Chad Gable and Dragon Lee prepare for heightened rivalry in WWE

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Chad Gable and Dragon Lee are 2–2 in four matches against each other. | (Photo: WWE) Chad Gable revealed himself in more ways than one after losing his mask and identity as the Original Grande Americano at AAA’s Noche de Los Grandes. Appearing on SmackDown, Gable apologized to one of his biggest rivals, Rey Fenix, for mocking lucha libre and Mexican culture. In a moment of dramatic foreshadowing, Fenix accepted but warned that he wasn’t the only luchador he offended. But who else might have a bone to pick with Gable? Before Noche de Los Grandes, Penta said he had no problem with Gable. Rey Mysterio, who was scheduled to face OG Americano at WrestleMania 41 before suffering an injury, is busy now as the GM of AAA, wrestling only sparingly. Barring a call-up from AAA, it’s slim pickings after that. AAA Mega Champion Dominik Mysterio has his hands full with Oba Femi in an upcoming King of the Ring semifinal match. The LWO, consisting of Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro, is a possibility, but each lacks the star power to make for a compelling matchup. That only leaves one man, someone whose membership in the LWO is all but forgotten. Yet, his history with Gable, combined with their respective needs for a strong program, makes him the right man for the job. Dragon Lee. Enter The Dragon Chad Gable’s spiral that fueled his seek-and-destroy lucha mission as the Original Grande Americano began with a loss to Dragon Lee on the November 4, 2024 episode of Raw. Raw reviewer Marcus Benjamin called it a “dope match,” while fans in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, chanted “This is awesome” as Gable and Lee duked it out for nearly 12 minutes. The two met again in early 2025, with Lee successfully retaining the Speed Championship in a match that almost went down to the wire. And just like that, Lee was 2-0 against Gable. Hola Americano Shortly after, Gable went on a quest to study “the dark arts” of lucha libre. When he returned, El Grande Americano, a supposedly fabled luchador bearing an uncanny physical resemblance to Gable, also popped up. In Americano’s in-ring “debut,” he defeated Dragon Lee. Then, on Cinco de Mayo, Americano defeated Lee via nefarious means to win the Speed Championship. After Americano issued a victory statement on X, Gable continued to gaslight fans and opponents by offering well wishes as if the two weren’t one and the same. “Congrats, amigo!!!! You earned it,” Gable wrote on X. A Necessary Feud Shortly after winning the title, Gable suffered an injury that forced him to the sidelines. In his absence, a second El Grande Americano emerged, assuming Gable’s identity, mask, and title. Unlike Gable, this Americano embraced lucha libre and Mexican culture, and in turn, Mexico embraced him. In a Match of the Year contender, the two Americanos squared off in a Mask vs. Mask match at Noche de Los Grandes, where Gable was finally exposed and humbled. While apologizing to Rey Fenix last Friday, Gable referred to their “awesome match” at WrestleMania 41, one that saw Gable prevail as he noted, “under false pretenses.” Against Lee, Gable not only wrestled under similar pretenses, but he also cheated to win, essentially stealing the Speed title from Lee. Given their history, a seriously presented rivalry could help elevate both men when they need it most. A contrite Gable seems serious about making amends for his past sins. Lee, despite being touted as “the future of lucha libre,” hasn’t had the kind of push that would lead one to think that’s true, having come up short in big matches on Raw, Main Event, and at WrestleMania 42. A series of matches between them could show the world what Lee is truly capable of while giving those who missed Gable’s work in AAA another look at a star once pigeonholed in a comedy role, but with all the tools to be a star at or near the top of the card.