Chad Gable is determined to make his reign as WWE Intercontinental Champion stand out by creating matches where fans believe the title could change hands at any moment.
Gable captured the championship at SummerSlam in August and has since defended it against opponents including Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee. Speaking with Complex Graps, Gable explained that becoming champion has given him more opportunities to work longer matches with meaningful stakes attached. “To that point, I think what is special about it now is the fact that I’m getting a little bit more time to do what you’re saying,” Gable said. “In the past, it may have been what many call sprint matches where they’re five minutes or six minutes or seven minutes, you’re trying to just put on the absolute best that you can in that short time. It’s possible, you can put on awesome matches.”
Gable said his championship matches are now regularly receiving 12-to-15 minutes or longer, giving him more time to demonstrate different aspects of his in-ring ability. “But now, since your point I have a championship, I think I’m getting able to do that over the course of 12-15 minutes, sometimes even more. That is allowing people to see that there are even deeper levels to what I’m capable of,” he continued. “There’s more on the line, there’s stakes. Every match, not only can it be good, but it also feels important. Maybe the ones in the past, they’re great matches, but there’s nothing at stake so people aren’t as invested as they might be now.”
Gable pointed to his recent title defense against Dragon Lee in Mexico as an example of the atmosphere he wants to create whenever the Intercontinental Championship is on the line. “I mean, that crowd in Mexico was as invested as I’ve ever had a crowd with Dragon Lee. I think what I lend to this title, or what I’m trying to lend to this title is the fact that I want to give these guys opportunities and create these situations where it could happen any night.”
His goal is for every challenger to be viewed as a genuine threat and for fans to believe they could witness a championship change. “The kind of matches we have, the title could change hands any night. Those are the opponents I want, I want people to believe in them to that degree, that we’re on the cusp of something special every time I defend the championship,” Gable said. “Trying to do something special with this one and I think we’re getting there.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Gable discussed some of the advice he has received from veteran WWE stars throughout his career. He credited Randy Orton with repeatedly teaching him about knowing what is — and isn’t — necessary inside the ring, although Gable admitted it took years before those lessons fully clicked. “Randy Orton’s given me so much advice about the things that are necessary and the things that aren’t necessary. That’s another one of those things that took me a long time to turn into that knowledge and wisdom,” Gable said. “He’s probably been telling me that stuff since I got called up on the main roster and it maybe took me ten years to finally realize it now and put it into practice. So, just being smart with the way you do or don’t do things in the ring.”
Gable also credited The Undertaker with helping him tap into the intensity and competitive instincts developed during his amateur wrestling career. Their conversation took place while Gable was working in AAA. “Also, the stuff that Undertaker told me in AAA, that he had to pull out of me. To let some of my real nature from amateur wrestling and my competitive nature come out in what we do,” Gable said. “I think I’d been hiding that for a long time, being very reserved.”
According to Gable, The Undertaker encouraged him to stop suppressing that side of his personality and incorporate it into his professional wrestling performances. “I can be a very intense person, obviously. When you’re amateur wrestling to the level and degree that I did for that long, there’s a level of intensity and anger and things that come out when it needs to,” he continued. “I don’t think I ever let that out until he finally convinced me to do that. That’s been a big help to access that as far as what we do.”
