‘It Was An Elite Pop’ – Mark Henry Thinks Chad Gable Can Reach ‘Kurt Angle Type Of Respect’ In WWE After SmackDown Return

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Mark Henry believes Chad Gable will soon command a “Kurt Angle type of respect” in WWE following his return on SmackDown yesterday.

The June 5 episode of SmackDown saw fans receive the surprise return of Chad Gable following his much celebrated Mask vs. Mask Match with El Grande Americano at AAA Noche de Los Grandes on May 30.

Initially arriving during a backstage segment with Sami Zayn and Nick Aldis, with the SmackDown General Manager inviting Gable into his office for a meeting, Gable would later re-emerge once again for a chat with his WrestleMania 41 opponent Rey Fenix.

Gable offered an apology to Fenix for disrespecting lucha libre and Mexican culture with his Original El Grande Americano character, an apology that Fenix accepted, albeit with a reminder that there are many other luchadores that Gable still needs to make it up to.

On the latest episode of Busted Open After Dark, Mark Henry discussed Gable’s return, describing the reaction he received from the Bologna crowd as an “elite pop.”

Henry said:

“He became bigger than he was before in this return… Anytime his face appeared the crowd went nuts. It was an elite pop. It wasn’t good Chad Gable it was (a) ‘Wow, we choose him pop.’”

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Henry was then asked by co-host Denise Salcedo whether he thinks Gable will command more respect in WWE and target some of the company’s top championships, to which the Hall of Famer answered:

“I think so. Everything points to (that), whenever the crowd chooses, you get over. You become somebody special.”

“I think the best thing that could ever have happened to Chad Gable was El Grande Americano, because it made people get to see him in an another light. To laugh at him, to laugh with him. At the end see him be a grown ass man. See him step up and take accountability.

“I’ve seen a lot of guys that they tried to force it on. The Rock is pretty much the only guy that I’ve ever seen them try to force it on and he still flipped it, changed it and became one of the best that ever was. It’s a hard thing to do, to change the perception of the fans. A lot of people have done it, but I mean at the highest, highest level.

“I think that Chad Gable has the ability now to go from Grande Americano to Kurt Angle type of respect. Because he deserves it.

“That dude is an Olympian, he’s entertaining, size don’t matter with him. Size didn’t matter with (Chris) Benoit, it didn’t matter with Rey Mysterio, it didn’t matter with Eddie Guerrero, it’s irrelevant when you’re good. Chad Gable is good good.”

If you use this transcription or any portion of it please credit WrestleTalk.com and link to this page.

At the time of writing Chad Gable is still listed as a member of the Monday Night Raw roster on WWE.com, but we will provide updates if his status changes.

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• wwe
• Mark Henry
• Kurt Angle
• Chad Gable

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