Chad Gable‘s road to WrestleMania 40 could very well kick off on WWE RAW this week. The Alpha Academy star is set to compete in a gauntlet match Monday. The winner gets a shot at Gunther’s Intercontinental Championship on the “Grandest Stage of Them All.”
Gable will share the ring with five of the best superstars on the RAW roster. The line-up includes former Intercontinental Champions in Sami Zayn, Ricochet, and Shinsuke Nakamura as well as up-and-coming stars in JD McDonagh and Bronson Reed.
It’s interesting to note that these men except for Gable have all held singles championships at some point in their WWE careers. McDonagh and Reed were Cruiserweight and North American Champion, respectively, in Triple H’s version of NXT.
Winning the gauntlet will not just kickoff Gable’s road to WrestleMania, it will put him one step closer to defeating the man who’s unquestionably his biggest enemy and motivator. Let’s explore why Chad Gable needs to take the title off of Gunther at WrestleMania.
The excellent video package for the Gauntlet Match
Fans who have been watching Chad Gable since his NXT days know just how talented he’s between the ropes. Not only is Gable a prolific amateur wrestler, he’s currently one of the very best on the WWE roster. Plus, he’s got the support of fans and peers alike in his quest to achieve his WrestleMania moment.
Ahead of the high-stakes match-up, Gable has dropped a new clip on his X (formerly Twitter). The video is an excellent watch and really shows just how important winning the gauntlet match matters to Alpha Academy standout.
“My path to heaven runs straight through a gauntlet of hell… a gauntlet filled with demons from my past that I’m gonna have to overcome this time,” narrates Gable during the clip.
If that doesn’t get you to cheer for Chad Gable, I don’t know what will.
The extremely personal nature of the feud
Adding real-life situations into storylines has been one of Triple H’s major strengths as a booker. The Game himself has been part of some extremely personal and emotional feuds. He knows how fans react to seeing wrestlers reference each other’s family in storylines.
For Gable, it’s not just about getting his hands on Gunther. It’s much deeper than that. The Ring General laughed in the face of Gable’s crying daughter on the night he retained his Intercontinental Championship against the prolific challenger.
“I swear to everybody and on myself and my career, that’s not the end. I’m taking the championship, that Intercontinental Championship, I want him to keep it as long as it freaking takes for me to get a rematch, because I am coming back for it, and I swear to God, I’m winning that championship,” Gable had said following his devastating loss to Gunther on September 4.
Chad Gable’s impressive record against Gunther
Gunther is arguably the most protected wrestler not named Roman Reigns on the current WWE roster. The former Walter was booked as a monster heel during his time in NXT UK. He held the brand’s championship for over 800 days before dropping to his arch-nemesis in Ilja Dragunov.
The Austrian would suffer his second clean loss in singles competition at the hands of Bron Breakker on the April 5, 2022, episode of NXT. His fourth overall loss in singles competition came at the hands of Chad Gable on the August 21, 2023, episode of RAW. However, this was a count-out win for Gable and the Intercontinental Championship didn’t change hands due to the nature of the win.
In brief, Chad Gable is the only man in the Gauntlet Match with a previous win over Gunther. He’s got the skills. His resume is impeccable. All Master Gable needs is a win tomorrow night and fans can hopefully see him celebrate with his daughter come WrestleMania 40.
Also read: WWE Uploads Gunther vs. Chad Gable Full-Length Match On YouTube
