Tag: el grande americano

Jeff Jarrett says Chad Gable needs to be “ready to leave” WWE

Posted on by Jake Skudder

WWE Hall of Famer Jeff Jarrett recently discussed Chad Gable and the AAA Noche de Los Grandes match he had against El Grande Americano on his My World podcast. Jarrett praised Gable’s performance and his overall abilities, but also noted that Gable will probably have to leave WWE, as he won’t get the push people are expecting even after the success of the El Grande Americano storyline:

“I just don’t see the WWE [pushing him], because he worked under the Vince regime. And obviously now he’s worked under Triple H regime, [but] they’re not all of a sudden magically going to go ‘Oh yeah, he’s our guy.”

Jeff Jarrett on why Chad Gable needs to be ready to leave WWE

Chad Gable appears to have around a year left on his WWE contract, and Jarrett would note that the former Olympic-level athlete needs to leverage that fact:

“I would absolutely leverage [the contact situation] with New Japan having new owners [etc]…I just think he [Gable] needs to keep doing what he’s doing, but be ready to leave. I don’t see TKO coming to him and saying, ‘Hey man, you performed great in Monterrey, we’re going to give you a bump [in pay].’ I just don’t see that. I think he could monetize his talent more.”

JBL calls Chad Gable ‘best wrestler in the world’

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

Shockwaves from AAA’s mask vs. mask match between the Grande Americanos last weekend continue to reverberate throughout the wrestling world. And one of the announcers on the call that night says that match, and one participant in particular, represent the best that wrestling has to offer. 

John “Bradshaw”Layfield was on the mic as El Grando Americano defeated Original Grande Americano on Saturday night in Monterrey, Mexico. The Original then unmasked and identified himself as Chad Gable. 

JBL didn’t mince words when discussing the match in an appearance on Busted Open Radio. 

“I think Chad Gable’s the best wrestler in the world,” Layfield said. “And I don’t think it’s close. That was absolutely amazing, what he and [Ludwig] Kaiser did.” 

Layfield was also impressed with how Gable changed his character to work in front of a new audience. 

“It’s easy to be kind of a campy heel like he was in WWE with the videos with the Varsity Club or whatever the heck it was,” Layfield said, momentarily forgetting the name of the Alpha Academy. “But then all of a sudden to try to get heat down in Mexico, that’s different level. It’s not even the same business. He had a match down there with La Parka that was just phenomenal.”

JBL was also quick to praise Ludwig Kaiser, the man behind the El Grande Americano mask.

“Kaiser created all this,” he said. “Kaiser created all this with learning the language. Not just learning the language—as we used to say in Texas, he wasn’t learning Spanish, he was learning Mexican. The local dialect was what he was learning, which was absolutely amazing, what he’s done.”

Of course, the AAA fans themselves played a big part in the night’s success. 

“Mexican fans are just passionate fans,” Layfield said. “They love their lucha libre, and they love their stars, and they get into things, and they enjoy it. And that’s what you saw, them at their very best. And I thought you saw wrestling at its very best. I was absolutely blown away by what they did in the match.”

WWE airing El Grande Americano mask vs. mask match on Netflix

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE is hoping to get as many eyes as possible on the El Grande Americano mask vs. mask match from Lucha Libre AAA.

The rivalry between El Grande Americano (Ludwig Kaiser) and Original El Grande Americano (Chad Gable) culminated with Kaiser getting the victory at AAA Noche de Los Grandes this past Saturday. The match has become an instant classic, earning Kaiser and Gable praise from fans and their WWE peers. WWE management apparently thinks very highly of the match as well, with it being announced during Raw today (June 1) that, immediately after the episode ends, WWE will be airing an encore presentation of the mask vs. mask match on Netflix.

Kaiser vs. Gable originally aired on WWE’s YouTube channel, where AAA’s TV is broadcast for free every week for viewers outside of Mexico, Central America, and South America (except Brazil). AAA airs on Fox Mexico in those markets.

