Jey Uso knows he has a lot to prove at WrestleMania 41.
The Bloodline member received mixed reactions online after winning the 2025 Men’s Royal Rumble match. Many people questioned the decision to put him ahead of other participants of the bout like CM Punk, John Cena and Drew McIntyre.
Uso acknowledged his doubters during a recent interview with CBS Sports. He noted that a lot of fans don’t believe him to be the right choice for the world title picture heading into Mania and Jey is determined to prove them wrong:
“This is do or die for me, I feel like I am doubted a lot. A lot of people are doubting me right now, Uce. I’m not supposed to be in this position. I know that. They know that. But I’m going to shut them all up.”
One of the big arguments against Jey Uso’s opportunity against World Champion Gunther is the lack of memorable singles performances. The Yeet Man got a chance to prove himself last year when he squared off against brother Jimmy Uso at WrestleMania 40 in what many considered a dream match.
The bout, however, ended up being a disappointment after time was cut from the match. After the debacle of his last Mania performance, Jey is definitely feeling the pressure to redeem himself:
“I always thought we put on great matches. If you look at it, we had great matches with The Wyatt Family, The Shield, The New Day. Now, I feel like I’ve had a couple of good matches but not ones that stick in people’s minds. This is redemption time on the big stage. The pressure is on.”
Though it’s not all bad for Jey Uso. Despite the online negativity, he continues to garner strong reactions from the crowd in arenas. Per the former IC Champion, people are rooting for him because they know where he comes from and he has grown in front of them.
GUNTHER has held the WWE World Heavyweight Championship for six months, making him the fourth person to hold this version of the title. Since winning it, he has defended the championship on television and at premium live events (PLEs) against opponents such as Randy Orton, Sami Zayn, and Damian Priest.
However, GUNTHER has also suffered some losses. He was defeated by Cody Rhodes for the Crown Jewel Title in November and previously put over Rhodes and Orton in a tag team match on SmackDown leading up to the title bout.
In a recent interview with the Daily Mailto promote WWE’s upcoming European tour, GUNTHER admitted that the past few months of his reign haven’t been ideal. However, he believes he is now back on track.
“I don’t think the last few months were ideal for me. I lost to Cody (Rhodes), and then everything that—that feud with (Damian) Priest, it didn’t allow me to show the best side of me, if that makes sense. But I think now I’m back to my old self. I feel my mojo again.”
GUNTHER’s next challenge is a title defense against Jey Uso at WrestleMania 41, taking place on April 19 or 20, 2025, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Posted February 18th, 2025 in WWE. Tagged: Gunther.
Ludwig Kaiser has spent most of his WWE career alongside Gunther—but could that ever change? In an interview with Chris Van Vliet on Insight, Kaiser spoke about his long-time partnership with the reigning World Heavyweight Champion.
“We go way back. People see us as a unit, but I had my fourth-ever match against him. We’ve battled across Europe before we ever teamed together in WWE.”
In 2024, Kaiser turned on Giovanni Vinci, another long-time ally, leaving fans to speculate that GUNTHER could be targeted by the German next. Despite GUNTHER holding Raw’s richest prize, Kaiser would be wary to get on the bad side of the ring general.
“It’s better to be on GUNTHER’s side than against him. Trust me on that.”
When pressed further on possibly turning on GUNTHER, Kaiser explained why he can’t see himself betraying his friend.
“I don’t think so. As a European, loyalty means a lot to me. And GUNTHER has helped me so much in my career.”
On the podcast, Van Vliet pointed out that WWE alliances rarely last forever, with even The New Day splitting last December after ten years of union. Kaiser joked that fans can “never say never” but for the time being “I stand by my words.”
With WrestleMania 41 approaching, GUNTHER’s focus is on Jey Uso and defending the World Heavyweight Championship against the popular star. With such a huge match on the horizon, GUNTHER won’t have to worry about being betrayed by Ludwig Kaiser, for now…
Penina Tuilaepa isn’t just another Performance Center prospect—she’s setting her sights on becoming WWE’s next GUNTHER. In a preview clip for WWE LFG, Tuilaepa made her bold comparison to WWE’s reigning World Heavyweight Champion.
“I see myself the most like Gunther. Same stature, big fella. I’m a big girl. I think his technique is top-tier. He does all the little things right, and in the end, that’s all that matters.
People can have the glitz and glam, the body, and whatnot, but if you can’t wrestle in the ring, if you can’t do all the little things right, then what are you really here for?”
