Regal knows wrestling but the casuals are missing the point
William Regal just spent time on his podcast hyping up Chad Gable, calling him an exceptional pro in every sense, and honestly? It is about time. We are talking about a guy who has spent over a decade grinding through technical clinics, amateur wrestling pedestals, and whatever ridiculous gimmick Vince McMahon decided to slap on him that particular Tuesday. Regal has been his mentor since the beginning, and watching him give flowers to the most underrated technician on the roster feels like hearing a professor praise the only student who actually read the syllabus.
The fan reaction online is split right down the middle, as is tradition. You have the purists who watch every minute of Main Event and Speed acting like Gable is the second coming of Kurt Angle. Then you have the social media crowd who just see a guy who loses too much. It is wild to see the divide between the people who appreciate a crisp bridging German suplex and the ones who just want pyro and catchphrases. As WrestleTalk recently reported, the respect from veterans is massive, but it does not always translate to a main event push.
The unmasking saga and why fans are losing their minds
Let’s talk about the recent unmasking incident with The Original, which has caused a proper meltdown on the forums. Some people think it was a bold move to strip away the mystique and get back to the mat-based roots of Chad Gable. Others are screaming that it was a total waste of TV time that made zero sense in the heat of a feud. It is typical WWE, really. They have a talent operating at a 9.5 out of 10 skill level, yet they trap him in segments that feel like they were written by an algorithm designed to kill momentum.
I have worked with Chad for over a decade and his growth as a pro is unmatched in this roster.
That is the reality of the situation. Regal isn’t just blowing smoke. The guy can actually throw people around for real, which is a rare treat in an era where everyone is terrified of a stiff strike. But the booking? That is a disaster. You cannot push a guy as a serious threat when he takes the L in the 18th minute of a Raw main event after a distraction finish involving a guy in a mascot suit. It is insulting to anyone with a functioning frontal lobe.
The skeptics vs the believers
If you head over to the subreddits, the debate is hotter than a pyro malfunction. The skeptics argue that Gable has no 'it factor' for the top of the card. They point to his mic skills as being a bit too 'academic' for the average crowd that wants high-octane brawls. Then you have the contrarians who believe he just needs a manager, someone to do the talking so Gable can just snap people in half for twenty minutes straight. It is the same old conversation we have had since the days of Dean Malenko. Great wrestler, no spot.
My take is simple: the critics are wrong. You do not need a loud mouth when your transitions look like a glitch in the matrix. If Triple H and the creative team actually listened to guys like Regal, they would realize they have a legitimate star sitting in the mid-card doldrums. Instead, we get these stop-start pushes that lead to nowhere. It is like having a Ferrari and only driving it in first gear because you are afraid of the speed limit. The fact that he is still this over with the hardcore base after how many years of questionable booking is a testament to his sheer talent, not the company's genius.
Ultimately, WWE is betting on spectacle over substance, and it shows. While they chase numbers, they keep missing the fact that characters like Gable build the foundation. When you burn out your top guys, you are going to need someone who can work 30-minute classics on short notice. That person is Gable. If the corporate suits do not realize this before the World Cup kickoff consumes all the oxygen in the room, they are going to miss the boat entirely. It is not about protecting the product; it is about booking the actual wrestling match like it matters.