The Kaiser vs. Gable rivalry is likely to be in strong contention for 2026’s Feud of the Year in all of professional wrestling. Though Gable originally introduced the character, Kaiser assumed the Americano gimmick last year when Gable was forced out of action due to injury. The two started feuding after Gable returned, and Kaiser became a huge babyface in Mexico during the process.

Kaiser’s May arrest briefly put this mask vs. mask match in jeopardy, but the state of Florida did not object to his motion to continue traveling domestically and internationally while the battery case plays out. A pre-trial conference in the case, where the alleged victim is a male resident of Kaiser’s apartment complex, is scheduled for July 16.

AAA’s next major events —

Coming out of Noche de Los Grandes, AAA has Triplemania 34 — its biggest annual event — set to be held over two nights on September 11 and 13. Night one is set for Las Vegas, with night two being held in Mexico City.

AAA could potentially add another big show to its upcoming schedule with Verano de Escandalo 2026 rumored for July 25.

El Grande Americano mask vs. mask was wrestling at its best | Opinion

Posted on by Ian Carey

The mask vs. mask match at AAA Noche de los Grandes was as good as wrestling can get.

There just isn’t a place above what happened in Arena Monterrey on Saturday night.

Never mind the match itself being incredible. The presentation of it and the emotion swirling through the venue alone made this something to go out of your way to see.

The match mattered so much to every single person inside that building that anyone watching had to get swept away in it. It was beautiful.

Wrestling Fan of the Year spotted front row at AAA Noche de Los Grandes

There was one fan seated in the front row at Noche de los Grandes who best encapsulated the feeling from the crowd on Saturday night.

The original El Grande Americano, who would later shockingly be revealed to be Chad Gable, was making his ring entrance and walked past a fan holding an El Grande Americano mask. Ever the bad guy, Gable goes to rip the mask out of the fan’s hands, but the fan is having none of it. He clutched onto that mask like Ludwig Kaiser’s career as the character depended on it.

Then the fan got right up into Gable’s face and was ready to have his own Lucha de Apuestas with the man if that’s what needed to happen.

Then El Grande Americano — the Ludwig Kaiser version — makes his entrance for the match, and as he’s walking around ringside, he pauses right by where that fan was. Only now the fan is proudly wearing his El Grande Americano mask and is celebrating with his hero.

That fan might as well have been everybody in the arena last night.

What El Grande Americano represented in Mexico

Not being Mexican, I’ll never truly know the full extent of what Americano means to Mexican wrestling fans.

But I think fans from outside the country understand that this was Americano fighting for the pride of Mexico.

The other Americano was a fraud who didn’t even speak Spanish. Meanwhile, Ludwig Kaiser’s Americano has a Mexican girlfriend, speaks Spanish, and even defended the honor of Pimpinela Escarlata.

One of the best episodes of AAA on Fox that has taken place this year involved Pimpinela attempting to prove that Chad Gable’s Americano was a fraud, trying to prove that he doesn’t even speak Spanish.

This led to Pimpi asking how Gable wanted his quesadillas, either with cheese or without cheese.

Gable, not seeing the comedy in this, attacked poor Pimpi. Later, we’d see Ludwig’s Americano holding Pimpi’s hand and being urged to defend the honor of Mexico.

Americano was now defending Pimpinela and Mexico and, later, the honor of Andrea Bazarte as well, both in Mexico as well as in Orlando-area apartment complex elevators.

The whole storyline was that Americano had pride in Mexican culture, and Gable’s Americano didn’t. At least, not until after he unmasked. By the end, everyone felt that pride, including wrestling fans from around the world.

Chad Gable’s speech after unmasking

As much as this whole thing was a celebration of Americano and the connection that Americano has developed with the Mexican people, this was also Gable’s moment.

Gable’s speech after the match basically turned him into a hero in Mexico as well. He said he put on the mask to learn lucha libre so he could beat all the luchadors whom he hated. But through this process, he developed an appreciation for Mexican culture.

Gable vowed that he would be back in AAA.

And so, even the antagonist in this story, in the end, developed pride in Mexican culture. I don’t think it could have been done any better.

Chad Gable unmasks following emotional AAA Noche de Los Grandes match

Posted on by Bryan Rose

There is now only one El Grande Americano.

