Did Gable Steveson's legal troubles lead to his WWE release? Exploring the truth behind his departure

Gable Steveson is one of the WWE stars recently released from the company, and his exit was filled with different personal rumors. However, rumors suggest that his departure is simply due to his position as a superstar.

Fans were first introduced to Gable Steveson in 2021 during that year's SummerSlam event, later announcing that he signed with the company a month later. He was drafted to RAW soon after but did not appear until WrestleMania 38. In 2023, he moved to NXT but didn't have the best reception from fans. However, another reason some fans didn't like him was due to sexual misconduct allegations made against him in 2019. As it turns out, this wasn't the reason for his release.

In a recent report from Fightful Select, their sources from NXT indicated that Gable Steveson's release did not surprise them, especially with the difference with his brother Damon Kemp who also works in the brands. The site stated that Gable's release was due to a lack of progression and "not his previous trouble with the law."

If Gable was indeed released due to his performance, it aligns with former superstar Ryback's comments that WWE was not satisfied with Steveson's development. More recently, it was rumored that he is interested in pursuing a career in the NFL.

---

How did two-time WWE Hall of Famer react to Gable Steveson's release?

Steveson is just one of the many athletes who joined the Stamford-based promotion and had a promising future. As it turns out, this was also recognized by Booker T.

In a past episode of the Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T stated that Steveson had everything to succeed as a superstar, but believed he lacked hunger to succeed. The NXT commentator added that he thinks the former superstar was still more focused on being an amateur wrestler and wasn't focused enough on professional wrestling:

"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."

Due to Gable Steveson's athletic history, it would be no shock if he decided to remain in the sports industry. It remains to be seen when fans will see the 23-year-old next.