Chad Gable's Love Of WWE HOFer Goes Back To 'Tape Trader' Days

It's no secret that Chad Gable has always been a massive fan of Kurt Angle. Growing up, he admired the Olympic gold medalist because he paved the way for amateur wrestlers like him to make it into professional wrestling, which was Gable's dream. In fact, he was so obsessed with the world of pro wrestling that he even used to participate in an old hustle back in the VHS days.

"I was a tape trader. I was one of those guys," Gable told Wrestling Inc. Senior News Editor Nick Hausman. "If you traded tapes, I guaranteed one probably came from me when I was a kid." As wrestling wasn't televised in all parts of the country, fans would record the shows on VHS and trade or sell them with other fans, and it was a popular hobby for pro wrestling fans in the '80s and '90s.

Gable has come a long way since his WWE main roster debut in 2015. He had struggled to find his footing in the company but has since found major success in his current run as the leader of Alpha Academy. 

Angle himself praised Gable's latest work, even supporting him to be pushed into the world championship picture. Throughout his WWE career, Gable has drawn comparisons to Angle with both stars being undersized and coming from Greco-Roman backgrounds. While he does feel the pressure of being spoken in the same breath as Angle, Gable is grateful to be in the conversation.

"It's just very gratifying when people do those comparisons because not only is he one of, if not the greatest of all time, just certainly the greatest to ever make the transition. So those are very special. And just the kind words Kurt always has to say about me is just as gratifying."