Back when Gable Steveson, the Olympic gold medalist in wrestling, arrived in WWE back in 2021, expectations were sky-high. He was part of their special Next in Line (NIL) program, which is all about identifying and developing athletes who might be overlooked or undervalued and turning them into WWE Superstars. But honestly? His time there was short and pretty uneventful, ending with his release in 2024 after barely stepping into the ring. But while his time wasn’t as eventful as his amateur career, it has now become a target for a former superstar.

Who is it? Well, old-timers might remember Kenneth Anderson, aka Mr. Kennedy, who himself had a shocking exit from the promotion back in the mid-2000s. Well, now, all these years later, Kennedy has landed a massive verbal punch, openly questioning if Steveson ever truly loved the wrestling business. So, what exactly ignited this fiery critique?

Speaking on the “Insight With Chris Van Vliet” podcast, Mr. Kennedy didn’t hold back. “I don’t think that he loves the wrestling business. I mean, WWE has done the NIL thing for a while,” he stated. And since Mr. Kennedy, a legend himself, his words carry some serious weight, hinting at a real disconnect between the Olympic champ and the gritty, passionate world of professional wrestling.

His comments bring up a bigger point: to make it big in WWE, you need more than just incredible athletic talent—you need heart. Could Steveson’s apparent lack of passion have been the undoing of his wrestling career? Mr. Kennedy’s criticism also touched on how WWE used to recruit, mentioning, “I remember back when, I think when I was there, there were always these rumors that WWE was only taking guys that were six feet one or taller. Then for a while, they wouldn’t take anybody that had independent experience.”

This highlights WWE’s strategy of trying to mold raw, pure athletes like Steveson, who only debuted in NXT in 2023 against Baron Corbin but just didn’t seem to click with the fans or evolve much in the ring. Did WWE’s whole approach perhaps set Steveson up for failure from the start? “I just think the guys who are successful love this,” Mr. Kennedy powerfully stated, emphasizing that true passion is the absolute foundation of wrestling greatness.

Steveson’s run in NXT was marked by only a handful of matches before his release in 2024. He’s since gone back to his roots in amateur wrestling at the University of Minnesota, seemingly closing his WWE chapter—for now, at least. Steveson himself admitted the timing wasn’t right but did leave the door open for a return. The big question is, will he ever find that spark Kennedy claims he’s missing?

Olympic Gold, BJJ Dreams, and an Open Door to WWE for Gable Steveson

Well, Gable Steveson is buzzing! He’s gearing up for a massive Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) superfight against submission wizard Craig Jones at the Craig Jones Invitational 2 (CJI 2) on August 31, 2025, in Las Vegas. This isn’t just any fight; it’s a clash of titans, pitting Steveson’s elite wrestling skills against Jones’ notorious ground game. And the 24-year-old is making sure everyone knows how hyped he is, plastering social media with his excitement.

His Instagram posts are full of confidence, including a bold six-word declaration: “Wrestling will Prevail,” accompanied by a fierce stare-down with Jones. Steveson has been training hard, even sparring with former teammate Max McEnelly to fine-tune his grappling for BJJ’s unique rules. Fans are electrified by this wrestling-versus-BJJ showdown, but the big question is, can Steveson handle Jones’ incredibly slick submissions?

Or what else is in the bag for Gable? Despite all his focus on this exciting new challenge, Steveson hasn’t completely shut the door on WWE. Thinking back on his time there from 2021 to 2024, he shared with MMA Fighting, “I think WWE just wasn’t the right time. I had a lot of competitive edge to me, and they knew that. It was just not the time for it, and so maybe one day if the stars align, it’ll be a great opportunity to do it again.”

He further continued with, “I have no bad feelings about it, I have no bad blood with it, and I would like to keep moving forward with everything.” His initial run in NXT might have fizzled out, but Steveson’s openness to a return hints at some unfinished business. Could a WWE comeback be on the cards after he dives deeper into the grappling world?