SummerSlam in Minneapolis is in the books, and the 2026 TV schedule can move on from two nights of highs and lows in the WWE. Perhaps nothing encapsulates the massive nature of that wrestling event than Chad Gable securing his first singles title in his WWE career, only for it to be used for a Mug Root Beer commercial during the celebration. With that, fans are now sounding off with some less-than-positive opinions.
After a long road of paying his dues, reinventing himself as El Grande Americano and dealing with injury issues, Gable is officially the Intercontinental Champion. Unfortunately, his celebration in the ring with his wife, children and parents was interrupted by a Mug Root Beer mascot, who had to hop in and do some necessary ad placement with the WWE superstar. Check it out:
.@WWEGable has got that DAWG in him! 🐾Presented by @MugRootBeer pic.twitter.com/31OqzIrnvzAugust 3, 2026
For some time now, many have argued that the WWE is doing way too much ad placement, and this was a prime example. An emotional payoff for wrestling fans, years in the making, was immediately diluted by a reminder that this is a business. And, yes, Gable is contractually obligated to be hype about Mug Root Beer just as much as he is about this major title victory. Suffice it to say, fans were not pleased and said as much on X:
- It's getting out of hand. - @Itz_Mickie_
- You used gables heartfelt victory to promote root beer - @RyanKlimaszews5
- I know whenever I've achieved a life goal in front of my family, the first thing I do is reach for a cold MUG Root Beer. Get that DAWG in you. - @JackTheJobber
- TKO just can’t help themselves can they… - @TitansForever
- What is wrong with WWE and the goofy ass endorsements..... Let the man celebrate in peace with his family.. - @LexiOrtizz
I agree with a lot of these takes, and they reminded me why Daniel Bryan said WrestleMania 30 wasn't as big of a moment for him as it was for fans (via SI.com). On a human level, I have to think it meant more for Chad Gable to have his family in the ring with him, at least compared to the Mug Root Beer mascot.
It feels a bit soul-crushing, and unlike anything we've seen in the past decades of wrestling. After all, the Slim Jim mascot wasn't trotting down the aisle alongside Macho Man when his "Pomp and Circumstance" intro music was playing. Yet the WWE seems to use moments that are relevant for wrestling fans for ad space, as evidenced when Bray Wyatt's big return match involved a stipulation sponsored by Mountain Dew.
Whether it's TKO or WWE's doing, the advertising continues to be quite extensive. I'm not saying that the company needs to stop all advertising, or even limit it, given I understand how the business works. Yet I do grow weary of ads invading literally every inch of the product. When a wrestler can't even have a heartwarming moment in the ring with his family without an anthropomorphic dog shoving a soda in his hands, we need to have some conversations about limits.
Catch Monday Night Raw with a Netflix subscription on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET, and see if Gable makes a habit of chugging root beer like he's Stone Cold Steve Austin with beers. (I could imagine that being a gimmick the people at Mug would love to see, but I'm still on the fence about it.)
