Penta’s GYM, a new series on WWE’s Spanish YouTube channel, debuted Thursday and featured the reigning Intercontinental Champion Penta interviewing El Grande Americano ahead of his match against the Original El Grande Americano this Saturday at AAA’s Noche de Los Grandes.
The show was as campy as it was enlightening, and when it was over, two thoughts came to my mind:
- Through Ludwig Kaiser’s commitment to the role and love for its culture, WWE may have accidentally created its most over “Mexican” star yet.
- Kaiser’s Grande MUST win on Saturday.
Unbelievably Believable
WWE has spent years looking for the next great Mexican star to assume the mantle from Rey Mysterio. Who knew that the next great Mexican hero
would come from Germany?
Between the silly moments of this show, it’s clear that Ludwig Kaiser, who appears throughout as El Grande Americano, has a genuine affection for Mexico, its culture, and its people. His conversation with Penta was like listening to two carnales having a good time at my local taquería here in San Diego.
While Kaiser’s Spanish is excellent, it’s his use of common street slang that immediately makes me forget he’s not actually Mexican. His love for musicians like Juan Gabriel, Vicente Fernández, and José José reminds me of my in-laws as he talks about, and even sings, some of his favorite songs.
Stunned that Kaiser likes romantic tunes, Penta asked if he was a romantic, to which he hilariously replied, “Yes, of course. Ask my girlfriend.”
Though it’s not clear when this was filmed, it was a particularly funny moment, given that Kaiser’s popularity in Mexico surged after he allegedly stood up for his girlfriend during a real-life confrontation that led to his arrest last week in Florida.
Between the hilariously staged moments, which begin with Kaiser busting into Penta’s gym with a mariachi band and insisting they play as he works out, fans get genuine glimpses at Mexico’s adopted son. Talking about winning AAA’s Rey de Reyes tournament this year, Kaiser said:
“It was very special for me because I lived in the United States for about ten years, but I never felt at home there. That’s not my home, of course, but in Mexico it was different. Here, I feel more at home. And it’s not just the country, but the people, the people and the culture, the food. Obviously, my girlfriend is here, and I want to live here. I want to be here. For me, this means a lot.”
It’s not just what Kaiser said, but the sincerity that showed in his eyes, which his mask couldn’t hide. In that moment, it was easy to see why fans south of the border have embraced him as one of their own: it’s because he has embraced them wholeheartedly.
Kaiser Must Win
Following his arrest, fans marched in the streets ahead of a pre-planned rally to honor El Grande Americano. Kaiser appeared genuinely moved, as he cried, laughed, and hugged his supporters.
WWE and, by extension, AAA have stumbled onto a gold mine with Kaiser. He may not be homemade like El Santo, Mil Máscaras, or even CMLL’s Místico, but then again, Rikidōzan, the father of Japanese wrestling, was Korean.
It’s all about connection, and Kaiser has made that here. For him to lose to the Original El Grande Americano and have to unmask would be a tragedy that could tank AAA’s momentum. While that sounds like hyperbole, anyone who’s been watching the shows from week to week knows that Kaiser is the brand’s most popular star.
To his credit, the Original Grande, played by Chad Gable, has done all he can to get under fans’ skin. From his AI-produced vignettes to his violent attacks on lucha legend Pimpinela Escarlata and blind comedian Alexis Arroyo, Gable has done the opposite of endear himself to the public.
That’s resulted in heat not typically seen in America, with fans violently flashing obscene hand gestures at him as he enters an arena.
What began as a storyline meant for Gable to mock luchadores turned into something no one saw coming after Kaiser took over the role when Gable was sidelined with an injury. Though American fans are correct that Gable had the gimmick “stolen” from him, Kaiser ironically became a hero because he championed the people Gable was poking fun at.
While that’s been lost in translation on Raw, in Mexico, it’s made for exciting TV that culminates this weekend in what is expected to be an emotionally charged showdown.
Watch
AAA’s Noche de Los Grandes airs this Saturday in the U.S. at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT on WWE’s YouTube and Facebook.