Tuilaepa is set to make a strong first impression when WWE LFG premieres on February 16 on A&E. The show will follow Performance Center recruits as they navigate WWE’s grueling training system, with wrestling legends like Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Booker T, Bubba Ray Dudley, Mickie James, and The Undertaker guiding them along the way.
Tuilaepa isn’t just going to talk a big game but she’s ready to prove she can be WWE’s next powerhouse in the women’s division With WWE LFG set to showcase her journey, all eyes will be on whether she can back up her bold comparrison to the World Heavyweight Champion.
Gunther, the reigning WWE World Heavyweight Champion, is gearing up for a challenging road to WrestleMania 41, with multiple steel cage title defenses scheduled before his showdown with 2025 Royal Rumble winner Jey Uso.
Steel Cage Match vs. Seth Rollins in Germany
As part of WWE’s European tour in March, Gunther will defend his championship in Germany against Seth Rollins inside a steel cage. The announcement was made via WWE Germany’s social media, adding another high-stakes battle to Gunther’s schedule.
CM Punk to Challenge Gunther in Austria
Gunther will also put his title on the line against CM Punk in Austria, marking a rematch from a previous live event main event. This matchup will take place in Gunther’s home country, making it a highly anticipated showdown for Austrian fans.
WrestleMania 41 Title Match Still Set
Can GUNTHER make it to WrestleMania 41 as champion?
Despite these upcoming defenses, Gunther is still scheduled to defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Jey Uso at WrestleMania 41. However, with two major challengers ahead, his path to the grand stage remains uncertain.
WWE made it official on this week’s Monday Night Raw – Jey Uso will challenge GUNTHER at WrestleMania 41 for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. However, this matchup was not decided overnight.
According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, Uso’s Royal Rumble victory and GUNTHER’s selection as his opponent had been planned for quite some time—even before Saturday Night’s Main Event. The two last clashed at Saturday Night’s Main Event in January, where GUNTHER successfully retained his title in the main event.
Uso secured his WrestleMania title opportunity by winning the 2025 Royal Rumble. During Raw, Uso was making his entrance and “yeeting” on the announce table when GUNTHER launched a surprise attack from behind. This led to a brawl before Uso officially announced their WrestleMania showdown.
Despite having the option to challenge Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, Uso has opted to pursue GUNTHER’s title. Although not confirmed, reports suggest that John Cena is expected to win Elimination Chamber and go on to challenge Rhodes at WrestleMania 41. If successful, Cena would break the all-time record for most World Heavyweight Championship reigns.
WrestleMania 41 will be a two-night event, taking place on Saturday, April 19, and Sunday, April 20, 2025, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The 2025 Royal Rumble was one of the most anticipated wrestling events of all time and it ended on a shocking note with Jey Uso eliminating John Cena to punch his ticket to a WrestleMania main event.
There were many notable moments coming out of the Men’s Rumble before this which elicited interesting reactions from people within the wrestling world.
Akira Tozawa who could not enter the Rumble after being attacked by Carmelo Hayes during his entrance noted that he would like to take a step closer to the ring next year. Meanwhile, social media personality Speed who took his place in the battle royal claimed that he was done with WWE appearance after taking a huge spear from Bron Breakker before his elimiation.
Sheamus who got into a fight with Jacob Fatu after the Samoan Warewolf attacked Joe Hendry during the match noted that he was enjoying Hendry’s performance. Bronson Reed who has been out of action since Survivor Series last year also expressed his thoughts on the match.
8 years since I came to WWE. This was my first time making an entrance at the #ROYALRUMBLE
Next year, I want to take even one step closer to the ring!!
Wrestling World Reacts To Jey Uso Winning Royal Rumble
The win of Jey Uso came as a huge surprise for people who were hoping for other big names to pick up the victory this year and the match’s ending is garnering mixed reactions from fans online.
Though the whole wrestling world recognizes Uso’s hard work over the past few years as well. There have been many like Bully Ray, Zelina Vega and Ricochet who have congratulated the former IC Champion on his big win since the show.
The one wrestling personality who doesn’t seem to be thrilled with the idea is the World Champion Gunther, who previously defeated Uso on multiple occasion:
At WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, GUNTHER retained the World Heavyweight Championship against Jey Uso. Taking to X after the show, GUNTHER shared some advice for the Superstar he’s beaten on three separate occasions.
GUNTHER holds far more than three victories over Jey Uso if you include WWE live events and dark matches. Despite this, Jey remains confident that a World Championship will be his in the future. In post-match comments, the former Intercontinental Champion shared his plan for what’s next.
