When WWE signed Gable Steveson to a contract in 2021, he was supposed to be the next big thing.

An Olympic gold medalist who had an incredible college career at the University of Minnesota, Steveson looked like a Kurt Angle for the 2020s, the sort of “Olympic Hero” fans could get behind as he fought for what was right while wearing a singlet with those five familiar rings adorned on the back.

And yet, whether it was due to his steep learning curve, his outside interests, or the lawsuit filed against him while still in school that caused the only live crowd he ever wrestled for to turn on him in a borderline unheard of fashion, WWE pulled the plug on their Olympic investment mere months before the Paris games, when Steveson could have been a natural addition to NBC's coverage either representing RAW or NXT.

But why? Did something happen backstage that forced his exit? Did Steveson quit on the company? Or did he really want to try his hand at professional football, as he signed a contract with the Buffalo Bills shortly after his release? Fortunately, on the NXT Heatwave media call, Shawn Michaels was asked about his and Drew Gulak's exits ahead of the big show in Toronto and let it be known that while the circumstances may have been different, the results were largely the same.

“From my understanding, nothing on anyone's part other than contracts being up. Certainly, in the place of Drew Gulak. From a company standpoint, there not being anything from a main roster standpoint that they were going to be using him in. In NXT, over the last year and a half to two years, we've been trying to get into the process of keeping it fluid. It's all about getting to the main roster when everything is said and done,” Shawn Michaels explained via Fightful.

“In two or three years, if that doesn't happen, we bring other people in or see if we're ready to move on. As far as Gable is concerned, he's an incredibly talented guy. It's amazing some of the things he can do. He's a dude who lands on his feet. I wish him luck (in the NFL), and excited to see how that works out. At NXT, we use people to the best of their ability, but from a main roster standpoint, if they feel there is not a place for them, and their contracts are up, from a business standpoint, they choose to move on.”

So WWE didn't believe Steveson had any potential on the main roster – again, just before the 2024 Olympics – and thus let him walk? Doesn't that seem rather confusing, especially considering his brother is also in NXT and could have easily accommodated the gold medalist into his faction? No, it still feels like this whole story hasn't been told just yet and until that day comes, fans will have to continue to speculate.

Shawn Michaels wants to see more Joe Hendry in WWE

While it would appear that the WWE Universe has seen the last of Gable Steveson, at least for now, one performer Shawn Michaels hopes to see more moving forward is Joe Hendry, who made his NXT debut in an all-too-short battle royal appearance last month.

Discussing the “Prestigious One's” place in wrestling on the Heatwave media call, HBK noted that he loves what Hendry brings to the table and hopes to use him more in the future.

“Clearly, you could see what it is. It was my first time meeting Joe. Even for me, not being the most skilled social media guy, you see his stuff all the time on social media. Clearly, he's a bright young man. The short dealings that I had with him, I liked him a great deal. Nothing would thrill me more than to have the opportunity to work with Joe Hendry in the future,” Shawn Michaels explained via Fightful.

“I think he would tell you the same thing. He's somebody that wants to continue to grow and move up. Right now, nothing to add at this point in time. He's a young man that's very bright and has a bright future. I appreciate the way he's generated this on his own. That always speaks well of somebody. Thinking outside of the box. He's obviously done that, and I appreciate the intellect that it takes for somebody to grow outside of the wheelhouse they are in.”

While nothing has been publically reported about when Hendry's contract expires with TNA, it's safe to say he will be in very high demand when that day comes, so much so that he's already flirting with the idea of wrestling John Cena before he calls it a career in the not-too-distant future. Still, with the NXT-TNA crossover fully underway, why wait until Hendry officially cashes his checks from Titan Towers to give him a push? Considering his hype at the moment, WWE would be wise to push him to the darn moon, as they ultimately benefit from using him in their segments more than TNA.