5 Ups & 2 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Aug 1)
3. Chad Gable Excels, Even In Defeat
Chad Gable’s future direction still looks hazy in the wake of Jason Jordan’s departure to Raw, but the former American Alpha man has done well as a singles act. He shone in previous losses to AJ Styles and Kevin Owens, and while last night’s bout with Rusev was a shade below the AJ clash in particular, it was still one of the show’s biggest highlights.
Each man is a tremendous wrestler, and they were given the opportunity to show it on SmackDown. Gable started well by out-grappling Rusev on a technical level, but ‘The Bulgarian Brute’ fought back with beastly power, though he almost fell to a Moonsault. In the end, Rusev escaped an attempted ankle lock to apply The Accolade and secure a much-needed win, with Gable tapping out.
The former Olympian lost, but looked excellent in doing so. If WWE want to build him up as an underdog babyface, booking him in spirited, competitive matches against guys like Rusev is a great way to build investment, and the day when he finally defeats one of these opponents is going to feel like a big deal. Gable is great wrestler - let’s hope the opportunities continue.