Chad Gable’s successful Intercontinental Championship defense over Rey Mysterio on WWE Raw this week marked the first in his reign. On a deeper level, though, it embodied his favorite things about pro wrestling.
In an emotional Instagram post, Gable gushed over his in-ring interaction with Mysterio. The former amateur wrestler also praised Mysterio’s real-life character behind the scences.
Last night I had the honor of defending the Intercontinental Championship against one of the greatest Professional Wrestlers of all time,” Gable wrote alongside photographs of their title match. “But what’s more astonishing to me than Rey’s continued ability to perform at the level he did last night at this point in his career — is the fact that a guy with his list of accomplishments in this business can be as genuinely humble, gracious, and grounded as he is. Rey Mysterio is truly a human being like no other I’ve ever met. All class. Our encounter was, and is, everything I love about Pro Wrestling. I felt alive. Thank you.
Gable approached Mysterio last week with an offer for them to clash over the title, with Gable reiterating it as an “honor” to face the WWE Hall of Famer. Mysterio accepted, noting that he had plenty of gas left in the tank to take him on.
Before a vibrant crowd in Buffalo, Mysterio and Gable then battled back and forth on Raw. Mysterio seemed on the verge of victory as he delivered a pair of 619s. When he then attempted a Frog Splash, however, Gable blocked it and countered into the ankle lock. Shortly after, Gable rolled the legendary luchador into a pinning position to officially retain the Intercontinental Championship.
Mysterio has held the title himself on two previous occasions.
