At the time Chad Gable first began appearing as his masked luchador alter ego, El Grande Americano, he showcased both his Chad Gable and El Grande Americano characters on WWE programming. However, since his in-ring return from injury as the “Original” El Grande Americano, Gable has not appeared again as his Gable persona on WWE TV.
During a recent Fightful Select Answers Q&A, a fan asked Sean Ross Sapp why Gable hasn’t returned to his original character since his comeback.
According to Sapp, WWE is holding off on formally reintroducing the Chad Gable character because the creative team wants to use it as a plot point. It remains unclear when Gable will return to TV as “Chad Gable.”
Gable was written off WWE TV during the June 23, 2025, episode of RAW after suffering a legitimate injury. In a backstage segment, he provoked Penta, who then shoved Gable and laid him out with a superkick, followed by the Sacrifice move. Ludwig Kaiser returned to TV during this segment to observe the incident.
In the following week’s RAW on June 30, General Manager Adam Pearce wished Gable good luck as he prepared to undergo surgery for his injury and asked if we would see El Grande Americano again. Gable replied that El Grande Americano keeps a busy schedule, so you never know. Later that same RAW, Kaiser made his debut as the new El Grande Americano. When Jackie Redmond asked American Made for their thoughts on Kaiser taking on the character, Ivy Nile declined to comment.
In last Monday’s WWE RAW, El Grande Americano 2, also known as Ludwig Kaiser, defeated the “Original” El Grande Americano in a singles match. Two days earlier, both versions of El Grande Americano competed in the Rey de Reyes 2026 Final 4-Way match, where El Grande Americano 2 emerged victorious after Rayo and Bravo handcuffed the “Original” El Grande Americano. La Parka and Santos Escobar also participated in the match.
Currently, Gable and Kaiser appear to be at odds over their competing El Grande Americano personas and may be involved in a mask vs. mask match at WrestleMania 42.
