Chad Gable is looking to make his run as WWE Intercontinental Champion something special.
Gable captured the title at SummerSlam in August and has since defended it against the likes of Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee. Speaking with Complex Graps, Gable discussed how holding the championship 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 noted that his championship matches are now regularly going 12-to-15 minutes or longer, allowing him to showcase more of what he can do in the ring.
“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 also pointed to his recent title defense against Dragon Lee in Mexico, saying he wants each challenger to feel like a legitimate threat to take the championship from him.
“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.”
For Gable, the goal is to make fans believe a title change could happen whenever he puts the championship on the line.
“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 advice he has received from Randy Orton throughout his WWE career. Gable admitted it took years before he fully understood how to apply Orton’s lessons about what is and is not necessary inside the ring.
“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 encouraging him to tap into the intensity and competitive nature he developed during his amateur wrestling career. The 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.”
Gable said The Undertaker helped convince him to stop holding that part of himself back.
“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.”
