Sheamus took building his upcoming bout with GUNTHER a little too far, and thankfully ‘The Celtic Warrior’ came to his senses.
GUNTHER will take on Sheamus in the opening round of the King Of The Ring tournament on this Monday’s WWE RAW as both men will vy for the crown in Saudi Arabia later this month.
In build to the match, Sheamus decided to make some controversial implications regarding GUNTHER, noting of his appearance and recent decision-making.
“Hmmm.. an Austrian with a funny haircut, has a thing for military style coats, proclaims superiority over others, hangs out with Germans and betrays his Italian ally..”
Sheamus added a “raised eyebrow” emoji for aemphasis, but the implications were pretty clear that he was insinuating that the former Intercontinental Champion had Nazi-like tendencies. Sheamus since has deleted his post, but users made a point to screenshot the comments.
— The Wrestling Blog (@WrestlingBlog_) May 5, 2024
Sheamus has a clear track record of being playful online with his feuds, with his latest barbs being directed towards Drew McIntyre. The two former friends have a burgeoning beef in the ring and over social media as Sheamus stated on RAW several weeks back that McIntyre screwed himself at WrestleMania to which McIntyre teased his Irish amigo about his recent weight gain.
When GUNTHER first got his name change in WWE after originally going by WALTER, there was plenty of ire online. Hans F. K. Günther was a notorious physician of Hitler’s Third Reich. However, that could just be coincidental as there are several Nazis with the Walter name too. Considering GUNTHER is Austrian, any name choice WWE would have made could present such ties.
The presentation of Imperium certainly comes with a “superiority-like” presentation that conveys the classic foreign heel faction and wrestling promotions in the past have not shied away from having Nazi wrestlers in previous eras.
The latest European tour of WWE saw events held in three different countries as the promotion continues to embraces its appeal outside of the U.S.
The tour, which came mere weeks after a recent tour of the United Kingdom, was part of the promotion’s buzz surrounding WWE Backlash: France, the first Premium Live Event in the country’s history.
WWE in Bologna, Italy
The first night of the tour saw the Superstars travel to Italy. The show saw several highlights, including Solo Sikoa break a 41-match losing streak. The former NXT North American Champion teamed with Tama Tonga to defeat Randy Orton & Kevin Owens in what was also Tonga’s WWE in-ring debut. After the show’s main event, Undisputed WWE Cody Rhodes said he hopes to bring a WWE TV taping to the country.
The results for the show were as follows:
Sami Zayn (c) def. Ludwig Kaiser (Intercontinental Championship)
Solo Sikoa & Tama Tonga def. LA Knight & Randy Orton
Damian Priest (c) def. Chad Gable and Gunther and Jey Uso (World Heavyweight Championship)
Awesome Truth (R-Truth & The Miz) (c) def. Judgment Day (Finn Balor & JD McDonagh) (World Tag Team Championships)
Becky Lynch (c) def. Nia Jax (WWE Women’s World Championship)
Cody Rhodes (c) def. Shinsuke Nakamura (Undisputed WWE Championship)
WWE in Vienna, Austria
WWE’s next stop on the tour saw the promotion come to Vienna, Austria. This was WWE’s first event in the nation since 2019 and unsurprisingly, GUNTHER received a hero’s welcome in his homeland.
The results for the show were as follows:
Sami Zayn (c) def. Ludwig Kaiser (Intercontinental Championship)
Solo Sikoa & Tama Tonga def. LA Knight & Randy Orton
GUNTHER def. Chad Gable
Jey Uso & Awesome Truth (R-Truth & The Miz) def. Judgment Day (Damian Priest, Finn Balor & JD McDonagh)
Becky Lynch (c) def. Nia Jax (WWE Women’s World Championship)
Cody Rhodes (c) def. Shinsuke Nakamura (Undisputed WWE Championship)
WWE SmackDown in France
The penultimate stop on the tour saw WWE finally arrive in Lyon, France for the May 3, episode of WWE SmackDown. This was WWE’s first TV taping in the nation’s history and saw the Superstars seek to build momentum towards WWE Backlash.
