Vince Russo on new WWE star possibly becoming another Keith Lee (Exclusive)
Vince Russo believes Gable Steveson needs to work on his personality to avoid becoming another version of Keith Lee in WWE.
Steveson is an Olympic Gold medalist in amateur wrestling and a two-time NCAA Heavyweight Champion. He signed with WWE in 2021 and recently appeared in a segment with Chad Gable at WrestleMania 38.
Russo, WWE’s former head writer, told Sportskeeda Wrestling’s Dr. Chris Featherstone that Steveson has a similar appearance to current AEW star Keith Lee. He added that the 21-year-old has to learn how to entertain if he wants to succeed in the same way fellow Olympian Kurt Angle did:
“You had Keith Lee, very similar build, very similar look. What’s going to be different? The fact that he’s an Olympic Champion? That’s not enough, bro.” Russo continued, “Kurt Angle was an Olympic Champion, but Kurt Angle was a larger-than-life personality who got fed good storylines. So if Gable Steveson is an Olympic Gold medalist, that’s not enough.” [9:03-9:34]
Watch the video above to hear more from Russo about Steveson’s future and how the company needs to hire more experienced writers.
Vince Russo’s advice to WWE regarding writers
Looks like @GableSteveson just SHOOOOSHED @WWEGable at #WrestleMania! https://t.co/We2FkdirGU
Many superstars showed promise in NXT before struggling to make an impact on the main roster. Keith Lee, for example, was widely viewed as one of the company’s stars of the future in NXT. He went on to join the RAW brand in August 2020 before receiving his release in November 2021.
As a former writer himself, Vince Russo thinks the creative team must be held partly responsible when superstars with potential ultimately fail to work out:
“You’ve got actors in this play. How do you have actors without writers, bro? And that’s why it’s that way, Chris. The bottom line is they don’t know how to write because they’re not writers. They weren’t trained to be writers. They don’t have a degree in writing. That’s cool, but find somebody else that can do it!” [2:17-2:43]
While Lee joined AEW in February, Steveson’s immediate future is uncertain. He is currently a member of the RAW roster but has yet to make his in-ring debut.
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