39-year-old WWE star to win Money in the Bank and officially retire his current gimmick? Exploring the possibility
This Saturday, the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, will host Worlds Collide, a historic show that will be co-produced by WWE and AAA. While WWE has gradually opened up to working with other companies, most notably through its partnership with TNA, Worlds Collide marks the first time WWE is going all-in on a fully collaborative event, akin to AEW’s Forbidden Door. It must be noted, though, that WWE recently acquired AAA, making this an in-house crossover of sorts.
With AAA now under the WWE/TKO umbrella, this show is likely a litmus test for what can be done with the AAA brand in the United States. As such, AAA Mega Champion El Hijo Del Vikingo will be in action at the show, set to defend his title against Chad Gable.
While Gable may be intent on maintaining the El Grande Americano facade, let's just put it this way: an absolute workhorse and deserving talent will be pulling double duty on Saturday and be a part of two prominently featured and likely-to-be incredible matches on June 7. El Grande Americano—fresh off defeating CM Punk and AJ Styles in RAW’s main event—will enter the MITB match as a dark horse.
While the gimmick has drawn mixed reactions, that’s par for the course with wrestling fans, who often seem to find problems with anything and everything. A significant portion of fans have found the character entertaining. This raises the question: What if El Grande Americano wins the briefcase?
Currently, Seth Rollins and LA Knight are considered frontrunners, but Gable’s momentum and ability to turn a seemingly ridiculous gimmick into gold (pun intended) shouldn’t be underestimated. His win over Punk and Styles is a testament to his underrated excellence, especially given the countless start-stop pushes he’s endured.
If Grande does win the briefcase, it could set up months of entertainment. The 39-year-old might even keep up the luchador cosplay, mask, and "all-aa" for months. He could morph back into Chad Gable right before or after his eventual cash-in. This would add some unpredictability to the MITB briefcase, something it has sorely lacked in recent years under Triple H's creative direction.
Chad Gable is one of the most complete superstars in WWE
Despite often being relegated to the undercard and having his pushes suddenly cut short, Gable has consistently remained one of RAW’s most entertaining acts. He made the Alpha Academy and "SHOOSH" gimmick wildly popular, eventually becoming a beloved babyface, only to be abruptly turned heel and, in many fans' eyes, robbed of an Intercontinental Title reign.
Now, with El Grande Americano, Gable has struck gold again. Whether it leads to a long-awaited main event push remains to be seen, but the potential is undeniable.