The second El Grande Americano defeated the Original Americano, who was later confirmed to be Chad Gable, in an emotionally intense match Saturday at AAA Noche de los Grandes. During the match, which lasted over 30 minutes, there were numerous callback spots from their long-running feud. Comedian Alexis Arroyo, who is blind, attacked the Original with his walking cane after Original attacked him earlier in the year. Pimpinela Escarlata, who Original also attacked, returned to take out Original.

Towards the end of the match, the second Americano’s girlfriend, Andrea Bazarte, appeared in the crowd holding a ticket. Original only agreed to the mask vs. mask match under the condition that she was fired from AAA.

The closing moments of the match had Original, who at this point was a bloody mess, batter Americano’s knee with a steel chair, going for an ankle lock. After fighting out of the submission, Americano launched off the ropes and connected with his running headbutt, finally securing the victory.

Surprise, it was Chad Gable

After the match, Original told the crowd that he put on his mask to prove how much he hated lucha libre and luchadors. It pained him to say this, but he could not overcome the Mexican spirit. He told Americano he’d always be the original Americano, but for now on, he would be the only Americano.

Original Americano then unmasked to reveal himself as Gable. He went over his career before introducing his family. He said he didn’t know when or where, but someday he’d be back in AAA. Fans chanted ‘thank you Gable’ as he handed the mask to Americano.

After Gable left, Americano was raised up by Bravo and Rayo Americano. Once he was back on his feet, he embraced Bazarte as confetti fell and they kissed. ‘Cielito Lindo’ began to play again as the fans joined in to sing along. The show went off the air with Americano posing at the entranceway, pyro going off.

BVV: Santana vs. Maclin on TNA Impact, go-home episode of AAA review

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

While AAA spent the week building up the main event of their next big show, TNA ran with what was supposed to be the main event of their last one.

Both of those shows are reviewed on this week’s Big Vinny V Show.

We finally got to see the full version of Mike Santana defending the TNA World Championship against Steve Maclin and it was worth the wait — a pay per view-caliber match on free TV.

Unfortunately, the rest of the show wasn’t much to write home about. The follow-up to Leon Slater’s loss last week was practically non-existent, the other matches on the show were forgettable at best, and there was way too much Daria Rae. But, at least the main event was good.

Meanwhile, south of the border in AAA, we got the final build for the mask vs. mask match between the Grande Americanos as their flunkies squared off in a quite insane tag match. Oh, and they also had a rematch of a thrilling championship fight, and the announcement of a general manager you might have heard of.

All this and more on the Big Vinny V Show!

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WOL: Distraction after distraction after distraction

Posted on by Jim Valley

It’s the Saturday Wrestling Observer Live with Jim Valley.

Five out of six matches on WWE SmackDown had distraction finishes. Do all of these people need to stay strong for the future? In three hours, only one person can lose clean? We discuss.

Plus, you don’t need to make excuses and fantasy book a real life battery charge, especially when there are details listed in the police affidavit. Let it play out. No need to cape for strangers you see on TV.

Plus, the Hana Kimura Memorial Show, Marigold, AEW Double or Nothing and more.

Check it out.

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El Grande Americano celebrated at rescheduled ‘serenade’ event

Posted on by Ian Carey

El Grande Americano was honored by Kings League México on Friday night.

The event had originally been scheduled for Thursday evening. However, it was canceled not long after reports surfaced that Ludwig Kaiser had been arrested on May 20 on a battery charge stemming from an incident at his Orlando apartment complex last month.

Kaiser’s attorneys petitioned the court to allow him to travel both domestically and internationally while the case is pending, and state attorneys did not object. As a result, Kaiser is permitted to travel from the United States to Mexico while the case is pending.

The event was rescheduled for Friday, and El Grande Americano did make an appearance at the Kings League Dome. The public appearance was free but limited to the first 300 attendees.

It was advertised as a special serenade for Kaiser’s Americano character.