Jey Uso has already declared for the Men’s Royal Rumble match, a bout he started in 2024. Despite his popularity, Jey will face immense competition, as top names including CM Punk, John Cena, and Roman Reigns have also declared forthe much-anticipated 30-Man contest.
Though Jey lost at Saturday Night’s Main Event, fans remain excited at the prospect of the former tag-team specialist holding a WWE World Championship one day. If this happens, Jey will join the likes of Edge, Jeff Hardy, and JBL as tag wrestlers who have gone on to become World Champions.
Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on Jey Uso, as fans can expect the ‘Main Event’ talent to continue his pursuit of a World Championship, despite GUNTHER’s warning.
WWE has announced two championship matches for the next Saturday Night’s Main Event on January 25 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas:
WWE World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER vs. Jey Uso
Intercontinental champion Bron Breakker vs. Sheamus
Both matches were set up on Monday’s WWE Raw. Sheamus battled Ludwig Kaiser in a hard-hitting contest, with the Celtic Warrior picking up the W. IC champion Bron Breakker was sitting ringside for the match, and the two brutes had a brief scuffle before they were separated by WWE officials.
Later in the show, GUNTHER delivered an in-ring promo, expressing frustration over the lack of focus on the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, which he referred to as the top prize on Raw. He challenged anyone to step up and prove their worth. Jey Uso answered the call, interrupting GUNTHER and issuing a challenge for the title.
During the confrontation, GUNTHER accepted the challenge, stating he would expose Jey Uso as nothing more than “a really good tag team wrestler.” Uso countered, vowing to prove him wrong at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
On the latest episode of AEW Dynamite, Adam Copeland returned to action, but is now going by the name ‘Cope.’ The WWE Hall of Famer is just the latest wrestling star to have his name shortened, but he isn’t the only one.
Here are some times wrestlers had their names cut short, for better or worse.
The Undertaker
One of wrestling’s most iconic names, The Undertaker originally debuted as “Kane The Undertaker” during a 1990 WWF Superstars taping. By the time of his official TV debut, the “Kane” portion was dropped but would resurface seven years later for Glenn Jacobs.
GUNTHER
Before reigning as WWE’s World Heavyweight Champion, GUNTHER was known as WALTER. In early 2022, WWE rebranded him as Gunther Stark, but quickly shortened the name to avoid controversy, as “Gunther Stark” was also the name of a Nazi naval officer.
Cody
When Cody Rhodes left WWE in 2016, he competed simply as “Cody” due to WWE’s trademark on the Rhodes surname. In November 2020, “The American Nightmare” successfully reclaimed the Rhodes name, which he now proudly carries as the reigning Undisputed WWE Champion.
Sheamus
The Celtic Warrior debuted in WWE’s developmental system as Sheamus O’Shaunessy. By the time of his main roster debut on WWE ECW in 2009, the name was shortened to Sheamus. The streamlined moniker didn’t hinder his success, as he ended the year as WWE Champion after defeating John Cena.
Riddle
Originally known as Matt Riddle, WWE shortened the Original Bro’s name in 2020. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the change was influenced by Riddle’s MMA background and his association with marijuana.
Carlito
The Judgment Day star has been wrestling as Carlito, fans may have forgotten that he debuted in 2004 as Carlito Caribbean Cool. It wasn’t long before WWE ditched two-thirds of the former U.S. Champion’s name, and Carlito has gone by one moniker ever since.
The Rock
Perhaps the most successful example of a name change, “The Rock” was born from the transition of Dwayne Johnson’s initial persona, “Rocky Maivia.” The shift not only marked a turning point in his career but also cemented his legacy. To this day, even non-wrestling fans recognize “The Rock” as a cultural icon.
WWE has made a significant change to the World Heavyweight Championship match scheduled for WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event.
On this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw, GUNTHER opened the show to promote his upcoming title defense against Finn Balor at the event. Balor interrupted the segment, expressing his excitement for the match and boldly declaring that he would defeat GUNTHER to capture the championship.
In response, GUNTHER dismissed Balor’s confidence, claiming that Balor wasn’t on his level and never would be. He also referenced their shared history, adding fuel to the brewing rivalry. As tensions escalated, members of Judgment Day moved to confront GUNTHER, but Damian Priest arrived to even the odds.
