WWE Books First-Time CM Punk vs. Chad Gable Clash Alongside Huge Triple Threat Title Match

CM Punk will face Intercontinental Champion Chad Gable in Youngstown.© NDTV Library

CM Punk and Chad Gable are getting their first-ever singles match at WWE's October 29 live event in Youngstown, Ohio. PWInsider reports the bout is being advertised as a special Raw vs. SmackDown clash. It's one stop on WWE's Road to Survivor Series: WarGames tour, and the Covelli Centre is hosting. Whether Gable's Intercontinental Championship is involved isn't something known yet. CM Punk and Chad Gable have never faced each other one-on-one in WWE, and that's the most thrilling aspect of this matchup here.

CM Punk and Chad Gable will meet for the first time in a Raw vs. SmackDown singles match

Gable's background is pretty unusual for this business. He won U.S. Olympic Trials in 2012 and wrestled at the London Olympics that summer, then signed on to train at the WWE Performance Center. 

He was drafted to SmackDown in 2016 as one half of American Alpha with Jason Jordan, and the team eventually won the SmackDown Tag Team Championship. 

On the August 21, 2023 episode of Raw, he became the first man to beat Gunther in singles competition in WWE, getting it by count-out.

Fightful's results from the August 29 live event in Savannah, Georgia, listed Gable as Intercontinental Champion after a win over Ethan Page. 

Punk isn't new to the building either. A listing for a 2008 Superslam Tour show at Covelli Centre, a Friday night with a 7:30 p.m. start, advertised him against Batista.

WWE has announced a triple threat title match and several other major bouts for the Youngstown card

The show is being sold as a cross-brand card, with Raw and SmackDown names sharing it. Sami Zayn is scheduled to defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens in a triple threat. 

Also listed are Oba Femi vs. Bron Breakker, United States Champion Trick Williams vs. Damian Priest, and Women's Champion Chelsea Green vs. Nia Jax.

Finn Bálor and Gunther are advertised in a Street Fight too, according to additional coverage of the event. So Gunther, who Gable beat in that 2023 singles match, is also on this card, just not in the same bout. 

Then there's a women's tag team match with Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley against Michin and B-Fab. Charlotte Flair, Lash Legend and Jade Cargill are among the other names listed for the show.

Doors and bell times will follow the usual live event routine, but the listed start is 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 29. As with most WWE live events, the lineup can change before then, and WWE hasn't confirmed whether the Intercontinental Championship will be on the line when Gable faces Punk.