El Grande Americano speaks before Kings League México appearance

AAA posted a video of Americano before the event started. In the video, he said (translated via Google):

“My people, we’re here. Where are you guys? I can’t wait. I’m really, really excited, and honestly, I really, really wanted to be here. I’m ready. Let’s go.”

Another clip from the event shows Americano wiping a tear from his mask during his entrance. AAA’s social media posts from the event are below:

El Grande Americano Mexico City event back on after cancellation

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Plans for El Grande Americano are moving forward with Ludwig Kaiser expected to be able to travel outside of the country.

Lucha Libre AAA’s “Serenade for El Grande Americano” event, originally scheduled for Wednesday before being canceled, is now back on and will take place tonight (May 22) in Mexico City. It’s a free event where fans can show their support for Kaiser/Americano ahead of his upcoming mask vs. mask match against Original El Grande Americano (Chad Gable).

The serenade is being held at Kings League Dome and is limited to 300 fans.

Kaiser was arrested this week on a misdemeanor battery charge relating to an incident that took place last month involving a male resident of his Orlando, Florida apartment complex. When he learned of a warrant for his arrest on May 19, Kaiser was in Mexico for WWE/AAA. He returned to the United States the next day to turn himself in and is now out on a $1,000 bond.

Following the arrest, Kaiser’s attorney filed a motion requesting that Kaiser be allowed to continue to travel out of state and internationally. The state of Florida is not objecting to the motion.

El Grande Americano vs. Original El Grande Americano mask match —

The mask match between the two Americanos is set to headline AAA Noche de Los Grandes in Monterrey, Mexico on May 30. Gable originally introduced the Americano character to WWE television, but Kaiser took over when Gable underwent shoulder surgery in 2025. Since Gable’s return, they’ve had one of the best-received feuds in wrestling with Kaiser playing the babyface.

AAA has a live TV episode this Saturday that will finish the build to Noche de Los Grandes.

AAA cancels El Grande Americano serenade event in Mexico City

Posted on by Ian Carey

An event involving El Grande Americano scheduled for Mexico City has been canceled.

Ludwig Kaiser, appearing as El Grande Americano, had been scheduled to be honored with a special serenade on Thursday, May 21, at the Kings League in Mexico City. The free event was organized by Kings League México in collaboration with AAA.

AAA announced the cancellation of Thursday night’s event on Instagram Stories, writing:

“The ‘Serenata for El Grande Americano’ event scheduled for tonight in Mexico City has been canceled. We appreciate your understanding.”

Ludwig Kaiser battery arrest

On Wednesday evening, reports surfaced that Kaiser had been arrested in Orange County, Florida.

Kaiser was charged with battery stemming from an incident that took place on April 24 at an apartment complex where he lives in Orlando, Florida.

Another resident of the apartment complex is said to have gotten into an altercation with Kaiser after Kaiser and a female were said to be “uncontrollably intimate” in an elevator. The victim says he told Kaiser to “please have some manners” before the attack occurred.

Kaiser is said to have become aware of the warrant on May 19. He returned to Orlando from Mexico to turn himself in and was later released on a $1,000 bond.

He has filed a motion requesting that he be allowed to continue traveling both domestically and internationally while his case is pending.

AAA Makes Wrestling Fun Again -or- How I learned To Stop Worrying And Love Lucha Libre | Opinion

Posted on by Jeff Moss

Like most things in life, wrestling is cyclical and in a lot of ways, we’re currently at the bottom of the circle. 

WWE is in a creative place where the corporate aspect of being part of TKO is the lead story. WWE as a company is the star and it very much feels like characters and performance are secondary. AEW is putting on quality shows, but they are upwards of 7 hours long, which is a lot for even the most hardened of us to take. Ring of Honor, TNA, NXT, these shows all seem to be putting on decent matches, but the stories and characters can come across as listless and repetitive. 

So, where does that leave a wrestling fan like myself? It leaves me aching for something new and different and in spite of my previous comments about WWE, they have managed to plop it directly into my eyeballs. 

Granted, I’m a little late to the game, but AAA has blown the doors off a whole world of wrestling that was missing from my life. When AAA began to air on Fox in Latin America, I was tasked with doing the weekly live recaps and immediately I fell in love with AAA, the Mexican fans and lucha libre in general. To understand why, we have to go back to the beginning. 

