Controversial WWE Raw Match Draws Big Backstage Praise (WWE News)

El Grande Americano's WWE in-ring debut has drawn heavy praise.

by Andrew Pollard
WWE Raw El Grande Americano Dragon Lee
WWE

It may have been a somewhat cheesy match on paper - well, part of a somewhat cheesy ongoing storyline - but El Grande Americano's WWE in-ring debut against Dragon Lee on this week's Raw appears to have gone down very well backstage.

As per WrestleVotes on Sportskeeda's Backstage Pass Q&A, there was plenty of "heavy praise" for the two competitors.

"Crowd loved it, people backstage loved it. And that's no surprise. Chad Gable has been getting this for years, and we know what kind of talent Dragon Lee has. So, good on both of them, but I did hear that there was some heavy praise backstage for those two men."

Of course, this is all extremely presumptuous from WrestleVotes, suggesting that Chad Gable is the person under the El Grande Americano mask...

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With this week's WWE Raw taking place from Glasgow, Scotland's OVO Hydro, El Grande Americano picked up a win over Dragon Lee in nine minutes, securing the victory in underhanded fashion after pulling Dragon's mask off.

While Americano vs. Lee received praise backstage in WWE, though, WrestleVotes also noted how some in Mexico were not so happy, particularly with how Dragon Lee was unmasked and left lying in the ring. Given how sacred lucha libre is, and how sacred a luchador's mask is, this whole situation has left some people "pissed".

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WWE Raw El Grande Americano
WWE

The Legend Of El Grande Americano

For those who may have missed this week's Raw, fans got to witness the WWE in-ring debut of El Grande Americano.

As detailed in a stylish video package, El Grande Americano was raised to be the ultimate luchador, eventually becoming the face of lucha libre and surpassing the likes of Blue Demon, the Guerrero family, and Mil Mascaras. Unfortunately, El Grande Americano was blackballed from the industry by his jealous enemies, with him vanishing without a trace... until landing in WWE as he aims to bring honour and glory back to the sport.

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An icon and a trailblazer, it remains to be seen what plans are in store for El Grande Americano when WrestleMania 41 rolls around in just a matter of weeks. For a star of such stature, surely WWE will find a spot for El Grande Americano at this year's Showcase of the Immortals, right?

Given how El Grande Americano's issues with the LWO are far from over, that seems a logical direction to be heading at 'Mania.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.