A chaotic brawl broke out among all three competitors, with GUNTHER targeting Priest while Balor engaged both men. Following the melee, Raw General Manager Adam Pearce appeared backstage to deliver a game-changing announcement: the championship match at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event would now be a Triple Threat Match, featuring GUNTHER, Finn Balor, and Damian Priest.
This development adds another layer of intrigue to the match, as GUNTHER has a contentious history with both challengers. At WWE Survivor Series, GUNTHER defeated Priest after Balor interfered and attacked his Judgment Day teammate. Furthermore, GUNTHER originally captured the title by defeating Priest at WWE SummerSlam. The stage is now set for a high-stakes showdown where alliances and rivalries will collide.
The action didn’t stop after this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown went off the air from the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The show saw the blue brand deal with the fallout of Survivor Series: WarGames, new WWE Tag Team Champions crowned, and a new ‘Transfer Window’ be introduced.
In the first dark match of the night, Intercontinental Champion Bron Breakker made quick work of Dominik Mysterio. Neither man was featured on SmackDown, though eagle-eyed fans spotted ‘Dirty Dom’ speaking to Nick Aldis during a segment with Chelsea Green, Bianca Belair, and Piper Niven.
In the second dark match, World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER retained his gold against Minnesota’s own Otis. Despite a valiant effort by the Alpha Academy star, GUNTHER retained his title with a powerbomb onto the superheavweight The 2021 King of the Ring appeared on SmackDown where he met with General Manager Nick Aldis.
The fans in Minneapolis certainly had a stacked night of WWE action, both during the SmackDown broadcast and after the show went off the air. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest from WWE SmackDown as the blue brand appears poised for major changes thanks to the upcoming Transfer Window.
WWE is reportedly working to secure GUNTHER, the reigning World Heavyweight Champion, to a long-term contract. According to PWInsider, negotiations are in their final stages, with GUNTHER either close to finalizing or having already signed a multi-year deal. While the exact financial details remain undisclosed, this agreement reflects WWE’s commitment to retaining one of its top stars.
GUNTHER has experienced championship success in every promotion he has competed in, and WWE has been no exception. From dominating NXT UK to shining on the main roster, he has consistently proven his worth. GUNTHER’s crowning achievement came at SummerSlam, where he won the King of the Ring Tournament to secure a title shot and subsequently dethroned Damian Priest to claim the World Heavyweight Championship.
Since then, GUNTHER has been a fighting champion, successfully defending his title on multiple occasions. Most recently, he defeated Priest in a hard-fought rematch at Survivor Series: WarGames. His next challenge comes against Finn Balor at Saturday Night’s Main Event, where he aims to continue his dominant reign.
With GUNTHER’s in-ring prowess and growing star power, WWE appears intent on ensuring he remains a cornerstone of its roster for years to come.
Posted December 3rd, 2024 in WWE. Tagged: Gunther.
The card for Saturday Night’s Main Event continued to grow during this week’s episode of Raw, with two huge title matches announced for the show. In our first match of Raw, Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez defeated Damage CTRL’s IYO SKY and Kairi Sane. After the match, Rhea Ripley arrived and attacked Rodriguez, but officials quick came out to break up this post-match brawl.
It was confirmed during Raw that IYO SKY will face Liv Morgan for the Women’s World Championship at Saturday Night’s Main Event next week. SKY won a Battle Royal last month to earn the coveted title shot against the Judgment Day member.
No matter who leaves Saturday Night's Main Event as Women's World Champion…
Raw also saw Finn Balor questioned about attacking Damian Priest at Survivor Series: WarGames, and Finn said he’d take care of Priest since Dominik Mysterio couldn’t. Later in the night, GUNTHER defeated Mysterio, only to be attacked by Balor after the match, with Finn telling Mysterio to watch how things are done.
Backstage, Finn Balor asks Adam Pearce for his title match against Gunther. The Raw General Manager told Balor that they’ll face each other at Saturday Night’s Main Event with the title on the line.
? IT IS OFFICIAL:
GUNTHER will defend his WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP against FINN BALOR at Saturday Night's Main Event! ??#WWERawpic.twitter.com/0RgevN14b4
The 37th Saturday Night’s Main Event will take place on December 14, 2024, from the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. The show will be WWE’s first SNME televised event since July 2008.
The card for the show so far is as follows:
Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Kevin Owens (Undisputed WWE Championship)
Liv Morgan (c) vs. Iyo Sky (WWE Women’s World Championship)
Gunther (c) vs. Finn Bálor (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
Finals Of the WWE Women’s United States Championship Tournament
Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest from Saturday Night’s Main Event, including breaking news and live results from the show.
