13 New Directions For WWE After SummerSlam 2026

Only someone with a heart colder than heel Randy Orton would begrudge this title change moment. It was so sweet to see Gable win his first singles title in WWE after years of tag-team work and being largely overlooked. Then, getting to celebrate with his family was the cherry on top. Maybe don’t interrupt meaningful title wins to shill root beer though. We get this is a business, but come on.

Going forwards, Chad can nail down a key spot on the midcard and maybe even use the Intercontinental belt as a springboard to the main event scene eventually. Few deserve the opportunity to do that more than Gable, and he could even bring those ‘Open Challenges’ to Raw for like SmackDown had for the United States belt.

Now there's an idea.

WWE knows that Gable can do it all. He can work with all shapes and sizes, he can be counted on to cut heartfelt promos, and he can even do some comedy when called upon to seek laughs. He's one of the most versatile workers in the biz, and seeing him be rewarded for that hard graft was gratifying as a fan who remembers his humble beginnings on NXT of yesteryear.

Lord only knows who will come after that IC Title next, but...does it even really matter? Chad, like Sami Zayn when he's given anything not-named Gingerbread Man, will find a way to make it worth watching. That midcard scene on Raw could be set to get spicy.

Workrate beckons.