A championship title change took place ahead of the 5 May edition of WWE Raw at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska, as El Grande Americano, who bears a striking resemblance to Chad Gable, captured the WWE Speed Championship.
The title change occurred during pre-show tapings for Speed, a series of fast-paced matches filmed in advance of Raw and Main Event. Americano defeated Dragon Lee to become the fourth holder of the Speed title since its inception.
Dragon Lee had held the championship for an impressive 167 days, making his reign the longest in the brief history of the title. The previous champions include inaugural titleholder Ricochet, who held the belt for 42 days, and Andrade, whose reign lasted 161 days.
Americano’s win is expected to be aired later this week via the company’s official X account, where all Speed matches are exclusively streamed. Speed is known for its unique format, with each match limited to five minutes, offering fans a quick, high-intensity viewing experience.
The WWE Speed Women’s Championship is currently held by NXT standout Sol Ruca, who also reigns as the NXT Women’s North American Champion. Ruca captured the title from Candice LeRae on 11 April. LeRae was the inaugural champion, having won the title on 4 October in a tournament final against IYO SKY.
Why Were WWE Criticised Over A Promo Video For El Grande Americano?
WWE was criticised over the apparent use of AI and for using ‘Gulf of America’ for a Raw video promo for El Grande Americano. Fans noticed in the video that featured Grande Americano as Lucha Libre legend that there were telltale signs of AI-generated images, such as distorted fingers and hands on the people in the pictures. Fans were also outraged that Grande Americano was announced as hailing from the ‘Gulf of America’, a phrase stemming from an executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump, which directed federal agencies to use ‘Gulf of America’ instead of ‘Gulf of Mexico’.
In recent news, five new names have been added to the WWE roster page.