Be more like Macho Man, Ric Flair, or hate on others like Iron Sheik.  Maybe have persona like Kurt Angle as a heel with cockiness and outstanding in-ring skill.  Do his signature flip and talk trash on the inferior skill of his opponents.  The only way Gable should lose in pro wrestling is when he is hit by a chair or a one against many scrap.  Take some acting and improve classes for a year and he'd do well.

[mspart]

So his WWE career is suspect at this point?  Or are they allowing him to do this and he goes back to them afterwards?

mspart

[GreatWhiteNorth]

8 hours ago, mspart said:

So his WWE career is suspect at this point?  Or are they allowing him to do this and he goes back to them afterwards?

mspart

Maybe be cool with both his WWE career and his return to real wrestling. That'd be the super cool perspective.

I see you as more of a super cool guy than a Debbie Downer type.

 

[billyhoyle]

15 hours ago, VakAttack said:

It's notable this is happening shortly after Vince took back the leadership of the on-air product from Triple H and the company was sold.  It's possible that Triple H saw a future for him, but that Vince doesn't.

I'd say it's 50% due to the merger and them realizing that Logan Paul and social media influencers make better WWE wrestlers than Olympic champions. 50% due to Gable just not being "good" at WWE "wrestling." And honestly, I think him being true to himself and not pretending to be one of these awful characters is a good thing! It's better that what he is actually good at is a real sport-and he is one of the best that I have ever seen do it. 

13 hours ago, mspart said:

So his WWE career is suspect at this point?  Or are they allowing him to do this and he goes back to them afterwards?

mspart

What WWE career? He has been working for the company for a year and has barely been used at all.  

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

3 hours ago, billyhoyle said:

I'd say it's 50% due to the merger and them realizing that Logan Paul and social media influencers make better WWE wrestlers than Olympic champions. 50% due to Gable just not being "good" at WWE "wrestling." And honestly, I think him being true to himself and not pretending to be one of these awful characters is a good thing! It's better that what he is actually good at is a real sport-and he is one of the best that I have ever seen do it. 

What WWE career? He has been working for the company for a year and has barely been used at all.  

He is still training WWE.  He was literally at their facility yesterday.

[Plasmodium]

1 minute ago, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

He is still training WWE.  He was literally at their facility yesterday.

Thanks for the update Carl!

[VakAttack]

5 hours ago, billyhoyle said:

I'd say it's 50% due to the merger and them realizing that Logan Paul and social media influencers make better WWE wrestlers than Olympic champions. 50% due to Gable just not being "good" at WWE "wrestling." And honestly, I think him being true to himself and not pretending to be one of these awful characters is a good thing! It's better that what he is actually good at is a real sport-and he is one of the best that I have ever seen do it. 

What WWE career? He has been working for the company for a year and has barely been used at all.  

I dunno.  One of the greatest modern pro wrestlers is Kurt Angle, and his in-ring prowess was a huge factor.  He had an incredible workrate.  On FRL yesterday they said he's still going to do the WWE thing, so maybe my supposition on this was off (and as @Interviewed_at_Weehawken mentioned, he was there training yesterday.

Edited April 14, 2023 by VakAttack

[billyhoyle]

7 hours ago, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

He is still training WWE.  He was literally at their facility yesterday.

 

5 hours ago, VakAttack said:

I dunno.  One of the greatest modern pro wrestlers is Kurt Angle, and his in-ring prowess was a huge factor.  He had an incredible workrate.  On FRL yesterday they said he's still going to do the WWE thing, so maybe my supposition on this was off (and as @Interviewed_at_Weehawken mentioned, he was there training yesterday.

Why aren't they using him at all though? It has been a year. 

[mspart]

16 hours ago, GreatWhiteNorth said:

Maybe be cool with both his WWE career and his return to real wrestling. That'd be the super cool perspective.

I see you as more of a super cool guy than a Debbie Downer type.

I agree with your assessment of me.        Hopefully everything works out for him in the best way.

mspart

[mspart]

This will certainly make heavyweight more interesting.   Do you think anyone will be affrighted of him?   he is the Olympic champ afterall. 

mspart

[jross]

My friend T-Money trained for years and did the local circuits with Harley Race.  There is a learning curve...

Gable seems naturally cocky and he holds it back some for the traditionalists...  He should let it out on the pro circuit.

[D3 for LU]

Wow... Steveson's coming back to the mat, will be a gamechanger.

As for the rest of the heavies as they hear the news...

However, Gable will STILL need to find his shoes?

(They were last seen on the mat in St. Louis after his last collegiate bout... )

D3

[billyhoyle]

On 4/14/2023 at 1:54 PM, jross said:

My friend T-Money trained for years and did the local circuits with Harley Race.  There is a learning curve...

Gable seems naturally cocky and he holds it back some for the traditionalists...  He should let it out on the pro circuit.

Maybe T-Money can give him some advice. It just seems obvious that he is not very good at being what WWE wants (Logan Paul). He has been with them for a year and they have barely used him. He is one of the very best amateur wrestlers on the planet though, so it makes perfect sense that he will be returning to the sport-it's great news for US Wrestling. 

How many people are there at Gable's level of talent/superstardom in one sport, that can then go and achieve that same level in something else? Bo Jackson is pretty much it. Ohtani if you count pitching/hitting as different enough skills even within the same sport. Michael Jordan couldn't in Basketball/Baseball. Askren couldn't do it with UFC.  Cejudo comes to mind as somebody who did, but UFC wouldn't pay him because he wasn't a draw.  Cormier I guess?-but he played out his wrestling career before transferring over and probably ended up with a better MMA than wrestling career.  To succeed at the highest level in multiple things is the exception, not the rule. 

Edited April 15, 2023 by billyhoyle

[jross]

 @billyhoyle

[mspart]

On 4/15/2023 at 3:19 PM, billyhoyle said:

How many people are there at Gable's level of talent/superstardom in one sport, that can then go and achieve that same level in something else? Bo Jackson is pretty much it. Ohtani if you count pitching/hitting as different enough skills even within the same sport. Michael Jordan couldn't in Basketball/Baseball. Askren couldn't do it with UFC.  Cejudo comes to mind as somebody who did, but UFC wouldn't pay him because he wasn't a draw.  Cormier I guess?-but he played out his wrestling career before transferring over and probably ended up with a better MMA than wrestling career.  To succeed at the highest level in multiple things is the exception, not the rule. 

Randy Couture, Jon Jones, Johny Hendricks, Brock Lesnar, to name a few.   It is a natural progression but it is rare I grant you. 

mspart

[billyhoyle]

11 hours ago, mspart said:

Randy Couture, Jon Jones, Johny Hendricks, Brock Lesnar, to name a few.   It is a natural progression but it is rare I grant you. 

mspart

Couture is a great example of excelling at the highest level in two sports.  Hendricks Jones, and Lesnar were not at the world level in wrestling, and Lesnar is exceptionally rare in that he is the perfect type for WWE. Ever since Lesnar went from 171 to 285 pounds, he was ready for stardom in WWE. Also, Hendricks and Couture both rose to success at a different era in MMA, when it was an actual sport that highlighted the best athletes.  Now it is all about who can be the biggest clown.