Chad Gable turning heel was a long time coming, and along with the fans, Kurt Angle is also enjoying his new persona. The WWE Hall of Famer recently opened up about Gable's work and the similarities to his legendary character.
Considered one of the most underutilized talents for a while, Chad Gable spent the majority of his run as a babyface and, in recent years, as someone who added comedic value to the show with the Alpha Academy.
Gable's quest for the Intercontinental Championship, however, has brought about some much-needed changes to his on-screen gimmick. Since attacking Sami Zayn, Gable has verbally demeaned his Alpha Academy 'students' to get serious and help him become the IC champion.
While speaking on The Kurt Angle Show, the Olympic gold medalist couldn't help but notice the parallels between his character and Chad Gable as a heel.
From the facial expressions to the move set and other obvious mannerisms, Kurt Angle felt he was witnessing the rebirth of himself on TV with Chad Gable's transformation.
"Well, listen. The Kurt Angle formula worked the first time. The Kurt Angle formula will work today. I have noticed; I've been watching Chad and he's doing a lot of actions that Kurt Angle used to do, different characteristics, different facial expressions, taking off his singlet before he does his finish. He has been doing the Angle slam and the Ankle lock. I feel like this is a rebirth of Kurt Angle." [From 14:38 to 15:06]
Check out the video below:
Kurt Angle makes a surprising claim about Chad Gable's recent performances
It's clear that Chad Gable is inspired by Kurt Angle and, given their backgrounds, has always been seen as the second coming for the former WWE World Champion. Gable has taken several pages off of Kurt Angle's book and has excelled as one of the most underrated superstars in the WWE in recent years.
Kurt Angle has been a fan of Chad Gable since his early WWE days, and believes the 38-year-old superstar has really taken his game to the next level. Angle went on to state that Chad has done certain things better than him.
"But I'll tell you this, he is doing a great job at it too. He has really stepped up and I don't know if I could have done it any better than him. He is doing it really good right now." [From 15:06 to 15:18]
Gable's goal is to capture the Intercontinental Championship, and he is willing to be the bad guy to dethrone one of the most loved babyfaces on the roster, Sami Zayn.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit The Kurt Angle Show and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.