According to Fightful Select, there were a number of decisions as to why Gunther defending the WWE Intercontinental Championship on the September 4 episode of Raw.
The reports notes WWE has been very careful about not stacking up premium live events with too many matches. It was also said the match was not put on last Saturday’s Payback in order to maintain the runtime laid out for the show. In addition, the belief by WWE is that the match would stand out more on Raw, rather than just another match on Payback with all the other matches that were already on the card.
The final reason for the match taking place on the September 4 episode of WWE Raw, is to add more depth to the drama surrounding the match as it brings Gunther that much more closer to the record-breaking 454 days that WWE Hall of Famer Honky Tonk Man held the Title.
*Live coverage of the 9/4 WWE Raw will begin tonight at 8:00 pm ET*