Ethan Page is the new WWE Men’s Intercontinental Champion after defeating Chad Gable on the November 2 edition of WWE Raw. In a physical championship contest built around Gable’s grappling precision and Page’s increasingly ruthless focus on the neck, Page withstood multiple near-falls and a sustained assault on his leg before putting the champion away with the Ego-Plex.
The result ends Gable’s reign after five successful title defenses. Gable had captured the Intercontinental Championship from Penta at SummerSlam in August, then established himself as a difficult champion to overcome through a combination of amateur wrestling control, explosive suplexes and his dangerous ankle lock. Against Page, however, the damage Gable accumulated over the course of the match proved decisive.
Page’s victory is especially notable because Gable repeatedly appeared on the verge of retaining. The former champion rallied from extended stretches of punishment, connected with several of his biggest attacks and even had Page trapped in the ankle lock late in the match. Yet Page found an answer each time, eventually exploiting the exposed turnbuckle and delivering the move that secured the championship-changing pinfall.
Chad Gable Takes Control Early
Gable began the match with the urgency expected of a defending champion. He immediately shot in for a takedown, successfully putting Page on the mat and taking control of the early exchanges. It was a familiar approach from Gable, who looked to make the title match about positioning, leverage and his ability to move faster from hold to hold than his opponent could recover.
For more background on this topic, read Rihanna Poses With Kevin Knight and Mara Sadè as Drew McIntyre Trains Chase Mattson.
Page did not allow the bout to remain a straightforward wrestling contest for long. He shifted his attention to Gable’s neck, targeting the area in a way that would shape nearly everything that followed. The strategy slowed Gable down and forced him to fight from underneath for a sustained stretch. Rather than simply trying to overwhelm Gable with power, Page worked to take away the mobility and explosiveness necessary for the champion’s suplex offense.
Gable eventually created an opening through a sequence of three different roll-up attempts. Each pinning combination produced a near-fall and demonstrated that Gable remained dangerous even while hurt. The challenger, though, quickly cut off the rally with a big boot that earned Page a near-fall of his own.
That exchange made the central battle of the match clear. Gable could generate momentum in bursts, but Page was intent on bringing the action back to the neck whenever possible. The challenger repeatedly tried to keep Gable grounded and prevent him from building the kind of sustained rhythm needed for a championship defense.
Gable Attacks the Leg and Turns the Match
Gable’s response was to find a target of his own. After dropping Page with a side leg sweep, Gable pulled Page’s legs outside the ring and drove the right leg into the ring post. He then returned to the ring and continued to attack the leg with kicks, followed by two dragonscrews.
The leg work had a clear purpose. Gable’s ankle lock is one of his most dangerous weapons, and the attacks gave him a vulnerable limb to pursue while also limiting Page’s ability to escape, stand, or deliver his offense with full force. Gable added a German suplex to begin a series, looking to build momentum with the explosive throws that have so often changed the complexion of his matches.
Page, recognizing the danger, ripped off a turnbuckle cover as Gable tried to continue the suplex series. The champion was able to escape the immediate sequence, but he still fell into the ankle lock. Gable had the challenger in serious trouble, and Page’s damaged leg made the hold an especially precarious situation.
Page managed to reach the ropes and then rolled to the floor to get away from Gable. The champion refused to let him recover. Gable followed outside and delivered an Olympic Slam onto the announcer’s desk, escalating the match and showing how determined he was to retain the Intercontinental Championship.
Back inside the ring, Gable connected with a moonsault and went for the cover. It looked like the sequence could finish the match, but Page kicked out. The challenger’s survival denied Gable what had seemed to be one of his clearest opportunities to end the contest.
Ethan Page Finds a Ruthless Response
With Gable pressing forward, Page had to create separation. He did exactly that by slamming Gable’s face into the barricade before powerslamming him over it and into the timekeeper’s area. It was a harsh momentum swing and gave Page the time he needed after being worn down by Gable’s attacks to the leg.
The confrontation then returned to the ring, where Gable once again showed why he had successfully defended the championship five times. He delivered Chaos Theory and had Page down for a potential winning cover. But the prior damage to Gable’s neck came back to haunt him at the crucial moment. He could not maintain the bridge on the pin attempt and had to break it at two.
That was the turning point in the closing moments. Chaos Theory had put Page in danger, but Gable’s inability to fully capitalize allowed the challenger another chance. Page responded by landing Twisted Grin. Even that was not enough to immediately keep Gable down, as the champion kicked out and continued to fight through the punishment.
Gable then applied the ankle lock again, making one final push to force the challenger to submit. Page escaped by kicking Gable out of the hold and sending him into the exposed turnbuckle. With Gable hurt and disoriented following the collision, Page capitalized without hesitation.
Page delivered the Ego-Plex and covered Gable for the three-count, ending the match and claiming the WWE Men’s Intercontinental Championship.
A Championship Reign Ends After Five Defenses
Gable’s loss brings an end to a title reign that began at SummerSlam in August, when he dethroned Penta for the Intercontinental Championship. During this defense against Page, Gable again displayed the qualities that made him a formidable champion: sharp takedowns, punishing suplexes, inventive pinning combinations and a submission game capable of ending a match at any moment.
Still, the title bout illustrated the narrow margins of a championship match. Gable had Page trapped in the ankle lock more than once, hit an Olympic Slam onto the announcer’s desk, landed a moonsault and connected with Chaos Theory. But Page’s early targeting of the neck affected Gable at the moment he needed to secure the bridge after Chaos Theory, and Page was able to exploit Gable’s exposed position late.
For Page, the win came through resilience as much as opportunism. He endured the champion’s attacks to the right leg and escaped the ankle lock, surviving a series of sequences that could have ended his challenge. He also showed a willingness to use the environment to reset the contest, including the barricade and the exposed turnbuckle that played a direct role in the finish.
The Intercontinental Championship now changes hands on Raw, with Ethan Page taking possession of one of WWE’s most prestigious singles titles. Gable’s fifth defense proved to be his last, while Page leaves the match as champion after overcoming a deeply resilient opponent in a hard-fought contest.
Page’s title victory was ultimately sealed by a simple but effective closing sequence: escape the ankle lock, send Gable into the exposed turnbuckle, connect with the Ego-Plex and secure the pinfall. After a match in which both men spent long stretches targeting a specific weakness, Page made the final opening count and emerged with the WWE Men’s Intercontinental Championship.
In pictures
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.