REVIEW | EL HIJO DE VIKINGO VERSUS CHAD GABLE

I saw the full match—and what a treat it was.

Of all the wrestlers in WWE’s roster, Chad Gable might be the best at making high-flyers look like megastars. He’s WWE’s ultimate gatekeeper, and that’s not an insult—it’s a badge of honor. He’s become the baby Kurt Angle, the guy who can lose a match and make you believe his opponent is destined for gold. 

Take PENTA’s debut. It worked because of Gable. That match made the Mexican Destroyer feel like a real finisher again. And with Dolph Ziggler gone, it’s Gable who’s taken the reins of being WWE’s measuring stick for new talent. That’s why when Triple H paired Gable with Vikingo, it made perfect sense.

But let’s give Vikingo the credit he deserves, too, because this version of Vikingo?

This is what he should be.

This wasn’t the wild, reckless version we saw in AEW—the one Jim Cornette constantly raged about. This Vikingo was composed. Focused. Grounded, yet still electrifying. When a turnbuckle spot went awry, he didn’t panic. He kept calm, adjusted on the fly, and the match went on without missing a beat. That shows growth. That shows ring awareness. And when the time came? He still pulled off a jaw-dropping 630 splash, a beautiful twisting 450, and that killer Destroyer—all without oversaturating the match with unnecessary chaos.

People who called him a “spot monkey” need to revisit this match and eat their words.

Sure, Gable played the role of the anchor—controlling the pace, spacing the spots, and forcing rhythm where there could’ve been mayhem. But Vikingo matched that. He sold. He told a story. He paced his fireworks instead of launching all of them in the first minute. His leg selling, his calculated sequences, even the way he adjusted mid-match—it all points to someone who wants to evolve beyond the indie style.

And let’s not forget how important this match was. This wasn’t just a one-off spectacle. This was a spotlight moment for AAA and lucha libre pride. The fact that WWE gave this match a proper stage—and that both men delivered—makes it a legit match of the year candidate. It had hype. It had history. It had storytelling and in-ring intelligence.

Konnan brought credibility to the commentary. Corey Graves balanced curiosity with respect. The crowd wasn’t rowdy, but they were locked in, knowing something big was at stake. When Corey compared the possibility of a surprise title change to Trick Williams vs. Joe Hendry in TNA, you could feel the tension.

They were ready to believe.

And that’s the magic of a well-told wrestling story.

This match wasn’t about WWE versus AAA. It was about what happens when two professionals meet at the crossroads of spectacle and substance. Gable proved he can elevate anyone. Vikingo proved he’s ready for a bigger spotlight—and that he’s not just a YouTube highlight machine.

It’s matches like this that remind you why you fell in love with wrestling in the first place.