AJ Styles is giving Chad Gable his flowers, and he thinks Gable’s recent WWE run may have turned a rough situation into something much bigger.
During an episode of the Phenomenally Retro podcast, Styles talked about Gable’s current direction after the El Grande Americano story started picking up steam. Gable has been back in the mix around Rey Mysterio, Penta, Dragon Lee, and the ongoing masked character drama, and Styles said he wants to see Gable become a bigger star. Styles made it clear that Gable has been through plenty in WWE, but he believes those setbacks may have led to something better.
“It was only a matter of time. You know, there’s hills and valleys and highs and lows and stuff that we have to deal with. And trust me, he has definitely went through it. Um but I think this is the best thing that ever happened to him was probably the worst thing he thought was going, you know, was happening to him at that time.”
Styles then pointed to the Shorty G gimmick as something Gable likely hated at the time, but still managed to push through. He said Gable was able to move past that and make his current work count.
“I’m sure Shorty G was probably the worst thing that ever happened to him. At least he thought at that time. Uh, but we were able to get past that and, you know, doing the Elgrani American Americano. Uh, I don’t know why I can’t say that. But the fact of the matter is I’m happy for him. This is good stuff.”
Styles also praised Gable for the way he approached the El Grande Americano role. He said Gable understood that putting on a mask meant he had to adjust his in-ring style and add lucha-inspired elements to make the character work.
“To brag on Chad Gable a little bit more is when he got that mask on, he was like, ‘Okay, I got to I got to do some lucha stuff.’ And he did and he worked on that, you know, not normally his thing, but based on the character that he was playing, he needed to do some stuff. And so I don’t really Well, that’s a team player. That’s what they do, man. They they adapt.”
That kind of praise says a lot coming from Styles, who has spent decades reinventing himself while keeping the AJ Styles name alive across several major promotions. Gable has had to deal with bad gimmicks, stop-start pushes, and fan frustration over how WWE used him, but Styles believes Gable’s ability to adapt is exactly why this current chapter is working.
What do you think about AJ Styles’ take on Chad Gable’s recent WWE run? Do you think Gable is finally getting the spotlight he deserves? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comments section below.
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