Why is promising star dubbed 'the next big thing' yet to debut on WWE main roster 632 days after being drafted?

There were high expectations for Gable Steveson in WWE after he signed with the company in September 2021 and was drafted to Monday Night RAW the following month. Steveson, meanwhile, has yet to make his in-ring debut and has only made a few appearances on WWE TV in the past year.

Triple H had planned for Steveson to make his in-ring debut at WrestleMania 38, and The Game had requested to battle him and put him over before being diagnosed with major heart issues. Additionally, Steveson himself experienced heart issues that required surgery in September 2022.

The last time we saw Steveson on WWE television was on the December 9 episode of SmackDown. As part of the show's celebration of Angle's birthday, Steveson and Angle doused The Alpha Academy with milk. Steveson proceeded to say that he cannot wait to exhibit "the real Gable" in his capacity as a professional wrestler.

With his continued absence, fans are wondering what the future holds for Stevenson and it seems they will have to wait a little longer. Gable declared that he would resume his amateur wrestling career. This, combined with his stated desire to compete in the 2024 Olympics, makes it difficult to imagine him making his WWE debut any time soon.

WWE probably expected Steveson to retire from amateur wrestling soon after signing him, but he has stuck with it all these years despite the pressure. In an interview with the Associated Press, he revealed:

"The itch and fire will never go away," Steveson said. "And I feel like if you ask any competitor, old or young, I think it's always there. But some people just don't have the bodies to do it because they're a little older. But I think [with] me just turning 23, I still had that extra fire and I want to see what I could do. I wanted to test my limits. And so I stayed ready just in case the time came where I came back." [H/T Associated Press]

Age may be Steveson's greatest asset for a potential Olympic comeback. Due to the shorter period between the previous Olympic Games and his first attempt, Steveson will only be 23 if he wins a second gold.

It is hardly likely that Steveson will compete on WWE RAW or SmackDown anytime soon, given that he has decided to return to amateur wrestling.

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Gable Steveson recently made an appearance on WWE NXT

The Olympic gold medalist surprised viewers by making an unexpected cameo on a recent episode of WWE NXT despite all the uncertainties surrounding his future in professional wrestling.

Steveson made an appearance and volunteered to help Eddy Thorpe prepare for his RAW Underground match against Gable's older brother, Damon Kemp. Steveson implied as much without explicitly stating his connection to Kemp.

He is merely serving in a coaching capacity at this moment to support the rival that his brother is up against. This was a little appearance to remind supporters that he is still around. We will have to wait and see what transpires moving forward.