WWE fans have been wondering which storyline will bring CM Punk back to TV after he took time off following his Hell In A Cell match. The latest episode of Raw suggests Punk might be getting involved in a completely unexpected feud upon his comeback.
This week’s episode of the Red Branded Show included a backstage segment featuring the world heavyweight champion Gunther. Speaking to his lieutenant Ludwig Kaiser, the Ring General asked Kaiser to ‘look into his eyes’ and tell him what he saw:
— Anutosh Bajpai || SEScoops || Wrestling News (@AuthorAnutosh) November 19, 2024
The line comes straight from the former AEW star’s beloved Cult of Personality theme song. Punk has used different versions of the Living Colour song as his entrance music since 2011.
The Straight Edge Star has taken time off from TV after defeating Drew McIntyre in a Hell In A Cell match at Bad Blood. It’s believed that the former World Champion would return to the company before or at the upcoming Survivor Series PPV on November 30.
Many have theorized that CM Punk could be revealed as the final member of Roman Reigns’ WarGames team. After Reigns tried calling Paul Heyman on Friday’s SmackDown, people pointed out that Punk has close ties with Heyman and the two have a lot of history together.
The Triple H regime, however, is known for its long-term planning and using MCU-esque easter eggs to give smart fans a preview of what’s to come.
Gunther’s latest promo is unmistakably a nod to the former WWE Champion and it definitely suggests that Punk will be going after the World Heavyweight Championship whenever he reappears on TV.
Since joining WWE’s main roster in April 2022, Gunther has solidified his status as a dominant competitor, transitioning from record-breaking Intercontinental Champion to World Heavyweight Champion. At Survivor Series, he faces Damian Priest, the man he defeated at SummerSlam to claim the title.
On a recent episode of Raw, Priest taunted Gunther, suggesting the champion has lost his edge since their last encounter. He referenced Gunther’s loss to Cody Rhodes at Crown Jewel to back up his claim. Gunther walked away from the confrontation, and like a true champion, left Ludwig Kaiser to handle Priest.
Gunther now dismisses Priest’s claims, and implies the Judgment Day star can’t lace his boots when he’s at his best.
“I don’t know if he can relate because he loses a little bit more than I do. I never really lose. When I lose, sometimes it can be a struggle. It happens to the best, obviously. That’s my struggle and I have to figure it out. If he wants to use that against me, I don’t blame him. If I’m at my best, he can’t lace my boots.”
– Gunther on Damian Priest
WWE Survivor Series: WarGames takes place Saturday, November 30, 2024 from Vancouver, BC, Canada Rogers Arena.
Listen to Gunther’s appearance on the Johnjay & Rich Show:
The finish of the match saw Rhodes attempt a Super Cody Cutter, only for GUNTHER to catch him in attempted Sleeper hold. Rhodes however, was able to counter with a roll-up to get the historic win.
WWE Crown Jewel is taking place from the Mohammad Abdo Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The card for the show is as follows:
Cody Rhodes Vs. GUNTHER (WWE Crown Jewel Championship)
Nia Jax Vs. Liv Morgan (WWE Women’s Crown Jewel Championship)
Seth “Freakin” Rollins vs. Bronson Reed
Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens
LA Knight (c) vs. Andrade vs. Carmelo Hayes (WWE U.S. Championship)
Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair (c) vs. Damage CTRL (Kairi Sane and Iyo Sky) vs. Meta-Four (Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson) vs. Chelsea Green and Piper Niven (WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship)
Roman Reigns and The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) vs. The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, and Tama Tonga) (with Tonga Loa)
On the November 4, edition of Monday Night Raw, a fatal four-way will determine GUNTHER’s next challenger for the World Heavyweight Championship, WrestleVotes reports. The match will see Damian Priest, ‘Dirty’ Dominik Mysterio, Seth Rollins, and either Sheamus or a returning Braun Strowman face off for a shot at the Ring General.
These potential challengers are interesting, given that Mysterio earned a World Heavyweight Championship win on this week’s Raw with a dirty win over Priest. Priest lost the title to GUNTHER at SummerSlam while Rollins’ 316-day reign ended at WrestleMania 40 back in April. Strowman suffered a torn groin during the Last Monster Standing match in September that has kept the former Universal Champion out of action ever since.
Where Is CM Punk?