The Birth of Lucha Libre

Lucha libre (which translates to “free fight”), has origins that trace back to the early 20th century, exploding in popularity in the 1930s when Salvador Lutteroth established the Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL, known today as CMLL or Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre). 

During this “Golden Age,” the narrative of the técnico (the noble hero) versus the rudo (the villainous rule-breaker) became a reflection of social struggles and morality, captivating audiences across Mexico and elevating wrestlers to the status of living legends. This is probably best personified by El Santo, the “Silver Masked Man,” who became a folk hero through both his prowess in the ring and his prolific career in cinema. 

A luchadore’s longevity is frequently preserved through the sacred tradition of the mask; even as an individual athlete ages or retires, the persona can be passed down through generations, allowing iconic characters like Blue Demon or El Santo to remain eternal figures in the public consciousness.

For many luchadores, the mask is sacred, representing an ancestral lineage and a secret identity that is only revealed if lost in a high-stakes Lucha de Apuestas (bet match). One of these such matches is coming up in AAA as “Real” El Grande Americano will face “Original” El Grande Americano in a Mask-vs-Mask match on May 30th. 

What Makes AAA So Different?

Today’s lucha libre (AAA in particular) has taken all the legacy, excitement and athleticism and amped it up big time. They have amazing characters, incredible matches and an audience that’s hotter than a ringpost around Kane. 

In AAA (and lucha libre in general), the past is not only remembered, but celebrated and factored into the matches and shows happening currently. This makes AAA feel like not just wrestling, but culturally relevant historical moments, which as a viewer, just draws me in more. 

The audience is also a big factor. Not since the heyday of the romanticized “Attitude Era” have I seen weekly crowds that are as hot as a Saturday night AAA crowd. They not only live and die with the performers in the ring, but the reactions and noise they produce makes every episode of AAA feel full of tension and excitement that adds to the incredible work going on in the ring. 

Outcomes feel like wins and losses instead of booking decisions. Interference and run-ins happen naturally and make sense within the story of the match. These may not seem like crazy innovations, but in today’s wrestling world of 15-minute entrances, 45-year olds beating each other up and endless screwy “swerves,” the simple act of telling a story is a novelty. 

What You Need To Know

In addition to the aforementioned El Grande Americano Civil War, AAA is running programs in which El Hijo del Vikingo is desperately searching for success with Omos backing him up, Flammer, the Reina de Reinas Champion (Women’s Champion), is about to battle the newly-signed Catalina, who’s looking to end Flammer’s almost 1000-day title reign and there is major Clown drama, as Pagano and Psycho Clown (holders of the AAA Tag Titles) are about to be at each other’s throats. 

On commentary, Corey Graves and JBL (who has a surprisingly deep level of lucha-knowledge) are joined by Rey Mysterio Jr, who translates any Spanish that needs translating. They work as a great team and I was not a big JBL commentary fan in WWE, so that’s saying something. 

I’m not pretending to have discovered Lucha Libre or present it as something new, but, for the first time in a long time, I spend my weeks thinking about wrestling not in the context of business deals, ratings or news, but thinking of it in terms of fun. Just like I did when WWE and WCW were at their hottest. If for nothing else, I thank AAA for that. If a jaded old wrestling fan like me can rediscover the joy in wrestling through their program, then telling everyone else to watch it is the least I can do.

BVV: AAA with Los Americanos contract signing, TNA Impact

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

Let’s celebrate Cinco de Mayo by catching up on the best feud of 2026: El Grande Americano vs. Original Grande Americano, who are set for their mascara contra mascara match.

But before that, we get El Hijo Del Vikingo vs. Mini Vikingo in a fun (and newsworthy) big brother vs. little brother battle, and Laredo Kid vs. Rey Fenix in a match so good fans were throwing money in the ring.

Then it’s over to TNA Impact, where the main event pits Elijah vs. Frankie Kazarian in the first ever Walk With Elijah Guitar Strap match.

