As the whole world watched Chad Gable plead his case for facing Gunther at WrestleMania for the Intercontinental Championship, his reasons for going after Gunther struck a chord with many in the WWE Universe — perhaps, it enkindled something with you. Perhaps you have a child of your own, and you want to show them a life lesson about resilience and tenacity through your own actions. Perhaps someone made someone you cared about cry, and you have wanted nothing more than to avenge them through actions of your own. Maybe, if none of those are true, you resonated especially with the idea of fighting for honor and personal satisfaction, rather than the illustrious but superficial shine of gold and glory.

It is no coincidence that Gable is the WWE Universe’s choice for Gunther’s WrestleMania opponent. In fact, his character is carefully calculated to appeal to the average WWE fan’s identity.

There are levels to this assembly. Gable is great when he is speaking honestly, and even alleviates the gravity of his segments with a quick but appropriately-placed “ah, thank yew”. He has some serious in-ring skill, as to be expected from a former Olympian. However, those reasons are only surface-level — they are essential to any WWE star, but they are ultimately what the WWE Universe sees on the surface. These reasons are the readily accessible ones when someone asks another, “why do you like Chad Gable?”.

There is something deeper when it comes to Gable and his popularity with the audience, and this segment proved it. By invoking his daughter, Gable made himself relatable to the audience. By dismissing grandiose ideas of glory and prestige, Gable endeared himself to the audience, because he showed that he was a hardworking and humble person, just like us. According to Jessica Friedrich’s 2014 study on Reality-Era Superstars, babyfaces are deliberately made to be hardworking, honest, and humble in order for the viewing audience to identify with them (36). The traits of a company’s top heroes — not just Gable, but Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens — are all pushed to the forefront of their personalities, so that you might be able to see yourself in them and align yourself with those traits. The company’s top babyfaces are so popular, partially (but significantly!) because their personalities reflect qualities that we personally find important in our own lives.

Gable might have only spoken about his reasons for facing Gunther for a few minutes, but in that, he gave us (me) the opportunity to pull back the curtain, and delve into the social science behind the construction of a babyface. While it may be a bit too “meta” for some, I implore all of us to appreciate the careful consideration behind the construction of a wrestling persona. Acknowledge the fact that yes, your three-hour show about big meaty men slapping meat is worthy of critical thought. Wrestling is a reflection of life, and the stories wrestlers tell speak to what makes us human.

Gable does not want to face Gunther for glory or fame, but to prove something to himself, and to the people he loves. Everyone can relate to that, and that’s a part of what makes Gable so likable.

Written by Angeline Phu