There was basically no downside for Chad Gable when he took the ring against Gunther on RAW.

If he won the match, Gable would earn his first-ever singles title win as a member of the promotion, an improbable yet true distinction, and finally prove to folks the world over that the Alpha Academy breeds champions. And if he lost? Well, who really expected to see the former Olympian win the match anyway? He'd just be another name on Gunther's list of vanquished challengers, which is currently up to 13 and counting.

Working the match with the ferocity of a performer with basically nothing to lose, Gable went off on the IC Champion, hitting him with some pretty incredible suplexes and powering out of multiple sleeper attempts with the improbable core strength of a performer standing at just 5-foot-8, 202 pounds. Though Gunther still had the upper hand for much of the show, as he remains one of the most physically dominant performers in the entire WWE Universe regardless of the brand they call home, Gable found some second life outside of the ring, where he was able to suplex the “Ring General” over the barricade to secure a count-out victory over the champion.

While Gable was elated by the results, the other two members of Imperium made sure Samantha Irvin announced that the Intercontinental Championship still belongs to Gunther, as traditionally, world championships change hands via pinfall or submission, not disqualification or count outs, with the IC Title falling into that category.

Did the fans in the arena like this announcement? In a word no, no they did not, but hey, the match was a legit five-star classic, something Gunther puts on fairly regularly when given a chance to take on smaller opponents with double-digit minutes to build things up the right way, and if Paul “Triple H” Levesque decides to run it back at least once more, presumably at Payback, fans will likely be treated to an even better match for it, as removing the commercials can only make the match better. Whether Gable is ultimately able to overcome the odds and become the man who halts Gunther's reign mere days before he beats The Honky Tonk Man's record, or the “Ring General” is able to squeak it out before dropping the title, it's clear these two performers need to get in the ring more often, as the real winner is none other than the WWE Universe that gets to watch it.

Shelton Benjamin believes Chad Gable deserves more credit for his WWE work.

While some fans are just coming around to how good Chad Gable is in the wrestling ring, with the diminutive grappler's impeccable mat wrestling abilities often getting overlooked by his Shorty G nickname and goofiness with Otis in the Alpha Academy, one person who has been on his hype train for years now is Shelton Benjamin, who has a pretty impressive amateur wrestling background too.

Discussing Gable with Chris Van Vliet on Insight, Benjamin noted that fans need to give Gable more credit, as he's one of his favorite workers.

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“Gable, holy cow. That guy is a workhorse he is such a bada**. I don't think he realized how much respect I have for him,” Shelton Benjamin said via Fightful. “That guy's bada**. So and to see him, say he's turned on his comical chops. Like, it's like, he's constantly surprising me and he's a guy. I'm like, this would be a breakout star. We're constantly trying to develop new talent, but I'm like man, this guy's got it all. He's like he's my favorite worker. Like because you can put him in the ring with anyone, he can make him look good. He can toss anybody around you know? Like, when he tossed Braun Strowman it's like you're not supposed to be able to do that. But man, I'm so impressed by his work. So impressed.”

Could this be the run that finally gets the general WWE Universe to see just how good Gable can be in the ring? Will fans finally start to appreciate that he's more than just a few catchphrases and some funny segments with Maximum Male Models? Or will they forever see Gable as a “fake” challenger for the IC Title, with his win on RAW nothing more than a useful booking tool to add some excitement to a premium live event match? Fans will have to tune into Payback to see how it works out, as it's clear the leader of Alpha Academy isn't going to take this opportunity for granted.