WWE and AAA Face Off Over El Grande Americano Gimmick

Fans debate whether Chad Gable or Ludwig Kaiser should keep the popular luchador persona

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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After Chad Gable rebranded himself as El Grande Americano last year, an injury led to Ludwig Kaiser taking over the role, which has become hugely popular with fans in the US, Canada, and Mexico. Now Gable has returned and the two are set to face off, with the question of whether the match should take place at WWE's WrestleMania or AAA's TripleMania event.

Why it matters

The El Grande Americano character has become one of the hottest acts in wrestling, with both Gable and Kaiser's portrayals resonating strongly with different audiences. Whichever wrestler keeps the gimmick will get a major boost in popularity, so the decision of where the match takes place is crucial.

The details

Gable originally created the El Grande Americano persona last year out of frustration with losing to luchadors on the WWE roster. When he was injured, Kaiser took over the role and made it his own, garnering immense popularity. Now Gable has returned and the two are set to face off, with Gable's 'original' Americano drawing boos in Mexico while Kaiser's version is beloved. A match at WrestleMania in Las Vegas would give Gable a chance to win back the gimmick, while a TripleMania bout in Mexico would cement Kaiser's hold on the character.

  • In March 2025, Chad Gable first debuted the El Grande Americano persona.
  • In late June 2025, Gable suffered an injury, leading to Ludwig Kaiser taking over the role.
  • In January 2026, Gable returned at the Royal Rumble, setting up a confrontation with Kaiser's Americano.
  • On February 10, 2026, the two Americanos continued their rivalry on both WWE Raw and AAA programming.

The players

Chad Gable

A WWE wrestler who originally created the El Grande Americano persona, but lost it to Ludwig Kaiser during an injury.

Ludwig Kaiser

A WWE wrestler who took over the El Grande Americano role from Chad Gable and has made it hugely popular with fans in the US, Canada, and Mexico.

El Grande Americano

A luchador-inspired wrestling persona that has become one of the hottest acts in wrestling, with both Gable and Kaiser portraying the character.

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What they’re saying

“El Grande Americano makes his #WrestleMania debut right now!”

— WWE (Twitter)

“Seems we have an identity crisis on our hands @Americano_WWE”

— WWE (Twitter)

What’s next

The match between Chad Gable's 'original' El Grande Americano and Ludwig Kaiser's version of the character is expected to be made official in the coming weeks, with the location of the match - either WWE's WrestleMania or AAA's TripleMania - to be determined by which wrestler will ultimately keep the popular gimmick.

The takeaway

The El Grande Americano persona has become a hot commodity in wrestling, with both Gable and Kaiser's portrayals resonating strongly with different audiences. Whichever wrestler keeps the gimmick will get a major boost in popularity, so the decision of where the match takes place - at WrestleMania or TripleMania - will be crucial in determining the future of this captivating character.