Chad Gable, a talent proving to be one of the best performers in WWE, has enjoyed and endured a turbulent 2024. Recent events have seen Master Gable turn heel by attacking Sami Zayn after his failed pursuit to capture the Intercontinental Championship.
This article delves into the nuances of Gable's heel turn, examining the factors that led to it, the comparisons to Kurt Angle, and the potential ramifications for his career.
The Catalyst: Intercontinental Championship Frustration
Many WWE fans manifested a Gable Vs. GUNTHER match at WrestleMania 40; their televised series of late 2023 was incredible, and the Gable character had frequently vowed to return to it. Sami Zayn got the match and, shockingly, won the Intercontinental title - which acted as the catalyst for Gable’s heel turn.
That he did it in front of Sami Zayn’s friends and family only makes it more foul. Chad, who entered the match with validation on his mind, didn’t quite get the same welcome for obvious reasons.
After Sami withstood the Ankle Lock through sheer will, he finished Chad off with a Helluva Kick. Sami was so spent he barely covered the man. Then, Chad ran back to Sami while the champ embraced his wife, and German Suplexed him on the mat!
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Chad turning heel makes sense given the pressure he put on himself. He failed against GUNTHER, then trained the man who ultimately defeated GUNTHER. Then he lost to the guy he trained! That’s a lot. The frustration on his face, mixed with the anguish and disappointment told the tale.
Gable further took shots against his own team members and threatened them to help him become the Intercontinental Champion, no matter what.
Comparisons to Kurt Angle
Gable’s heel turn was compared to Kurt Angle’s heel turn during that time. The Olympic Gold Medalist on his recent appearance on ‘The Kurt Angle Show’ was asked about Chad Gable’s heel turn and following his heel foot steps. To which the Olympian said that his formula worked for the first time.
“Well, listen. The Kurt Angle formula worked the first time. The Kurt Angle formula will work today. He has been doing the Angle slam and the Ankle lock. I feel like this is a rebirth of Kurt Angle. But I’ll tell you this, he is doing a great job at it too. He has really stepped up and I don’t know if I could have done it any better than him.
To add even more onto the long laundry list of Kurt Angle comparisons, one more is the eventual (and possibly surprising) reveal that under the stoic "game face" of an Olympic caliber wrestler, is someone who is able to be really, really funny when he wants.
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This 2024 heel run has even earned him the Fan Nickname: "Perc Gable" for his heel run in 2024, as it's been often compared to Kurt Angle's run in TNA as "Wrestling Machine" AKA Perc Angle.
Angle was asked about if he could involve Gable’s current angle to manage him. Angle said, “I think that would be a great idea.
“Well, you know what? Believe it or not, they never considered it, at least with Chad. I know they made Jason my son, and that was cool. But, for some reason, they never decided to have another Team Angle or me team up with Alpha Academy. I’m not sure why. Maybe they just thought I might overshadow them. I don’t know. However Angle said that the idea was great and he would love to do it, if his involvement is worth it.
The Downside: Karmic Overkill?
There's definitely a case to be made that he's this in the period of him turning heel on Sami to forming American Made throughout 2024. While he does play a good douchebag heel whom you want to see Otis beat up, Chad essentially gets turned into a Butt-Monkey who constantly gets made a joke of before he can build up any good, genuine heat on himself with serious in-ring accomplishments like getting more wins or winning any singles titles.
However, for Chad to repeatedly get beaten by Sami to establish how much he doesn't belong in the IC bracket, nearly get murdered and pinned by the Wyatt Sick6 repeatedly for weeks on end, get squashed by Braun Strowman, and get treated as the weak link of his own faction in American Made over and over again can start feeling like excessive amounts of punishment after a while when a simple "Otis kicks the crap out of Chad Gable and goes his own way" story would've sufficed.
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Alpha Academy's Future
Now that the 38-year-old has turned heel following his recent actions, he must ditch Alpha Academy to usher in a new chapter of his WWE career. Chad Gable needs to ditch the Alpha Academy in order to free himself from the faction and herald a new chapter, leaving behind the jocular gimmick. Not only will this help him receive massive heat from the fans, but it will also accentuate his heel persona, giving rise to a wrathful gimmick.
The Alpha Academy has always been a jovial faction with all superstars having whimsical gimmicks. Gable must join hands with the Creed Brothers, calling them a far superior duo than his current stablemates. Hence, the 38-year-old ditching Alpha Academy will be the first step towards his new character.
This was very well done and very promising, but then - chasing the success of the Bloodline - a direct and heated potential feud was dragged down by the melodrama of the Alpha Academy split. Otis drew huge reactions, but a classic “IC” feud was diluted.
Then, Gable was used as a vehicle with which to get the Wyatt Sicks over; his own heavily anticipated stable with the Creed Brothers was used to enhance another faction. Why go to the bother of all those backstage segments?
Now that Chad Gable has unraveled his dark side, WWE needs to make him look like a legitimate threat by capitalizing on his red-hot momentum. The 38-year-old must ditch Alpha Academy after a brutal beatdown and form an alliance with the Creed Brothers to rule the entire roster.
The "American Made" Potential
He must take the Creed Brothers under his tutelage following his heel turn, which could give rise to ineffable things on the roster. Not only will this put all the superstars in the spotlight, but it has the potential to change the landscape of Monday Night RAW.
With Chad Gable turning heel, he must align himself with the Creed Brothers to form a destructive alliance that could wreak havoc. With all three superstars known for their brute force, they could form a wrestling machine stable and establish their dominance on the roster.
He must form a destructive faction that could dominate both the singles division as well as the tag team division, thus posing a threat to the entire locker room.
The "Shorty G" Debacle
Vince McMahon wanted to help give Gable a bit of a push... but unable to see past Gable's size, he chose to do it by having Gable try to take on the abuse and bullying he'd received from heels as a badge of honor and rechristening himself "Shorty G," wearing a basketball jersey and emphasizing his lack of height rather than his very impressive amateur wrestling credentials.
This not only failed to accompany Gable actually winning any wrestling matches (because, after all, he was still too short to be fully credible in Vince's eyes), the whole gimmick was a solution in search of a problem for everyone but Vince McMahon, and made Gable look like a wimp and a weirdo until it was retired. Gable himself has admitted in a 2024 interview that he wasn't very fond of it and sees it as a low point in his career.
While working on WWE commentary, Big E. Langston voiced the opinion that Gable’s 2024 heel run as the domineering head of an abusive wrestling school came from a place of trauma and Inferiority Superiority Complex thanks to previously being saddled with the awful “Shorty G” gimmick.
Here's a table summarizing the key events in Chad Gable's career:
| Year | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Starts pro wrestling career | Early beginnings at age 17 |
| 2012 | London Olympics | Increased public recognition |
| 20?? | "Shorty G" Gimmick | Considered a low point in his career |
| 2023 | Feud with Gunther | Showcased his wrestling skills |
| 2024 | Heel Turn | Attacked Sami Zayn, new character direction |
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