STAMFORD, Conn. — WWE confirmed that a seven-man Gauntlet Match on the July 13 edition of Monday Night Raw would determine the next challenger for the Intercontinental Championship, with the winner earning a title opportunity against champion Penta at SummerSlam.
The company announced ahead of the show that Chad Gable, Je'Von Evans, Dragon Lee, Joe Hendry, Dominik Mysterio, Ethan Page and Rusev would compete in the No. 1 contender's match, one of the featured bouts on Raw as WWE continued building toward its SummerSlam premium live event.
The gauntlet format required competitors to enter sequentially, with each elimination determining the next matchup until one wrestler remained. WWE billed the contest as the decisive qualifier for the Intercontinental Championship match at SummerSlam, where Penta is scheduled to defend the title.
During the match, Dominik Mysterio eliminated Joe Hendry with assistance from JD McDonagh before Je'Von Evans pinned Mysterio after outside interference distracted him. Evans then defeated Dragon Lee before being stopped by Rusev via submission. Chad Gable entered next, overcame Rusev, and ultimately forced Ethan Page to submit with the ankle lock to win the gauntlet and secure the championship opportunity.
The victory completed Gable's path to the Intercontinental Championship match after he outlasted six opponents in one of the night's featured contests. WWE subsequently confirmed that Gable will challenge Penta for the title at SummerSlam, scheduled for Aug. 1-2 in Minneapolis.
The gauntlet match formed part of a Raw broadcast that also featured a contract signing between Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins ahead of their World Heavyweight Championship clash at SummerSlam, Brock Lesnar's return to television before his scheduled Hell in a Cell match with Oba Femi, and IYO SKY's singles victory over Roxanne Perez.
With the result finalized, WWE's Intercontinental Championship bout at SummerSlam is set to feature Penta defending the title against Gable, the officially confirmed No. 1 contender following his gauntlet victory.
