El Grande Americano, the masked persona portrayed by Chad Gable, is moving forward in WWE Speed’s number one contender’s tournament following a high-energy victory over Erik. The win came during a first-round bout on this week’s episode of WWE Speed, with Americano securing the pinfall after delivering a diving headbutt. He clinched the victory with just 42 seconds left on the three-minute timer. The match was taped at WWE Raw in Sacramento on April 14 and premiered today.

Americano will now face Alex Shelley in the tournament’s next round, scheduled to air on April 30 on X/Twitter. The winner of that match will earn a shot at the WWE Speed Championship, currently held by Dragon Lee. Lee captured the title in November 2024 and has since made two successful defenses, including one against Gable before he assumed the Americano identity.

WWE introduced the Americano character as part of a storyline focused on Gable’s quest to master lucha libre following a prior loss to Penta. Under the mask, Gable debuted with a win over Dragon Lee in March, further cementing his commitment to the lucha style.

Most recently, Americano secured a major win at WrestleMania 41 by defeating Rey Fenix. Originally slated to face Rey Mysterio, plans shifted after Mysterio was pulled due to a torn groin injury suffered on the SmackDown episode prior to the event. Americano controversially used a loaded mask to overcome Fenix, a tactic that added another layer of intrigue to his evolving persona.

TODAY on #WWESpeed!

Who will punch their ticket to the #WWESpeed Semifinals? Will it be @Erik_WWE or @Americano_WWE? 👀 pic.twitter.com/6YImmqC0OY

— WWE (@WWE) April 23, 2025