Report: Further Details On Why Gunther Vs. Chad Gable Was Held Off WWE Payback

The third match between Gunther and Chad Gable headlined the Monday, September 4 edition of Raw as Gable once again challenged Der Ring General and looked to stop him from breaking the Honky Tonk Man's record for longest Intercontinental Title reign. Gable ultimately failed in that task and Gunther will set the record in the coming days. 

Some questioned why Gunther vs. Chad Gable III didn't take place at Payback, though, and it was initially noted the match was booked on Raw instead as Triple H doesn't want to overbook WWE pay-per-views. Fightful Select has since confirmed this, reporting that Gunther vs. Gable was saved for Raw to "keep the WWE Payback runtime in order." Moving the match two days later also brought Gunther closer to breaking the record and added further jeopardy to a potential loss on Raw. It was also decided to have the match on Raw so WWE could highlight it more than if it had taken place at Payback. 

WWE have saved several matches for Raw in 2023 as the company want to ensure pay-per-views don't "overstay their welcome", particularly the shows that don't take place in stadiums.