There’s also Vincent vs. Jeff Hardy with the return of Broken Matt Hardy; Adam Brooks challenging Mustafa Ali for the International Championship; Allie returning from the dead (no, really) to compete in trios action; and Mr. Elegance vs. the Home Town Man.

Come join the fun on the Big Vinny V Show!

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Creed Brothers arrive in AAA to help OG El Grande Americano

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

Fans on the May 2, 2026, episode of AAA on Fox were treated to the arrival of The Creed Brothers.

Julius and Brutus Creed, a part of Chad Gable’s American Made, appeared on the May 2, 2026, episode of AAA on Fox and attacked El Grande Americano.

El Grande Americano and OG El Grande Americano are scheduled to be in a mask vs. mask match at Noche de Los Grandes on May 30th. During their contract signing on Saturday, the original El Grande Americano (Chad Gable) presented a new contract with his terms that needed to be put in place.

The new contract provisions noted that if any physicality takes place before their match, El Grande Americano 2 (Ludwig Kaiser) will automatically lose his mask. The second provision asked that the AAA backstage interviewer, Andrea Bazarte, be removed from AAA. Interestingly, Bazarte is the real-life partner of Kaiser.

After Bazarte agreed to the terms and asked Grande Americano 2 to defeat Gable’s Americano, the original El Grande Americano signed the contract.

However, as the original one exited the ring, Kaiser’s Americano was ambushed by The Creed Brothers (Julius Creed & Brutus Creed). They slammed El Grande Americano 2 through a table, before Rayo and Bravo Americano (Pete Dunne & Tyler Bate) appeared in time to make the save.

AAA Noche de Los Grandes updated lineup

  • El Grande Americano vs. “The Original” El Grande Americano in a Mask vs. Mask match
  • El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. (c) vs. El Hijo del Vikingo for the AAA Latin American Championship

Contract signing for mask vs. mask match confirmed for this weekend

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

The ‘original’ El Grande Americano and El Grande Americano will collide in a high-stakes match on May 30.

The contract signing for their mask vs. mask match will take place this Saturday as a part of Lucha Libre AAA’s weekly program.

It is also the first and only confirmed so far for AAA Noche de Los Grandes. Americano issued the challenge to the Original El Grande Americano a few weeks ago during the live edition of AAA on Fox in Mexico City.

Ludwig Kaiser took over the gimmick in Chad Gable’s absence when he suffered a shoulder injury in June 2025. Kaiser later joined forces with Bravo and Rayo Americano (aka Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate) who often compete by his side and interfere in bouts in his favor.

Gable returned at the Royal Rumble this year as the ‘Original’ El Grande Americano. And instantly began a feud with his replacement. The two stars have had multiple collisions and interferences in each other’s bouts. The stipulated match on May 30 will seemingly put an end to their rivalry once and for all. 

Ric Flair issues apology to Ludwig Kaiser, wishes him ‘continued success’

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

Last week, Ric Flair said he had been blackballed from WWE after a confrontation with Ludwig Kaiser. Now he’s apologizing for what he said. 

In an interview with Ariel Helwani, Flair claimed that WWE had banned him from WrestleMania appearances after he threatened Kaiser over the phone. He blamed Kaiser for the heat between his daughter Charlotte Flair and Kaiser’s then-girlfriend Tiffany Strattion. He also described Kaiser, a 35-year-old German, as a 24-year-old Englishman, and was surprised to learn he was still on the roster and wrestling in Mexico.

Flair has since apologized to Kaiser on social media. “I never implied that you couldn’t work, or didn’t have talent,” he wrote, identifying Kaiser by name. “I actually understand that you are doing really well with the Undertaker’s promotion.”

Undertaker has been working as a producer in AAA, the WWE-owned lucha libre promotion where Kaiser is starring as El Grande Americano.

“I am sorry that I got upset,” Flair continued. “I am naturally very protective of my daughters as I am sure as you grow older, you will be too. Continued success! I apologize for anything I said about you personally. It was not about your professional skill which I have heard is very good.”

Kaiser is set to face Original Grande Americano (Chad Gable) in a mask vs. mask match on May 30 at Arena Monterrey.