Reason For Chad Gable Defeating CM Punk At WWE House Show

CM Punk and Chad Gable faced off for the first time ever in a singles match at WWE's Road to Survivor Series house show from Youngstown, Ohio, on Thursday, October 29, and the match had a surprising result as the Intercontinental Champion pinned Punk.

The finish saw Chad Gable roll through on a frankensteiner attempt into a sunset flip pin. This led to a pin exchange won by Chad Gable at the third attempt.

Fightful Select has reported that WWE booked Chad Gable to defeat CM Punk as part of the company's strategy to have viral moments and buzz-worthy items take place at live events to encourage future attendance. This was also the reason for Halloween-themed matches at the Youngstown show, which included Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley as Dodgeball's Average Joes taking on Michin and B-Fab in Chucky outfits, and Danhausen vs. Kit Wilson in a Trick or Street Fight.

WWE have expanded their house show schedule in 2026, having previously dramatically cut down on the number of live events following the WWE-UFC merger under TKO in September 2023. The reason for the expansion was in order to give younger wrestlers more reps inside the squared circle and to allow wrestlers to experiment in front of different live crowds.