In an interesting turn of events, WWE Intercontinental Champion Chad Gable has reflected on one of the most hot-button gimmicks of his career, admitting he immediately had concerns about the Shorty G character.
Speaking with Cody Rhodes on the What Do You Wanna Talk About? podcast, Gable touched on the origins of the gimmick and the role ex SmackDown Executive Director Eric Bischoff may have played in its creation.
Cody Rhodes: “Whose fault is Shorty G?” Gable replied that, while he cannot say with complete certainty, Bischoff was the person who informed him of the creative direction.
Cody asked Gable directly who was responsible for the Shorty G character.
Chad Gable: “To my knowledge, I’d have to whittle it down to Eric Bischoff. I don’t—I can’t say that firmly, though he was the one that delivered me the news. Maybe. So, I’ll leave it at that.”
Rhodes then asked whether Gable ever believed the gimmick had a chance to succeed or if he without delay felt it limited his potential.
Cody Rhodes: “Did you feel it had a—it had—it could work? Did you feel it could move? On a related note, did you—or did you feel boxed in immediately?”
Gable admitted that although he tried to stay positive publicly, privately he feared the character could derail his career.
Chad Gable: “I felt boxed in. I think I put on the babyface of, ‘This could work. Although I think deep down I knew, man, this is—this might be a killer. We can make this work.’ And I tried. This could be the nail in the coffin.”
The Shorty G gimmick debuted in 2019, with WWE presenting Gable as a wrestler embracing insults about his height. While Gable committed fully to the role, the character was widely criticized by faithful and was eventually dropped as he returned to competing under his own name. Furthermore, since then, Gable has rebuilt his standing in WWE, becoming one of the company’s most acclaimed in-ring performers.