Chad Gable bounces back in a major way from Penta loss; WWE pulls Corey Graves again

Monday's WWE RAW featured the debut of Penta, and fans are still buzzing over the arrival, with rumors and speculation from backstage running rampant. The impact on Chad Gable seems to be overlooked, but he appears determined to put this behind him with a title win. Corey Graves is also having a rough month. News of a big win has surfaced for Gable, while Graves has taken another loss.

Master Gable had a rough last year in WWE. He failed to win the Intercontinental Championship on multiple occasions and didn't make WrestleMania XL, then lost Alpha Academy and came up short in Money in the Bank. The Olympian then formed American Made with Ivy Nile and The Creed Brothers but lost a war with The Wyatt Sicks. He did close out 2024 on a high note after finally defeating former stablemates Otis and Akira Tozawa in singles bouts.

Gable began his run in the Netflix era on Week Two, but the debuting Penta defeated him. The controversial, acclaimed match between the former AEW star and the four-time tag team champion is still a hot topic. Despite the viral loss, Gable bounced back with a big tournament win on today's WWE Speed episode.

The first WWE Speed episode of 2025 for the men's division aired today with the opening match of the latest tournament. Gable defeated NXT's Charlie Dempsey by pinfall with just three seconds left on the four-minute clock. The 38-year-old has now secured his spot in the Speed quarterfinals.

Gable will face the winner of next Wednesday's match between Chris Sabin and Grayson Waller. That semi-final match will air on Wednesday, January 29, via X. The winner will advance to the championship finals to challenge Dragon Lee. The final episode of this ongoing tournament will air on Friday, February 7, with Lee's WWE Speed Championship on the line.

Speed commentary was done by Blake Howard this week. Corey Graves usually calls the action, and has since launch, but he was seemingly pulled from the show amid rumors and speculation on his WWE future. A bombshell report from Tuesday night shed light on the situation, but Graves didn't work NXT as planned.

Gable vs. Dempsey was taped last Friday at SmackDown, but the wrestler-turned-commentator was not there. Corey did call the first Speed episode of 2025, which aired on January 8. Candice LeRae retained the Women's Speed Championship over Natalya to wrap up that tournament.

Chad Gable speaks on WWE RAW loss to Penta

Chad Gable was Penta's first opponent in WWE and his first victim. The American Made leader took to X with several photos from Monday's match and a surprising statement.

"I detest Penta, luchadores, and losing. But last night was a reminder as to why I fell in love with this beautiful artistic expression of physicality and the sport of Professional Wrestling when I was 5 years old and have been obsessed with it ever since. I felt so alive," Chad Gable wrote.

Gable picked up two significant wins at the end of 2024, defeating former stablemates Akira Tozawa and Otis in separate RAW matches. These came just days after a praised loss to Cody Rhodes on SmackDown.