The results for the show were as follows:
Bayley, Naomi, Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill def. Tiffany Stratton and Damage CTRL
AOP (with Karrion Kross and Scarlett) def. New Catch Republic
LA Knight def. Angel
Austin Theory and Grayson Waller (c) def. The Street Profits (WWE Tag Team Championship)
WWE Backlash France
WWE’s tour culminated with Backlash France, the first PLE of its kind in the country. Given the raucous ovation the night prior, expectations were high for the show and once again the WWE Universe inside the LDLC Arena delivered. The show saw surprises and title matches with the WWE Women’s Tag Titles changing hands.
The results of the show were as follows:
The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga) (with Paul Heyman) def. Kevin Owens and Randy Orton
Bayley (c) defeated Naomi and Tiffany Stratton (WWE Women’s Championship)
Damian Priest (c) defeated Jey Uso (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill defeated The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) (c) (WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship)
Cody Rhodes (c) defeated AJ Styles (Undisputed WWE Championship)
WWE’s recent tour has proven to be a hit with audiences as the promotion continues to lean into the ‘World’ aspect of its name. With Triple H teasing a broadcast event in Italy during the post-Backlash press conference and with PLEs in Europe already announced, expect much more from WWE outside North America.
It meant a lot for Xavier Woods to become King of the Ring in 2021, but sadly the New Day member will not be defending his crown in the tournament this year.
Although it wasn’t technically a qualifying match, Woods lost to another man vying for the crown in GUNTHER on WWE RAW. Woods was forced to submit after GUNTER cinched in a STF during their fight as Kofi Kingston watched on. It was a big loss for Woods but it put GUNTHER in a great position to be put in the tournament.
Sure enough, GUNTHER will get his shot in the first round of the tournament this Monday on this upcoming WWE RAW as he’ll take on another former King Of The Ring in Sheamus.
That’s not the only first round match set to go down as the aformentioned Kingston will battle new RAW draftee in WWE Hall of Famer, Rey Mysterio Jr.
Woods took to social media to express his disappointment not being in the tournament, but also took a moment to show his love for his fellow New Day dude in Kingston (and also tease the WWE graphics department who made the error of mispelling Kofi’s name). Kofi was the first to comment on his match, making sure to dedicate his match to Xavier.
“You all know how important King of the Ring has always been to me. I’m not in the tournament this year but my brother Kofi has the chance to gain the crown. BRING IT HOME FOR NEW DAY! Also please spell his name correctly on the next graphic.”
You all know how important King of the Ring has always been to me. I'm not in the tournament this year but my brother Kofi has the chance to gain the crown. BRING IT HOME FOR NEW DAY!
GUNTHER made quite the promise to the fans at a recent WWE live event in Vienna, Austria: that he will return to his native land as a WWE World Champion.
The Ring General was at the May 2, event in Vienna and unsurprisingly received a warm response from the crowd. In fact, the response was so overwhelming, that it was difficult to hear the introduction for GUNTHER over the roar of the crowd.
After his match, GUNTHER spoke to the fans inside the Wiener Stadthalle. The Ring General addressed his past in NXT UK and his record-shattering 666-day reign as the WWE Intercontinental Champion. Looking to the future, GUNTHER vowed that the next time WWE comes to Austria, he will be a World Champion.
— Maeve Draal 🇦🇹🇬🇧🇺🇲🇩🇪🇮🇱 (@MaeveDraal) May 2, 2024
This event marked WWE’s return to Austria after last hosting a show in the country in 2019. At the time, GUNTHER was competing as WALTER and held the NXT United Kingdom Championship. The Ring General defended on the November night against Jordan Devlin (now JD McDonagh of the Judgment Day.)
Even if he doesn’t win King Of The Ring, Gunther feels like one in the Paul Levesque Era of WWE.
In a new interview with Gorilla Position, the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in company history was asked if he thought he’d have that same opportunity to make history under the old Vince McMahon regime.
“I don’t know, but it was one of the reasons why, for a long time I didn’t want to go to the US. The product before Triple H was not what I enjoyed. I just didn’t want to be part of that. I am who I am and that’s what I can do best. A big part of that is I need to have my time in the ring and have that time to put on the matches I can put on. That chance would not be there under the old regime.”