One name fans are eager to see in the World Heavyweight Title picture is CM Punk, who’s been absent since the post-Bad Blood edition of Raw. While Punk has spoken about wanting the become a champion again, he isn’t expected to appear on the upcoming Raw. For the first time ever, WWE Raw will air from Saudi Arabia this coming Monday and Punk has been highly critical of WWE’s relationship with Saudi Arabia in the past.
Without Punk, it’ll be either Rollins, Priest, Mysterio, Sheamus, or Strowman who earn a golden opportunity on Raw, with a title match being a possibility for WWE Survivor Series on November 30. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on the World Heavyweight Championship picture as GUNTHER remains a very busy man.
Posted November 2nd, 2024 in WWE. Tagged: Gunther.
Whether in WCW or in WWE, Bill Goldberg has been a force to be reckoned with in the ring, resulting in World Championship reigns over four decades. In recent years, Goldberg has been outspoken about wanting one final match before ending his in-ring career, and that match will come in 2025.
Given what transpired at Bad Blood, GUNTHER certainly makes sense as the opponent-of-choice for Goldberg. If not the reigning World Heavyweight Champion, WWE could build a compelling feu of spear vs. spear between Goldberg and Bron Breakker. The reigning Intercontinental Champion is part of the Steiner family, who are no strangers to Goldberg from his days back in WCW.
2025 is shaping up to be a huge year for WWE, as John Cena will also end his in-ring career over the next 12 months. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest from WWE on the farewells of Goldberg and Cena that will take place next year.
Gunther is gearing up for his big match against Cody Rhodes at WWE Crown Jewel, but the reigning World Heavyweight champion hasn’t forgotten about Bill Goldberg.
Goldberg was among the pro wrestling legends on hand for last month’s Bad Blood PLE from Atlanta, and brought his wife and son to the show. The 57-year-old legend wound up jumping the barricade and having an intense face-off with Gunther.
It looked like WWE was planting the seeds for potential match between them, and now Gunther is talking about the situation. During an interview with with La Previa (WWE Español), the Austrian Superstar said it was nice meeting all the legends in attendance that night, but felt compelled to playfully antagonize Goldberg when he first spotted him.
“I was invited out there to speak about the Crown Jewel Championship. We had a lot of legends in the house and I met a lot of them backstage. One of the very few I didn’t meet that I just saw was there before was Goldberg, so when our eyes crossed, basically I was like, why not break some balls a little bit?
He doesn’t seem to be able to take things lightly. I tried to lighten up the mood a little bit, but push comes to shove, and he thinks he wants to get back into the business and wrestle again, then I’m happy to teach him a lesson.”
– Gunther
What Goldberg said about Gunther
Goldberg recently gave his side of the story last week on the CarCast podcast. He was in Atlanta to film a TV show when WWE invited him to attend Bad Blood. He appreciated the gesture, especially in light of their rocky relationship over the years.
“I should have known,” he said. “I should have known somebody was going to try and mess with me. In Atlanta, no less. We were having a great time. Gunther, I don’t want to make anything more of it than it was, but.. You know me, I’m not going to sit there and let some dude talk shit. Period. End of story.
What started out to be an innocent attendance of a pay-per-view turned out to being insulted by one of their current champions. I don’t care where we were, I would have done the same thing anywhere.
I ain’t dead yet. As long as I’m breathing, don’t ever talk shit about me, especially my family. When he brought Gage into it and me being a dad, that was it. It was nothing more than that.”
Goldberg has frequently expressed his desire for a retirement match and has criticized Vince McMahon for allegedly promising one without following through. Numerous current wrestlers and legends have noted the significant changes in WWE since Triple H took over from McMahon. The incident at Bad Blood, along with the ongoing comments from both men, suggests that Goldberg might still have one more match left in him.
At WWE’s recent live event in Manchester, England, interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall surprised fans in his hometown. Aspinall appeared in the ring with Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER, and fans could be seeing much more of him in the squared circle.
Speaking to The Sun after his appearance in Manchester’s Co-Op Arena, Aspinall shared plans for a future in WWE after he finishes in MMA.
“When I have retired from MMA, I’m switching over to WWE. And I’m going to be the WWE Heavyweight Champ.”
There’s no shortage of huge names who have transitioned from the Octagon to the ring, with Brock Lesnar, Matt Riddle, and Ronda Rousey finding great success in WWE post-MMA. In May of this year, Derrick Lewis shared that he was “in talks” with WWE, though the fighter has yet to appear for the promotion.
