Who Could End Chad Gable’s Intercontinental Title Reign?

Chad Gable’s Intercontinental Championship reign has become one of the more satisfying stories on WWE television this year, and it’s fair to start wondering who might eventually take the title away from him. Gable finally broke through for his first singles title at SummerSlam in his hometown of Minneapolis, beating Penta for the gold, and he’s built a genuinely impressive reign since then, working classic television matches against the likes of Rey Mysterio, Dragon Lee and, most recently, Rey Fenix.

That kind of run naturally invites speculation about who steps up next to dethrone him, and a handful of names stand out as logical candidates based on where their stories currently sit.

Ethan Page has been vocal about wanting the Intercontinental Championship ever since he was called up to Raw following WrestleMania 42, positioning the title as the symbol of excellence he’s chasing. He’s fallen short in big spots before, including a loss to Penta at Saturday Night’s Main Event, but a heel transition of the belt away from Gable to set up another babyface chase is a familiar enough playbook, and Page fits that mold.

Bronson Reed is another obvious mention. He’s been in strong form since returning during the Oba Femi–Bron Breakker encounter at Saturday Night’s Main Event, and despite coming up short against Oba at Money in the Bank, he remains a serious presence in WWE’s midcard. Reed has never held a title on the main roster, so a run with the Intercontinental Championship would mark a significant milestone for him.

Dragon Lee’s stock has only continued to climb after his hard-fought loss to Gable on the Raw broadcast from Mexico City. He’s built his following almost entirely on in-ring quality, and handing him the title would keep the workhorse lineage of the belt intact — a lineage Gable himself inherited from Penta.

Then there’s Carmelo Hayes, whose surprise alignment with the 946 at the end of this week’s Raw instantly reshapes his trajectory. The faction is now five members deep, and with War Games on the horizon, it stands to reason they’ll start targeting championship gold across the board. OTM already has designs on the tag titles, and with Royce Keys potentially lined up for a program with Roman Reigns, Hayes emerging as the one to take the Intercontinental Championship from Gable would fit the group’s expanding ambitions.

None of this is confirmed booking, of course — it’s simply a read on which stories are positioned to collide with Gable’s title reign next. But that’s exactly what makes his run compelling right now: there’s no shortage of credible challengers, and WWE has given itself plenty of options for when the moment comes to finally end it. For now, Gable remains the man to beat on Raw, and whoever eventually gets there will be stepping into a rematch-worthy reign.