Gable Steveson picked up his first WWE victory at last night’s NXT house show

It was a week of confusing reports about Olympic gold medalist and WWE prospect Gable Steveson.

But that’s become par for the course with Steveson since his NIL deal was announced in 2021, so getting word he withdrew from the amateur World championships amidst more questions about his NXT status fits the pattern. In the past, we’d heard the two-time NCAA champion would be fast tracked to the main roster, then that he was in management’s dog house, only to learn he was being treated for a heart condition, then that with a clean bill of health he might return to college & try for the 2024 Paris Games, right around when he wrestled his first pro match...

You get the idea. So we’re not terribly surprised that he worked NXT’s house show in Sebring, Florida last night (Sept. 8) — the same day a rumor hit he wasn’t even on the brand’s roster, let alone in their current plans.

Steveson’s victory over Dante Chen is his first as a pro; his Great American Bash in-ring debut against Baron Corbin ended in a double countout. The user who posted the above on X (fka Twitter), described the match as a “back and forth” affair that Gable won by submission with an ankle lock.

What’s next? Who knows! But if the pattern holds, it’ll probably be a rumor that is quickly contradicted.