With WWE and UFC coming together under the TKO umbrella in September 2023, the crossover potential between the two parties has already played out on-screen. This partnership hasn’t just seen talent from either side crossover, but resulted in WWE NXT Battleground taking place inside the UFC Apex in June 2024. While Aspinall’s focus at this time remains on Jon Jones and a Heavyweight Championship unification fight, don’t be surprised if fans see much more of Tom Aspinall in a WWE ring.
Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, World Heavyweight Champion Gunther, and UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall all got to share the same stage at the most recent WWE Live Event.
WWE has been on a UK tour and their latest live event came from Manchester England. The American Nightmare came out during a segment in the show and stated that he had something to say.
Rhodes would then bring out Aspinall who hails from Manchester itself. Before they could continue however, Gunther interrupted the duo and we had the rare sight of seeing all three world champions under the TKO umbrella in one ring.
The trio would talk about the Crown Jewel PPV on November 2 before Chad Gable interrupted their segment and challenged the Ring General for a world heavyweight championship match.
As expected, Gunther would go on to beat the former Alpha Academy leader with a powerbomb in the match that took place right before the intermission.
Cody Rhodes would have a title defense of his own against Solo Sikoa later in the main event. He took several crazy bumps during this cage match but ultimately retained his title against The Bloodline leader.
WWE has announced that Gunther and Cody Rhodes would be facing each other in a champion vs. champion match at the upcoming Saudi PPV.
Women’s Champions Nia Jax and Liv Morgan will also be going up against each other on the same show with the winner of these matches receiving the ‘Crown Jewel Championship’ as reward.
At Bad Blood, Triple H unveiled the Crown Jewel Championship belt, and in so doing announced that the November Crown Jewel PLE from Saudi Arabia would feature head-to-head matches between both the men’s and women’s world champions of each main roster brand. While the belt itself looks impressive, the response from fans has been underwhelming.
The concept ostensibly seems to revisit the brand warfare days of Survivor Series or the Bragging Rights PLE, each of which produced some good matches over the years but tended to fall flat from a storytelling perspective because of the lack of stakes. After all, no one’s title reigns were actually at risk, and by the nature of separate brands, talents typically didn’t continue their storylines past the one-off show at hand, making them almost feel like non-canon, house show-style events.
Is it possible, however, to make the Crown Jewel Championship mean something, both this year and on an ongoing basis—the foundation for a new WWE tradition? There is some potential.
Cody Rhodes Makes The Crown Jewel Championship Credible
Ask any casual fan who won the first two Royal Rumbles, and the odds are they won’t know. That’s because the victors were perennial mid-carder Jim Duggan and then Big John Studd, who never wrestled another PLE match after his Rumble win. In each of these cases, the Rumble finish was a crowd pleaser, but carried no consequences.
That narrative changed the following two years when Hulk Hogan became the first back-to-back Royal Rumble winner. Even though it would be another year before the Rumble had stakes—with the world title or a world title shot at WrestleMania henceforth on the line—Hogan winning elevated the match to be something the tip-top stars in the company cared about. It’s little wonder the Royal Rumble victory started feeling like one of the most prestigious things a wrestler could accomplish from that point on.
As the most recent back-to-back Royal Rumble winner, the most recent WrestleMania main event winner, and the reigning WWE Champion, Cody Rhodes is now the de facto face of WWE. As such, being the inaugural Crown Jewel Champion marks an opportunity to immediately lend credibility to that title. In contrast to Braun Strowman winning the Greatest Royal Rumble and its symbolic championship belt, then getting released a few short years later, only to return as a mid-carder, The American Nightmare is a bona fide marquee star. There’s no gamble around whether this victory will be an effective stepping stone for him. Rather, he’s the man who can make the championship.
Gunther Winning The Crown Jewel Championship Stands To Elevate Him
WWE finds itself in a win-win situation, in which either man who might win the Crown Jewel Championship already has marked credibility. Cody Rhodes could legitimize the title. There may, however, be even greater mutual potential in a Gunther victory.
Gunther has been one of WWE’s most consistent performers since arriving on the main roster and, particularly in terms of match quality, he has thrived as World Heavyweight Champion. Crown Jewel could mark a unique opportunity, though, for him to beat one of the few undeniably bigger stars than himself, without disrupting The American Nightmare’s WWE Championship reign.
