During a recent “Cheap Heat” podcast episode, WWE Superstar Chad Gable shared some behind-the-scenes details concerning his just-announced WWE contract extension.
In spite of his prominence on WWE RAW and widespread recognition as a top-notch performer, Gable had been evaluating his long-term future within the wrestling industry.
Throughout the discussion, the erstwhile leader of Alpha Academy revealed a desire to transition into a mentoring position in WWE, with a particular emphasis on working closely with up-and-coming NIL athletes. He stated,
“I’ve done some reflection. I’ve done some reflecting about what (re-signing) means for me. Not just professionally or financially, going forward, but what I want it to mean to me. I’m getting older. This business is interesting. If you would have told me in high school when I started this, that I’d be hitting my peak when I was 38, I would have said you’re crazy. How do you wrestle that long? But here we are. When I evaluate what I want my legacy to be, or part of my legacy, I want to step into more of a leadership role going forward, locker room wise. We have a lot of young talent coming up with guys from NXT, we have guys like the Creeds [Julius Creed and Brutus Creed], who are these incredible athletes. Everyone has seen their athleticism. They haven’t necessarily had the guiding light for them to show them the other stuff and the other side. No one needs to teach them how to be strong and athletic. They have that. I couldn’t teach them that. I think I’m the type of guy that would be good in a leadership role and I would have a lot of value. Especially to the people that WWE and NXT are interested in, which are people with sporting backgrounds and making that jump from amateur athletics with the NIL deals. I think there is a big chance for me to step into a nice leadership role and help those guys whenever I can.”
Alternatively, Gable conceded that had he decided against renewing his contract with WWE, a foray in the film industry would have been an avenue of interest.