“Copy Paste Kurt”- Labelled as a Kurt Angle Ripoff, Olympic Star Gets Brutally Panned by Fans in His First NXT Match

The WWE Universe finally witnessed the in-ring debut of Gable Stevenson. Stevenson made his appearance last week, challenging Baron Corbin to a match at The Great American Bash. Their confrontation also led to Stevenson doling out a few suplexes to Baron Corbin. Although the Olympic Gold Medalist made his much-awaited debut at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, he failed to have the fans root for him. 

In fact, the fans were cheering for Corbin, who is a heel. After an underwhelming match, the WWE Universe took to social media to obliterate Gable Stevenson, labeling him a rip-off of Kurt Angle. 

Gable Stevenson’s first NXT match ends in a double count-out

Gable Stevenson made his surprise return last month at NXT Underground. The two-time NCAA champion dished out suplexes to talents who stood in his way. His return garnered a huge pop, but, of course, it did not impress his detractors. Furthermore, ruthless fans began digging up his legal problems from his past.

Stevenson, who has been mentored by Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle, is frequently compared to the latter due to his Olympic achievements. However, Stevenson is viewed as a watered-down version of Kurt Angle. During his match against Baron Corbin, Stevenson threw explosive suplexes but lacked charisma.  

The crowd was clearly rooting for Baron Corbin, who is supposed to be drawing boos. Notwithstanding his athleticism and wrestling skills, Stevenson received flak for his striking and in-ring personality. The match ended when both men were counted out, leading the fans to start “Bullsh*t” chants. Ultimately, Stevenson was the last man standing in the ring, surrounded by deafening boos. 

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At this point, we can certainly expect a rematch between the duo since there was no decisive winner. Meanwhile, let’s look at the response Stevenson elicited from the WWE Universe. 

Gable Stevenson gets chastised for emulating Kurt Angle

Gable Stevenson was last seen with Kurt Angle on the Hall of Famer’s birthday last year. The duo made their way to the ring in Angle’s milk truck and doused Alpha Academy with milk. Although Stevenson is one of the most loathed stars on NXT, we cannot deny his genuine talent. 

After all, he, like Kurt Angle, is an Olympic Gold Medalist. However, his presence in the ring was met with negative responses. The chants of disapproval were in the same vein as last week’s during his face-off with Baron Corbin. Anyway, here’s how the fans reacted to the 23-year-old star’s performance. 

• “Gable ain’t gonna get over anytime soon if they keep mentioning Kurt angle every 9 seconds”
• “Are all Olympic wrestlers supposed to be copy paste Kurt?”
• “The universe doesn’t like remixes”
• “Gab needs to work on throwing a punch they look awful and I think if he is going to follow Kurt Angle he needs to learn variations of different suplexes”
• “There is only 1 Kurt Angle. It’s true. Its damn true.”

At this point, we will have to wait and see if Stevenson is able to make a believer out of his detractors in the future.

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What are your thoughts on Gable Stevenson being called a rip-off of Kurt Angle? Comment below!