A victory for Gunther and a closing shot of him holding the Crown Jewel Championship over his head, while defeated Rhodes lies on the mat, can sell the idea that he truly is WWE’s top champion and mark one of the final pieces in the puzzle of pushing him forward from world championship status to the kind of guy who could credibly main event a WrestleMania. Moreover, this victory, more so than Rhodes winning, could plant the seeds for WWE to revisit this feud with either world title on the line, properly, down the road.
Tiffany Stratton Cashes In
There’s only one Money in the Bank briefcase currently in play. Given Tiffany Stratton’s immense talent and potential, it looks as though there’s a good chance she will ultimately become a champion when she chooses to cash in.
Some folks online are getting a little carried away in prognosticating that she might cash in on both Liv Morgan and Nia Jax and win both their titles as well as the Crown Jewel one. The logistics are quite fuzzy on whether that would canonically make sense (could cash-ins really happen on two champions at once on a whim?). WWE can always fudge the rules, but if Stratton were to cash-in, it seems more feasible she would do so on one champion or the other post-match.
Another unconventional possibility, though, would be for Stratton to cash-in for the Crown Jewel Championship itself, either by turning the match for that title into a Triple Threat, or by claiming it off the winner immediately post-match. While, on paper, this choice wouldn’t make much sense, it would be a way of immediately establishing this prize in not just ceremonial, but rather is desirable enough for a Money in the Bank holder to think it was worth a cash-in.
The most likely scenario in which this solution would work would probably be if Morgan were to either win or be very close to it, only for Stratton to take that prize from here without rushing her brewing issue with Jax.
WWE Can Stage Classic Matches For The Crown Jewel Championship
Without getting too complicated around the booking, one of the most surefire ways to make the Crown Jewel Championship feel important would be for the matches for it to be great in and of themselves.
That doesn’t necessarily seem like a likely outcome on the women’s side. Liv Morgan has done outstanding character work and is a good in-ring performer. It nonetheless seems unlikely she can compensate enough to pull a great match out of Nia Jax (who has shown improvement bell-to-bell, but still isn’t someone anyone’s expecting match of the year candidates out of).
By contrast, on the men’s side of things, Cody Rhodes and Gunther are both talented enough, with enough investment from management that an instant classic does feel possible. If both these marquee stars go all out and have the time put on a classic, they could go a long way toward putting this championship on the map.
In the end, the Crown Jewel Championship probably isn’t going to become a profound part of WWE lore, though. There are opportunities to make it feel meaningful in the short term, or for it to at least be at the center some fun action in November.
WWE World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER has congratulated Zack Sabre Jr. on his major victory at Monday’s NJPW King of Pro Wrestling event.
Sabre Jr. defeated Tetsuya Naito to capture the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, marking a monumental achievement in his career. He is only the second British wrestler to win this prestigious title, following Will Ospreay’s triumph in 2021.
Gunther, a former rival of Sabre’s from their days on the UK independent wrestling scene in 2019, acknowledged this milestone on social media. He posted a simple yet supportive message featuring applause emojis and the initials “ZSJ.” It was a gracious gesture from the Austrian Superstar, likely appreciated by Sabre on this memorable occasion.
TNA World Champion Nick Nemeth, formerly known as Dolph Ziggler in WWE, also saluted ZSJ.
It took Sami Zayn weeks of pleading and goading to convince World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER to put his title on the line during this week’s WWE Raw. In a rematch from WrestleMania 40, albeit for a richer prize, the two delivered another epic match, but this time, it was the juggernaut of Vienna, Austria, who was standing tall by the end of the show.
Both men held nothing back in their efforts to leave WWE Raw as World Heavyweight Champion, with Sami Zayn even kicking out of GUNTHER’s powerbomb at one count. In the end, GUNTHER trapped Zayn in a sleeper that the Canadian couldn’t escape to get the win and retain the gold.
After the match, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes interrupted GUNTHER’s celebration and stared down the man he’ll face at WWE Crown Jewel on November 2. The two will do battle to crown the first Men’s WWE Crown Jewel Champion, a title introduced by Triple H at WWE Bad Blood 2024.
With such a high-stakes match between two Superstars who have history, many have questioned why this match happened at WWE Raw rather than the recent Bad Blood Premium Live Event. It was reported by Dave Meltzer that WWE felt that Bad Blood didn’t need another match and that the bout was better served hyping up the latest WWE Raw.
GUNTHER was able to retain on this night, and while his title won’t be on the line at WWE Crown Jewel. He’ll be in for the fight of his night next month in Riyadh. Stay tuned to SEScoops for all the latest from WWE Crown Jewel including breaking news and live results.