Gunther lost his title to Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 40 and the 4/22 episode of RAW is when he made his return, “thanking” Zayn for freeing him to be “the hunter” instead of “the hunted.” That’s when he staked his claim for the King of The Ring crown.
Gunther Trusts In Triple H
The Intercontinental Title reign has put Gunther in the upper echelon of talent in WWE and he knows that he has Creative Content Officer Triple H to thank for that.
“With Triple H, he always saw that in me, and he always had that vision for me. I got lucky that a lot of things in my career took place at the right time. It was a little bit of a leap of faith when I first made the move over. Everything worked out in the end.”
What didn’t work out in the end is the Imperium pairing of Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci as Kaiser brutally attacked Vinci after they lost a tag match to New Day on that very same episode of RAW.
Giovanni Vinci has seemingly been kicked out of the Imperium after tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw from Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio.
This week’s episode of the red-branded show saw the first appearance of Gunther after he lost his Intercontinental Championship to Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 40.
The Ring General said that people expected him to talk about his loss but he had something else in mind. The former champion then officially declared himself as the first entrance for the upcoming King of The Ring tournament.
The New Day then made their way to the ring and Xavier Woods talked about being the last King of The Ring winner. The back and forth between the two groups lead to a tag team match featuring Ludwig Kaiser and Vinci taking on Woods and Kofi Kingston.
By The Orders of The Ring General?
The ending of this bout saw Wood delivering a double stomp on Vinci and pinning the Raw star for the victory. Gunther who was at the ringside was seemingly disappointed with this result and he stormed to the back after throwing his chair.
Kaiser helped Vinci get back up at the ringside and hugged him. He followed this up, however, by attacking his tag team partner. Kaiser continued the assault for a while and sent his partner crashing through the ring post and the announce desk before the officials sent him back.
Until this point, it appeared that Kaiser had snapped but as the German star returned to the Gorilla position, he ran into Gunther once again. Both the men smiled upon seeing each other suggesting that it was a pre-planned attack.
Elsewhere in the show, we saw the crowning of the new women’s world champion after Rhea Ripley relinquished her title due to an injury last week. You can click here to know who became the new champion.
WWE uses WrestleMania’s stage to tell the best stories they can every year. WrestleMania 40’s IC Title match was certainly worthy of the historic event.
Sami Zayn defeated GUNTHER at WrestleMania 40 to end his historic reign as Intercontinental Champion.
GUNTHER walked into WrestleMania 40 with 666 days as Intercontinental Champion and counting. He battled Sami Zayn, who was entering as the underdog, but that was nothing different for Zayn.
The Match Finish
No matter what GUNTHER threw at Sami Zayn, he kept kicking out. When Zayn landed a Helluva Kick, GUNTHER kicked out in return.
Sami Zayn’s wife sat at ringside for the match, cheering her husband on the whole time, especially after he kicked out following two powerbombs from GUNTHER. The Ring General continued to assault Zayn, and then he taunted his wife before laying down another powerbomb.
Finally, GUNTHER scaled the top rope, where he hit a big splash, but he didn’t even attempt a cover before he went back to the top rope to hit a second splash. He didn’t even try to pin him the second time.
Zayn started to stir, and he nailed GUNTHER with a Helluva Kick as he climbed to the top rope again. Then Zayn nailed an avalanche brainbuster before hitting another two Helluva Kicks and getting the clean pin to win the title.
Special Entrance
Before the match, they showed Sami Zayn backstage with his wife and son. He asked her to keep his son backstage, so he didn’t see what happened in the ring. Then Chad Gable told him that he’s going out there by himself.
Sami Zayn with his family before the IC Title match.
— NukemTalksWrestling (@NukemWrestling) April 7, 2024
As the camera followed Sami Zayn to the ring, Kevin Owens met him in the gorilla position. Owens slapped Zayn to hype him up before he made his way to the ring.
GUNTHER is hoping to remain undefeated at WrestleMania this April, and will join an exclusive club when he puts the Intercontinental title on the line.
