The landscape of the Monday Night Raw midcard experienced a seismic shift last week, and the newly crowned champion is already facing his first major test. WWE Raw General Manager Adam Pearce has officially announced a massive Intercontinental Championship match for the upcoming March 9 broadcast in Seattle.
The Original El Grande Americano Steps Up
Penta, who recently captured the prestigious Intercontinental Title, will put his gold on the line against the “Original El Grande Americano” (Chad Gable). The matchup stems from a backstage interaction on last week’s episode of Raw. Prior to Penta’s title victory, Americano wished the luchador the best of luck in his bout, while explicitly stating his desire for a future title opportunity if Penta won. True to his word, Penta agreed to the terms and went on to dethrone Dominik Mysterio.
Penta’s victory over Mysterio—who had held the championship since WrestleMania 41, barring a brief reign by John Cena—was aided by a breakdown in communication among The Judgment Day. Additionally, Mysterio’s luck took a severe downturn after a backstage encounter with the recently debuted Danhausen, who seemingly “cursed” the champion shortly before his title defense.
Now, Penta must shift his focus to the highly technical Original El Grande Americano. Chad Gable made his surprise return to WWE programming under the masked alter-ego at the Royal Rumble. Since then, he has been embroiled in a heated rivalry with the second El Grande Americano (Ludvig Kaiser). Interestingly, while the new Americano operated as a fan-favorite in AAA, the roles have been entirely reversed on WWE television, with the original portraying the villainous persona.
The upcoming episode of Raw promises an action-packed night. In addition to the Intercontinental Championship clash, the card features a high-stakes Women’s Intercontinental Title Number One Contender’s Gauntlet Match involving Raquel Rodriguez, Bayley, Lyra Valkyria, IYO SKY, Asuka, and Ivy Nile. Furthermore, fans will witness a colossal heavyweight collision as the dominant Oba Femi goes one-on-one with the returning Rusev.
