WWE’s Backstage Reaction to El Grande Americano Controversy

WWE may have stirred the pot with its new character El Grande Americano, but don’t expect anyone backstage to lose sleep over it.

Introduced on the March 24 episode of RAW, El Grande Americano—revealed to be Chad Gable in disguise—was given a full-on backstory via an AI-generated video, claiming he hailed from the mysterious “Gulf of America.” The gimmick instantly sparked backlash, particularly after he defeated Dragon Lee and unmasked himself—something many fans saw as disrespectful to lucha libre traditions.

But behind the scenes? No one seems bothered. While appearing on The Hump, Sean Ross Sapp addressed the criticism, revealing WWE’s real stance. “Nobody cares,” Sapp said bluntly. “I mean, I hate to rain on a lot of people’s parade, and you guys, by and large, probably know how I feel about it. I think the idea of renaming something like that is so stupid. Like, who could possibly care? Yes, it was a thing that they were just poking fun at.”

Sapp also suggested that WWE knew exactly what it was doing, especially by creating a backstory that includes a fictional location. The company has a history of leaning into satire and over-the-top gimmicks, and this one feels no different—despite the cultural heat.

The real outrage came after Dragon Lee, a respected luchador, was involved in a match where the mask reveal was played for laughs. In lucha libre culture, losing your mask is considered sacred and career-defining. Fans in Mexico and around the world weren’t laughing—and many felt the moment should’ve been treated with far more respect.

To make things even messier, WWE doubled down by creating a Twitter account for El Grande Americano, signaling they might lean into the absurdity instead of dialing it back.

So what’s next for El Grande Americano? Will WWE address the backlash—or just keep pushing the comedy button?

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