WWE officially addressed the status of Chad Gable on the June 30 episode of Monday Night RAW, confirming the performer is injured and will be off television for the foreseeable future. The announcement also extended to his masked persona, El Grande Americano, effectively sidelining both characters.
The on-screen confirmation occurred during a backstage segment. RAW General Manager Adam Pearce approached Gable, who was with his America Made stable and wearing a sling, to express his regret over the injury. Pearce then directly stated that El Grande Americano would also be out of action, formally writing both of Gable’s on-screen roles off of programming.
This segment serves as the storyline explanation for Gable’s legitimate shoulder injury, which is set to have significant career implications. Reports indicate that Gable is scheduled for shoulder surgery in early July 2025. The recovery timeline for such a procedure is expected to keep him out of the ring for at least six months, potentially extending through the remainder of the year and into 2026. Gable had reportedly been working through the injury for an undisclosed period before the decision was made for him to undergo surgery.
The injury has forced WWE to scrap major creative plans. The storyline between Gable and Penta, which was building momentum, was set to culminate in a Mask vs. Mask match at SummerSlam. That high-stakes match has now been cancelled. To accommodate his real-life situation, Gable was written off television on the June 23 episode of RAW, where Penta attacked him and targeted his arm with the “Sacrifice” armbar submission.
With Gable sidelined, the future of the El Grande Americano character and the WWE Speed Championship he holds is now uncertain. A storyline was created suggesting, coincidentally, that the masked champion suffered an identical injury. This has led to internal discussions and online speculation that another superstar, possibly Ludwig Kaiser, could temporarily assume the persona to keep the character active during Gable’s lengthy recovery.