Hall Of Famer Claims Chad Gable’s Success In AAA Could Lead To Major WWE Push

A Hall of Famer thinks that Chad Gable’s massive rise in AAA could lead to a Kurt Angle-like push in WWE.

At the AAA Noche de Los Grandes event on May 30th in Monterrey, Mexico, Chad Gable was unmasked after losing a Mask vs. Mask match to El Grande Americano, who is portrayed by WWE’s Ludwig Kaiser.

The Mask vs. Mask match between El Grande Americano and Original El Grande Americano is being praised as arguably the best WWE match of the year (since WWE owns AAA), and perhaps one of the best match presentations of all time.

After the match, Chad Gable unmasked and delivered this speech to cheers, even though he was booed by the crowd during the match. It showed that Gable earned their respect.

“I put on this mask to learn Mexican culture, to understand and defeat the wrestlers I hate so much. During that process, I learned everything about wrestling, Mexico, AAA, Mexican culture, and its people. And I’m man enough to admit it, I’m here not as a mask, but as a man. But tonight… tonight I couldn’t defeat the spirit of the Mexican people.

Tonight, I look you straight in the eyes and tell you to your face: from now on, you are the only El Grande Americano.

My name is Chad Gable. I was born on March 8, 1986, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the United States of America. I’ve been in professional wrestling for 13 years.

This was my mask, but the honor of lucha libre demands the truth. Monterrey… Mexico… mark my words: I don’t know when, I don’t know how, but Chad Gable will be back in Lucha Libre AAA. THANK YOU!”

On the June 5th edition of WWE SmackDown, Chad Gable appeared in backstage segments and was cheered by the fans. That’s a different reaction than the one Gable was used to, since he wrestled as a heel for several years.

Chad Gable approached AAA Cruiserweight Champion Rey Fenix backstage. Gable said that the longer he wore the mask, it wasn’t some joke. Gable said you were taking on a responsibility to the people, and Gable made a mockery of that. Gable said he’s sorry. Gable said he was asking Rey for forgiveness. Rey said that Gable understands the importance of lucha libre and losing the mask is painful enough, so he forgives him. Fenix said he’s not the only one Gable offended, which likely means more apologies from Gable are on the way.

While speaking on Busted Open After Dark, WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry noted that Gable received big reactions from the Bologna, Italy crowd at SmackDown.

“He became bigger than he was before in this return… Anytime his face appeared the crowd went nuts. It was an elite pop. It wasn’t good Chad Gable it was (a) ‘Wow, we choose him pop.’”

Chad Gable Should Command More Respect In WWE

Mark Henry went on to talk about how Chad Gable should get a massive push from WWE management because of his performance in AAA, and how the crowd reacts to him. Even though Gable has been in WWE for over a decade, he has yet to win a singles title, but he is a 3-time Tag Team Champion on the WWE main roster.

“I think so. Everything points to (that), whenever the crowd chooses, you get over. You become somebody special.

I think the best thing that could ever have happened to Chad Gable was El Grande Americano, because it made people get to see him in an another light. To laugh at him, to laugh with him. At the end see him be a grown ass man. See him step up and take accountability.

That led to Henry saying the former Olympian Gable could go on to be a massive success in WWE, and even mentioned the Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle, who Gable has been compared to throughout his career.

“I’ve seen a lot of guys that they tried to force it on. The Rock is pretty much the only guy that I’ve ever seen them try to force it on and he still flipped it, changed it and became one of the best that ever was. It’s a hard thing to do, to change the perception of the fans. A lot of people have done it, but I mean at the highest, highest level.

I think that Chad Gable has the ability now to go from Grande Americano to Kurt Angle type of respect. Because he deserves it.

That dude is an Olympian, he’s entertaining, size don’t matter with him. Size didn’t matter with (Chris) Benoit, it didn’t matter with Rey Mysterio, it didn’t matter with Eddie Guerrero, it’s irrelevant when you’re good. Chad Gable is good good.” (H/T Wrestletalk)

Whether Gable actually gets a massive push because of his AAA success remains to be seen.

Also Read: Chad Gable Named Best Wrestler In The World By WWE Hall Of Famer