Chad Gable remains WWE Men’s Intercontinental Champion after escaping a high-speed triple threat match against Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee on WWE Raw. Gable’s technical precision, power advantage, and opportunistic finishing instincts carried him through a bout in which each competitor came within moments of victory.
The championship contest delivered a constantly shifting mix of styles. Mysterio brought his unmatched aerial instincts and veteran timing, Lee repeatedly pushed the pace with explosive offense, and Gable found ways to impose his suplex-heavy game and punishing Ankle Lock. By the closing stretch, all three men had landed major signature moves, broken up decisive pinfalls, and survived sequences that would have ended many singles matches.
Gable ultimately retained by rolling up Mysterio, capitalizing on the chaos after another furious exchange among all three competitors. The bell did not bring a peaceful conclusion, however. Mysterio and Gable were attacked by Ethan Page after the match, while Dragon Lee, who was outside the ring, was attacked by Big Cass.
Dragon Lee Sets an Aggressive Early Pace
Lee immediately looked to make the match his own. He opened with a side headlock on Mysterio before sending Gable out of the ring, creating an early one-on-one exchange with the masked legend. Lee and Mysterio traded blows as both tried to establish control before Lee used his speed to strike both opponents with a dropkick in the corners.
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Gable soon reminded both challengers why he entered the contest holding the title. The champion showed his strength by suplexing Mysterio and Lee at the same time, a remarkable display that briefly halted the challengers’ momentum. It was an important early statement from Gable, who had to contend with the fact that neither challenger needed to pin him specifically to leave with the Intercontinental Championship.
Following a break, Gable continued targeting Lee with multiple forearms. The champion and Lee moved into a technically sharp sequence of reversals, with neither man able to fully execute his intended offense. Lee appeared to be closing in on a Styles Clash, but Mysterio interrupted with a crossbody that sent Lee to the outside.
With Lee removed from the immediate equation, Gable quickly attacked Mysterio’s leg and applied the Ankle Lock. It was a natural strategy for the champion: eliminate Mysterio’s ability to launch from the ropes and neutralize the explosive movement that has defined his career. Lee came back in to break the hold with a kick to Gable, but Gable immediately turned his attention to Lee and applied the same submission to him.
Mysterio Finds Openings Against the Champion
Mysterio used the situation to his advantage, jumping onto Gable’s shoulders and throwing punches before sending the champion to the floor. Lee then took control of Mysterio, bouncing him off the turnbuckle and knocking him outside. With Mysterio against the announce desk, Lee charged ahead, only for Gable to block his path.
Lee recovered quickly and answered with a suplex on Gable, followed by a superkick. He then added a hurricanrana over the top rope, using the ringside space to deliver one of the match’s biggest visual moments. Lee’s willingness to take risks gave him a path to the championship throughout the match, but it also left him vulnerable whenever he could not immediately follow up.
Mysterio then returned to the action from the top rope with a West Coast Pop on Lee. The three-way format made sustained control nearly impossible. Every time one wrestler gained a clear edge, another was positioned to interrupt, whether through a pin breakup, a strike, or a sudden high-impact maneuver.
Lee scored a double stomp on Mysterio, only for Gable to throw him into the turnbuckles. Mysterio answered with a hurricanrana, rebuilding momentum and setting up a possible finishing run. He placed Lee near the ropes and went for the 619, but Gable caught him before he could complete the attack and once again applied the Ankle Lock.
The submission sequence highlighted Gable’s awareness in a multi-man match. Rather than simply trading big moves, he repeatedly sought a match-ending hold whenever an opponent was isolated. Still, neither Mysterio nor Lee was willing to let the champion dictate the terms for long.
Near Falls Define the Championship Finish
Lee broke the latest Ankle Lock situation and landed a Styles Clash on Mysterio. It appeared to be a potential title-winning moment, but Mysterio kicked out. Lee later drove Gable down with a Dragon Bomb, only for Mysterio to make the save and prevent the challenger from pinning the champion.
Those exchanges made clear just how close Lee came to leaving Raw with the Intercontinental Championship. He had major offense on both opponents and looked especially dangerous whenever the action opened up. Yet the format worked against him at key moments, as Mysterio’s experience allowed him to anticipate the pinfall and break it up.
Lee sent Gable outside and tried to focus on Mysterio. Mysterio blocked an Alabama Slam attempt and connected with a 619 on Gable before also hitting Lee with the move. For a moment, Mysterio had both of his opponents in position. He followed with a Frog Splash on Lee, but Gable broke up the cover before the referee could count three.
Gable responded in emphatic fashion, suplexing Mysterio and then Lee. He later suplexed Mysterio into Lee, turning the challengers into weapons against each other. Mysterio still found a counter, reversing a DDT onto Lee as the match reached its frantic conclusion.
In the scramble that followed, Gable caught Mysterio in a roll-up and secured the deciding three-count. The finish rewarded Gable’s ability to stay alert amid the disorder. He did not need to overpower either challenger in the final seconds; he simply found the opening first.
Gable Survives, but Raw Ends the Segment With New Tension
The result ensures that Gable’s Intercontinental Championship reign continues after one of his most demanding title defenses. Mysterio and Lee each had a legitimate case that they were a move away from winning, and both forced Gable to endure an enormous volume of offense before he could retain.
After the match, Mysterio celebrated with Gable, suggesting a moment of mutual respect following their hard-fought battle. That moment was short-lived. Ethan Page attacked both Gable and Mysterio, bringing an abrupt and hostile end to the celebration.
Lee was still outside the ring when Big Cass attacked him as well. The separate assaults left all three participants dealing with the aftermath of the triple threat, while Gable’s title defense was immediately overshadowed by the emergence of fresh threats.
The attacks are especially notable because they did not target just the champion. Page went after Gable and Mysterio, while Big Cass attacked Lee, creating multiple points of conflict coming out of the match rather than one straightforward post-match confrontation. Gable may have left with his championship, but he did not leave Raw with a clean ending to his night.
For Mysterio, the loss was another example of how close he came to victory without being able to complete the final pinfall. His 619 and Frog Splash combination nearly put Lee away, and Gable’s intervention was the only thing standing between Mysterio and a possible championship win. Lee’s situation was similarly frustrating. The Styles Clash on Mysterio and Dragon Bomb on Gable showed that he had the offensive answers to both opponents, but he could not keep either man down before the other intervened.
Gable, meanwhile, can point to the official result: he retained the Men’s Intercontinental Championship against two elite challengers in one of Raw’s most difficult match formats. But with Ethan Page’s attack immediately following the decision and Big Cass targeting Lee outside the ring, the championship picture now has even more uncertainty surrounding it.
Gable escaped the triple threat with the title intact. The events after the bell ensured that the consequences of the match may continue well beyond one successful defense.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.