Former WWE star Stevie Richards used the milestone 100th episode of his podcast to deliver a passionate review of what he considers one of the standout matches of 2026 while also offering sharp criticism of WWE’s current creative direction.
Joined by co-host James Romero, Richards spent a significant portion of the show discussing the highly acclaimed mask vs. mask match between El Grande Americano (Ludwig Kaiser) and The Original El Grande Americano (Chad Gable) from AAA Noche de Los Grandes on May 30 at Arena Monterrey in Mexico.
The bout, which concluded with Gable removing his mask in front of his family after a bloody and emotional battle, has received widespread praise from fans and industry observers. The match generated enough buzz that WWE later aired an encore presentation on Netflix following an episode of Monday Night Raw.
Romero was particularly enthusiastic about the contest, describing it as one of the year’s best. “Probably the best match of 2026” and saying it would “win most people’s match of the year.”
He also questioned how WWE’s own premium live event held during the same weekend compared unfavorably in his eyes. “How can a WWE PLE not hold up to something from AAA with a much reduced budget,” he said, “but it’s just so much better in every single respect.”
Romero was even more direct when discussing WWE Clash in Italy. “Clash in Italy was terrible. The booking was awful.”
Richards used the match as an example of what he believes is wrong with WWE’s creative philosophy. “How can WWE get both these guys so wrong in so many different ways, or at least not have them live up to their potential on the main roster,” he asked.
Richards credited AAA’s storytelling approach, which he attributed to reports that WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker has been heavily involved creatively. Comparing the style to longtime booker Dutch Mantell’s philosophy, Richards argued that the focus was on building a compelling story before delivering the payoff in the ring. “It wasn’t a match looking for a storyline, it was a storyline that led up to a match,” Richards said. “WWE does it all backwards. This is proof of how WWE has it all incredibly backwards in the wrong way. You should be able to do this every single week on WWE TV.”
He was equally complimentary toward The Undertaker’s reported work behind the scenes. “He might be Booker of the Year if this continues,” he said. “Maybe not according to somebody who votes for Booker of the Year, but I would give him Booker of the Year at this point.”
The discussion soon shifted into broader criticism of WWE’s current product. Richards agreed when Romero described WWE as feeling “soulless,” arguing that the company’s corporate structure has negatively impacted creativity. “This is a corporation we’re watching, everything is done in excess and not efficiently,” Richards said.
He further claimed that sponsorship obligations often take precedence over storytelling. Richards described WWE as “creatively bankrupt and have been for a long time, not because you can’t create, it’s because all these other masters that Triple H is serving.” When Romero suggested WWE had “created a system that sucks the creativity out the process,” Richards responded: “It’s an advertising system with some creative control.”
Despite their criticism of WWE’s creative direction, both hosts were overwhelmingly positive when discussing Chad Gable and Ludwig Kaiser. Romero made perhaps the boldest statement of the episode regarding Gable. “I think Chad Gable is the best wrestler in the world, and I don’t think it’s close.”
Richards echoed the praise and referenced comparisons made by WWE Hall of Famer JBL between Gable and Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle.
While acknowledging Angle’s legendary status, Richards argued that Gable has accomplished a great deal despite receiving far less support from WWE creative. “Chad’s getting over when they essentially have not pushed Chad,” Richards said before adding that Gable “might be more versatile than Kurt.”
Richards also had praise for Rey Mysterio’s role as AAA’s on-screen authority figure. “Rey Mysterio has better business sense than TKO,” he said. “He can read the world and the audience better than they can.”
However, both Richards and Romero expressed concern that the momentum built by Gable and Kaiser in AAA could be lost once they fully return to WWE programming. “How long before they’ve ruined them,” Richards repeatedly asked.
Romero shared a similar concern. “My worry was, is that WWE would see how well they were doing and want to bring them back, and then have no idea what to do with them.”
Richards described the AAA storyline as a defining moment for both performers. “This was the prove it storyline for Kaiser and Chad Gable.”
The conversation eventually turned to LA Knight, whom Richards cited as another example of a talent he believes WWE has not handled properly.
Pointing out that Knight had not wrestled on Raw since before WrestleMania and had largely been confined to backstage appearances, Richards suggested the situation was intentional. “this can’t be by accident,” he said, adding that WWE “haven’t handled his character with care.”
Romero was similarly critical of a recent segment involving Knight and Jimmy Uso, describing it as “10 minutes of silence” that was “terrible,” while arguing that a potential feud between the two would represent “a huge step down.”
Whether fans agree with Richards’ assessment or not, the veteran wrestler made it clear that he views the Gable-Kaiser rivalry in AAA as one of the strongest wrestling stories of the year—and a blueprint for the kind of storytelling he believes WWE should be striving to deliver more consistently.
