Shawn Michaels says Gable Steveson is very much still a part of their plans in NXT, it’s just a matter of figuring out the right schedule.
Michaels spoke with the media ahead of NXT No Mercy and he was asked for a status update on Gable Steveson. The Olympic gold medalist made his televised in-ring debut against Baron Corbin at The Great American Bash in July, but hasn’t been on TV since then.
Michaels noted that Steveson has also worked NXT live event matches in Florida since then, and he remains part of their plans in NXT. Michaels noted that scheduling is key, and he’ll be back on TV when it works for both sides.
“We certainly have every intention of using Gable. [He] obviously has a number of outside commitments, and we’re trying to figure out what’s the best way I can work with him. I obviously don’t ever want to get in the way of his personal goals. So that’s what we’re doing now,” Michaels explained, “finding out — we’ve had him on live events, which has been fantastic, down here in South Florida and Central Florida.
“But just making sure we get his schedule as best organized as we can, and then sit down with him and figure out how we want to map things out going into the future. But no, everything’s been fantastic,” he added. “He’s just sometimes a pretty busy young man. I want to do everything I can to be conscious of that and work with him in the best way possible going forward.”
An Unexpected Response
WrestleZone spoke with Baron Corbin about his return to NXT earlier this year. Corbin says he wasn’t expecting the “favorable” reaction he got against Gable Steveson, and it was an interesting environment to be part of.
“No [I didn’t expect that], especially with all the things I’m doing now. The new stuff, the new character, if you will. It’s not even a character. I’m just doing me,” he pointed out, “So I had no idea the reaction [would go that way].
“I assumed [Gable Steveson] being an Olympic gold medalist, he was going to get this massive ‘USA’ [chant]. We’re in Texas, they obviously love the US and are passionate about it. So, I was like, ‘Man, they’re going to be excited to see him,’ and they were not,” Corbin said. “They booed him pretty hard, and they were cheering for me. So, it was a weird flip that I was not expecting, that’s for sure.”
Read More: Baron Corbin Is 100% Authentic With NXT Persona, Didn’t Want To Become Stagnant
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