Seth Rollins knows a great wrestler when he sees one.
And even while he’s away from WWE television, the former world champion is apparently keeping a close eye on what is happening inside the ring.
Rollins took to Instagram this week with some serious praise for Intercontinental Champion Chad Gable, who is coming off another standout performance on Monday Night Raw.
“Watching Gable grow into one of the best wrestlers on the planet has been an absolute treat,” Rollins wrote.
That’s high praise coming from one of the most accomplished in-ring performers of his generation. But after what Gable did Monday night in Mexico City, it’s also becoming increasingly difficult to argue with.
Chad Gable and Dragon Lee Put on a Classic on WWE Raw
Gable successfully defended the Intercontinental Championship against Dragon Lee on Monday’s Raw, eventually forcing Lee to submit to the ankle lock.
WWE itself described the match as an “incredible showdown,” with Gable surviving Lee’s offense and a series of near-falls before retaining his championship. Afterward, Gable embraced Lee in the ring as the Mexico City crowd showed its appreciation for both men.
Personally, I’d go even further.
Gable vs. Lee was an all-timer.
Watching it Monday night reminded me of the type of Kurt Angle matches WWE fans were spoiled with from roughly 2002 through 2005. There wasn’t a complicated story or some massive angle needed. It was two ridiculously talented professional wrestlers being given time to wrestle at an extremely high level, with a hot crowd hanging on everything they did.
It was a pure treat.
That’s also why Rollins’ comments caught my attention. Gable has obviously been an elite technical wrestler for years, dating back to his amateur wrestling background and his early WWE days with American Alpha. But there is a difference between being someone fans know can have great matches and becoming one of the wrestlers WWE can consistently trust to deliver them in a prominent championship role.
Gable increasingly looks like the latter.
