Chad Gable has addressed the very high praise given to the mask vs. mask match from his time as El Grande Americano.
Although the Americano feud was not exactly presented as something special in WWE, AAA was a different story. The storyline of who was the better wrestler captivated the fans in Mexico, leading to their showdown at AAA Noche de Los Grandes in May in a mask vs. mask match. The new Americano won the match, leading to Gable unmasking when all was said and done.
With the rivalry reaching its crescendo, the match received critical acclaim and became a major talking point among wrestling fans. So much so that WWE presented an encore presentation after the next episode of Raw.
With 2026 coming to a close, the match is very much in discussion for the best of the year. When asked about this while speaking with Chris Van Vliet, Gable noted that while it is subjective, he is proud of the recognition from fans and his peers:
“I mean, what we do is subjective, right? It’s the highest compliment to me that people think of it in those terms. I always try to not focus so much on the accomplishment or what I’ve done, but the process and the journey, who I’m becoming in this process, and what’s next. So it’s great. It’s really nice to have these compliments, especially I think some of the highest compliments I was paid were from my peers. That told me not how great the match was, but the way it made them feel that reminded them what they loved about wrestling growing up. It made them feel the way they did when they were kids.
That to me is the highest compliment because that’s what I’m seeking in wrestling now is to feel the way I felt when I watched Macho Man and Warrior at WrestleMania six with all the drama with Miss Elizabeth and all these things, and that’s the kind of stuff that fueled me to want to do this. So if I can give that to other people, then I feel like I’m really doing my job.”
Was El Grande Americano The Best Chad Gable Match Ever?
When asked if it was the best match he had ever wrestled, Gable couldn’t confirm, but did admit it was the most dramatic match he had ever competed in:
“I think it was the most dramatic, and I think I could say it’s the most dramatic match I’ve ever wrestled.”
The reigning Intercontinental Champion also spoke about how much the crowd helped to level up the match:
“Again, I don’t think none of that would have happened to the degree that it did without the crowd. They were such a big part of it, and I don’t know that I would have even ever found myself the way that I did if I didn’t realize that you can get a reaction out of an audience like that. They showed me what’s possible, and I owe them eternally for that. Not only that, but also their level of just forgiveness after the match, willingness to listen, give me my moment for the speech, as opposed to just booing me out of the building, which they very well could have done, was admirable. They were totally gracious.”
Gable currently reigns as the Intercontinental Champion. The former Tag Team Champ won the title after defeating Penta at SummerSlam.
Featured image: WWE
