JBL calls Chad Gable ‘best wrestler in the world’
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.”
