Seth Rollins expressed his admiration for Chad Gable’s development into one of wrestling’s finest performers. Sharing the sentiment on Instagram the night after Gable successfully defended the Intercontinental Championship against Dragon Lee in Mexico City, Rollins called watching Gable’s evolution “an absolute treat.”
The match lasted 15 minutes and 40 seconds, concluding with Gable securing victory by applying an ankle lock after Lee survived several high-impact moves, including a tope con giro over the announce desk, an Olympic Slam, two Operation Dragons, and a Styles Clash. The passionate Arena CDMX crowd frequently chanted “this is wrestling” in Spanish and enthusiastically sang along with Gable’s entrance music.
What captivated fans wasn’t just the finish but Gable’s sportsmanship—he halted the referee from handing him the title, checked on Lee, raised his arm to the crowd, and shared a heartfelt moment by embracing Lee and kissing his head. This marked Gable’s second successful defense since capturing the title from Penta at SummerSlam on August 2 and his first match in Mexico since losing the El Grande Americano mask, a persona he had worn since March 2025.
Gable’s career has undergone numerous transformations. From being an Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler for Team USA in 2012 to debuting in WWE’s NXT as part of the tag team American Alpha, he was later rebranded as Shorty G in 2019, a character centered on his shorter stature which he found challenging. He rebuilt his reputation through Alpha Academy, honed his technical skills, then took on the masked El Grande Americano gimmick before emerging as the Intercontinental Champion at age 40.
The masked El Grande Americano role was notably comedic—an American pretending to be Mexican beneath a lucha libre mask—which Gable played for about a year and a half before losing it. Returning to Mexico City unmasked and receiving loud crowd support, including chants and sing-alongs, gave a satisfying conclusion to that chapter.
Rollins and Gable’s World Heavyweight Championship storyline in 2023 and 2024 is often credited with elevating Gable’s standing, pushing him closer to top-tier contention amid strong fan backing. Although Rollins retained the title, Gable’s trajectory afterward looked like a rebuild phase, moving back down the card before his recent resurgence.
This event marked Raw’s first show in Mexico City in 15 years and followed the fallout from TripleMania 34. Roman Reigns retained the World Heavyweight Championship against Penta, Lola Vice made her main roster debut winning a Money in the Bank qualifier, Je’Von Evans qualified as well, and El Grande Americano, now a changed man, opened the show alongside Stephanie Vaquer against Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan.
WWE reported a total attendance of 49,017 over three nights in Mexico City. Gable stands as the second unexpected Intercontinental Champion this year, and the enthusiastic reception there suggests fans are truly recognizing and appreciating his journey and skill.
Fan Take: This news is significant for wrestling fans because it highlights Chad Gable’s relentless perseverance and growth, showcasing that reinvention and hard work can lead to top-tier success even later in a career. For the sport, Gable’s embrace by the passionate Mexico City crowd underscores wrestling’s global appeal and the importance of authenticity and respect in connecting with audiences worldwide.
Source: wrestlingnews.co
