Chad Gable Abuse: How WWE Is Getting Abuse And Cult-Like Love Correct

WWE Superstar Chad Gable, excuse us, “Master” Gable, has been showing a different side lately. Even when he was a heel beforehand, Gable was not known for being this much of a narcissistic sociopath. This Chad Gable abuse storyline has been well-done. While we are not sure who is responsible for writing it, we do know Triple H is in charge of creative. At the very least, he’s responsible for what we end up seeing on television. It’s likely that “The Game” knows all about people like “Master” Gable.

The Cerebral Assassin is, of course, married to Stephanie McMahon. She’s obviously former WWE majority Owner Vince McMahon’s daughter. It’s clear that the family isn’t as close to Vince as they used to be. However, for a long time, both Stephanie & Shane McMahon had to deal with Vince constantly. In order to work for WWE, they had to work for their father. Shane reportedly left WWE over issues with his father, with very few details given.

Rumors have surfaced since the recent Vince McMahon lawsuit that Shane had a falling out with Vince over specific actions taking place. Things he tried to change, but never could. Triple H was not working in any corporate capacity at that time, neither was Stephanie. She would start to move up the company ladder with her brother now out. Yet Triple H knew of what both had to deal with, often watching Vince and learning from him.

He not only learned a lot about business but also how to not treat someone. This is probably why the Chad Gable abuse angle has been so well done, he’s picking from real life. We’re going to pinpoint some of the best things about it below.

THE PULL

The Chad Gable abuse angle is really interesting because it is actually building on something already established. Basically, the Alpha Academy has been a “thing” in WWE for a while now. It roughly began with just Otis and Gable, then eventually the Academy became a faction with Akira Tozawa and Maxxine Dupri being added. Maxxine was of course smitten with Otis, which is why she followed him around until finally being added.

Tozawa could technically be considered the first true student of the academy when it became a faction. However, Otis was always Gable’s “#1 Guy.”

In all fairness to the original two, Otis had a complete character change. He stopped doing the worm, shaved his beard, and cut his hair. He really did look like a legitimate monster. The two would even win the WWE RAW Tag Team Titles together. Gable proved that he could make someone better, which made him come off as a good trainer on television.

Of course, Gable himself has been a multi-time WWE Tag Team Champion. He’s among the few to have won tag titles on the RAW, SmackDown, & NXT brands. Yet he has never won a singles title. Gable is a former Olympian, who wrestled for the United States Olympic team. He is a Pan-American Championships Gold Medalist and was the 2012 Olympic Trials Champion in his weight class. Basically, when it comes to actually wrestling, Gable is one of the best in the business.

This is why not being a singles champion began to really affect him.

Everyone in the group could learn and become better because of him. However, Gable could never get a big win himself. Eventually, he had to crack and did.

THE CHANGE

In cults, there is always a figurehead that people are taken by. This is usually referred to as a “Cult of Personality.” This person is usually seen as something great, even if you cannot put your finger on it. They are mesmerizing to many, with the ability to bring you in with every word. You’ll then be so smitten with the person that you’ll ignore the terrible things they are doing that you just “hear” about. Others might see these horrible things happen right in front of them.

However, they’ll still stick around. While some might leave, a lot of people actually return. It’s insane, but true. Leaders of cults have a hold over their cult members, and that makes the cult and its members dangerous. WWE is unable to tell us a huge cult story with the Alpha Academy, considering they have already shown something similar to this with the Wyatt Family. However, they differ because Wyatt was not usually abusing each member of his “family.”

Only Daniel Bryan could ever really say Wyatt abused him in the group. Perhaps you could include Randy Orton as well if you want to get overly technical. Yet none of these abuse angles were extreme. Wyatt was also not portrayed as a narcissist. Maybe you could have called him a psychopath, but that is about it.

In the case of the Chad Gable abuse angle, we’re getting a figurehead who is a narcissistic sociopath. Gable has become so extreme with his actions, and this has happened seemingly out of nowhere. However, we know what triggered this change.

SAMI ZAYN PROBLEM:

Leaders of cults or even gangs have experienced things that changed them from the person they were before. Some start to buy into their own hype, and others start to see membership grow and want to take advantage of those people. Then you have leaders who were always off their rocker from the start. However, most cult leaders who end up becoming dramatically abusive have almost always experienced something we just referenced.

