WWE RAW Superstar Chad Gable, initially seen as the resilient babyface, struggled to capture the Intercontinental Championship, repeatedly falling short against Gunther.
After losing a crucial Gauntlet match, he redirected his efforts towards training Sami Zayn, who eventually secured the title. Following this, Gable executed a dramatic heel turn on Zayn, a move he has now revealed was largely his own idea.
On the April 15th episode of RAW in Montreal, Gable faced another disappointing defeat against Zayn in his quest for the Intercontinental Championship.
This loss became a pivotal moment, as Gable snapped and launched a vicious attack on Zayn, humiliating him in front of his hometown crowd and family.
In an interview with The Gorilla Position, Gable discussed the motivations behind his heel turn. He felt his character had reached a plateau as a babyface, particularly after consecutive losses in critical matches.
The timing and location of the turn, right after WrestleMania 40 in Zayn’s hometown, presented the perfect opportunity for this character shift.
“The whole idea to turn heel was kind of my idea,” Gable explained. “I felt like I flatlined as a Babyface somewhere around WrestleMania. I came up short against Gunther a few times. Came up short against Sami. At a certain point, something has to change, or people are not going to buy into you any further.
I had the idea, ‘Let’s do it,’ it just so happened we were going to be in Montreal, Sami’s hometown, the week after Mania when I was having that match. I was like, ‘there could not be a better place to do this thing.’ We made it happen and the stars aligned. I feel like it’s worked out in our favor.”
Gable also highlighted the role of Otis in this new dynamic, portraying a sympathetic character that enhances the storyline’s emotional impact. “Since then, Otis is this perfect sympathetic guy that you can’t help but feel bad for. We have everything in our favor working for us,” he added.
Despite the momentum from his heel turn, Gable was unable to dethrone Zayn for the Intercontinental Championship at Clash at The Castle. Nonetheless, this new direction has revitalized his character, setting the stage for future storylines and feuds in WWE.
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