Sami Zayn kicked off the evening’s broadcast by addressing his defense of the Intercontinental Championship against Chad Gable and “Big” Bronson Reed on Saturday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at King and Queen of the Ring.
Gable interrupted, berated his Alpha Academy lackeys, and the advertised match between the Olympian and the intercontinental champ got underway.
Zayn and Gable had an unsurprisingly back-and-forth match that saw Akira Tozawa and Maxxine Dupri tease interference, only to think better of it.
After they were tossed from ringside by their leader, an emotionally torn Otis stayed loyal to his longtime tag team partner, blasting Zayn with a clothesline and allowing Gable to score the tainted victory.
Otis made his decision! đ#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/RmhR0tSsn3
— WWE (@WWE) May 21, 2024
There will come a time when Otis finally has enough of Gable and unleashes a beatdown on him that will result in the big man again becoming one of the most popular guys on the show. Until then, the slow build should be fun as fans await that moment.
Given the talent involved, the stories at play, the difference in styles and how well they mesh, Saturday’s Triple Threat match may be a legitimate show-stealer.
Result
Gable defeated Zayn
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
-
- “Make no mistake about it, Chad: You’ve got an ass-kicking coming,” Zayn said after Gable attacked him in front of his family in Montreal a month ago.
- “I’m not just taking your title. I’m taking your soul,” Gable warned the IC champ.
- Otis, Tozawa and Dupri checked on Gable only to be brushed back by the irate heel.
- Dupri is a great character. Her facial expressions and body language tell the story without her having to say a word. No matter how she develops as an in-ring performer, she has a place on this show as a potential star of the future.