For Chad Gable, his switch was flipped when he could not defeat Gunther for the WWE Intercontinental Championship. He had several chances and came very close each time the two fought. In the end, Gunther still came out victorious. What might hurt Chad even more is that Gunther did not need any help from others, nor did he need to cheat. He fought and defeated Gable straight-up. However, it could be argued no one knew Gunther as well as Gable.

When Sami Zayn went in to fight Gunther for the IC Title at WrestleMania 40, he was coached by Gable. The goal for Chad was that he could train Sami. Yet as he does this, he’s learning everything about him. He learned what Zayn does best and each weakness he has. When Zayn won, Gable then asked for his shot at the title. It was granted by Zayn, but Gable still lost.

Every time they fought for the title, the same result happened for Gable. Now, of course, he has snapped. Sami Zayn is now a problem, which is where the Chad Gable abuse treatment started.

EVERYONE BUT “ME”

If he beat Zayn, perhaps we might have never seen this side of Chad. The fact that he couldn’t do it has made Gable lose his mind. He cannot accept the fact that these men are just so much better than he is. They cannot be, he’s a former Olympian, right? Pound-for-pound, Gable is also one of the strongest men in WWE today. To top it off, he’s in incredible shape and even has speed on his side. Everything he needs to be a top star is there, but he cannot get it done despite everything.

After all, in the case of Sami, he learned every weakness and has exploited them. This even includes Zayn’s empathy.

Gable now uses the Alpha Academy as fodder. He knows Sami will feel bad for them, knowing they are not the problem. He also knows that by abusing them, it’ll get into Sami’s head. The worst part is that the Academy members are complicit and do as Chad asks of them, despite the horrible treatment.

They will be put in harm’s way if it saves Chad from taking a big hit. He is also manipulating each person, and making them feel less than so that they seek approval. This type of method also happens in domestic issues between couples. A person will be given a lot of freedom, and then have it taken away. It’s almost like the person that you knew turned into someone entirely different. However, there are usually signs all along that you just ignore.

TYPES OF ABUSE:

Since this is more of a cult-like concept, the abuse being done to everyone has to be done in sensible ways. This Chad Gable abuse angle is well done when it comes to how they are utilizing his abusive tactics.

For Tozawa & Otis, he can hit them. Usually, it comes in the form of a slap or push. Yet he also uses emotional and mental abuse. He cannot hit Maxxine, so he only uses emotional and mental abuse on her. Of course, they are not a couple, so he cannot utilize some things that would be used on women by a man in these situations. Even still, he is saying some terrible things to her.

On WWE RAW, he even had her get on her knees and beg for him to stop doing what he was doing. She even stops him from pushing Tozawa, the smallest person (height-wise) in the group. The members all love each other and do not want the other to be abused. However, they still keep taking it. The only person that seems to be able to stop Gable is Otis and Otis alone. However, this is easier said than done.

OTIS CHANGING THE GAME

Regardless of what happens at the Clash at the Castle PLE, Gable will still abuse the Alpha Academy. In fact, it would only make sense for him to do so. This Chad Gable abuse angle could go in two directions post-PLE. Let’s say Chad wins the IC Title from Zayn. To him, he will feel everything he has done was worth it because he won what he has been after for a long time. This means he’d continue his abuse, potentially even ramping it up so that the Academy continues to help him remain champion.

What if he loses? He might want to ramp up his abuse even more. Now he’s angry and obviously, he would refuse to blame himself for the loss. He’d make this the Academy’s fault. We can only expect the Academy to experience the worst abuse they have ever gone through so far.

Gable does not care how he wins the title. He wants help if he can get it, so cheating is not below him. However, Chad will eventually have to wrestle with the fact that he is only a champion because of the Alpha Academy. He could never get it done on his own.

The best move WWE can make here is to have Chad attempt to abuse the Academy after the match concludes. This would be where Otis could step in and destroy Gable. In turn, this now forces Chad to try to get things done on his own. It could even lead to a program with Otis, even if Gable fears him now.

Otis breaking away from the cult, and standing up for his teammates, will get a massive pop. We already saw the tease of this on Monday, just imagine when it actually happens!

**ABUSE HOTLINES**

If you or someone you know is currently experiencing abuse, there are numerous ways to get assistance. One way to get help is by calling “Abuse Hotlines.”

There are several, such as a hotline specific to the state you’re in for US-based people. Here is a small list of hotlines one can use:

National Domestic Abuse Hotline: 1-800-799-7233

(You can also text START to 88788 as well as chat with them on their website)

Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 800-422-4453

(You can talk with someone on their website live, and they have a lot of content for teens, parents/loved ones, & survivors on the site too)