The Undertaker isn’t just helping shape AAA behind the scenes—he says one of the promotion’s biggest recent storylines started with an idea he and Jeremy Borash came up with.
Speaking with Chris Van Vliet, the WWE Hall of Famer opened up about his involvement in the Original El Grande Americano vs. El Grande Americano rivalry, revealing that the concept was born in AAA’s creative meetings before Chad Gable and El Grande Americano took it to another level.
“Myself and Jeremy Borash had this idea, but El Grande and Chad Gable, man, they took the thought and the idea, and they really took it to a whole different level.”
Undertaker said his role didn’t stop once the story was mapped out. Before every major match, he made it a point to remind both men what was at stake and challenged them to raise the intensity every time they stepped through the curtain.
“There were some highly motivating speeches that I gave both of them before they would go out… I would reiterate to them how important what they’re about to go out and do is not only for AAA, but for their own personal careers. Trying to motivate them to do things differently and be more edgy, more aggressive, more violent, right? It took a while for that to set in, and for them to see my vision.”
That vision eventually led to one of AAA’s most talked-about rivalries, culminating in a Mask vs. Mask match at AAA Noche de los Grandes, where Chad Gable was finally unmasked as the Original El Grande Americano.
Undertaker also made it clear that the rivalry is just one example of the direction he wants AAA to head under WWE’s ownership. Rather than creating another version of RAW, SmackDown or NXT, he wants the promotion to have an identity all its own.
“My vision is, I want us to put out a product that is completely different from NXT, it’s completely different from SmackDown or Raw. I want it to be different from every other wrestling. That starts with storytelling, athleticism, and aggression. It’s a process, and everybody’s starting to buy into it and realizing that what we’re doing down there, it’s got the attention of the wrestling community.”
If Undertaker gets his way, the El Grande Americano rivalry may end up being remembered as more than just a successful storyline—it could be the blueprint for what AAA looks like under its new creative direction.
What do you think? Are you liking the direction Undertaker is taking AAA, or would you rather see the promotion keep a different identity? Let us know in the comments below.
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