The Austrian Superstar has been a dominant champion since capturing the gold back in June of 2022. Not only has GUNTHER proven himself in his own right, but having Imperium alongside him has made the Ring General even more dangerous.
GUNTHER’s Record at WrestleMania
At WrestleMania, GUNTHER will defend the Intercontinental Championship against Sami Zayn. The Austrian has been immensely confident in recent weeks and is sure that Zayn is simply not good enough to beat him.
Win, lose, or draw, GUNTHER will become the fourth Superstar in WWE history to defend the gold at back-to-back WrestleManias. This is a feat accomplished by only three Superstars at WWE’s biggest show of the year.
Who’s In the Club?
The first man to do so was ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage, who put the gold on the line at WrestleMania 2 and WrestleMania 3. The latter match is the much-acclaimed bout that saw Savage lose the gold to Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat.
The Ultimate Warrior would defend the title at WrestleMania 5 and WrestleMania 6, with the latter match seeing him capture the WWF title. The most recent man to have back-to-back title defenses is The Rock, who retained at both WrestleMania 13 and WrestleMania 14.
GUNTHER’s Other Records
This is hardly the first accolade for GUNTHER. In September 2022, GUNTHER broke the record for the longest solo Intercontinental Championship reign. In February 2024, GUNTHER broke the record for the most days combined of any Intercontinental Champion.
GUNTHER is also part of an elite club of Superstars that have held two championships in WWE for over a year. In addition to his current reign, GUNTHER held the NXT United Kingdom Championship for 870 days.
WWE Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER has a new record to his impressive resume after reaching a milestone with Raw’s secondary piece of gold.
GUNTHER captured the Intercontinental Championship in June 2022 by dethroning Ricochet. The title marked the first for GUNTHER on the main roster and his first title under his current name. He previously held the NXT UK Champion for over a year as WALTER.
A New Accolade for GUNTHER
GUNTHER has proven to be a fighting champion since winning the Intercontinental gold, as his track record shows. Recently, GUNTHER reached 100 successful title defenses as WWE Intercontinental Champion. Superstars who’ve come up short against the Austrian include Sheamus, Drew McIntyre, Ricochet, Rey Mysterio, and Jey Uso, among others.
GUNTHER’s toughest match (at least according to Cagematch statistics) took place on the October 2, 2023, episode of Monday Night Raw. It took GUNTHER 22:53 to defeat Tommaso Ciampa in the match that finished via referee stoppage. The match earned 4.5 stars by the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer.
What’s Next for GUNTHER?
GUNTHER’s next confirmed title defense will come at WWE WrestleMania 40 when he puts the title on the line against Sami Zayn. The Underdog got a controversial win a gauntlet match to earn a shot at the Austrian. Some fans hope to see Chad Gable added to the match as it’s been claimed that the Olympian’s shoulders were not fully down during the decisive fall in the gauntlet match.
Impressing the Phenom
GUNTHER has impressed many fans and wrestlers alike and recently earned the praise of WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker. The Phenom recently said that he sees a bright future for the Imperium leader who has a world of potential.
WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker sees a bright future for GUNTHER, who continues to impress the Deadman each week.
The Ring General has certainly proven to be dominant since coming to WWE. GUNTHER is one of the a handful of men to have held two championships for over one year, a group that includes Randy Savage, Pedro Morales, and Roman Reigns.
The Undertaker on GUNTHER
On a recent edition of the Six Feet Under podcast, The Undertaker gushed about GUNTHER, who he believes has plenty to show in WWE.
“The sky’s the limit for him. I think he’s a little bit of a throwback to a different era, but has the ability to work and tell stories.”
The former WWE World Champion spoke about GUNTHER’s recent match with Dominik Mysterio and praised the Austrian for remaining a heel without turning ‘Dirty Dom’ face in the process.
GUNTHER Vs. The Undertaker?
By the time GUNTHER made it to the main roster, The Undertaker had long retired from action, robbing fans of what’d be an epic showdown. Speaking about how such a match would go down, the Phenom predicted that they’d descend into a fistfight after two chops.
Sami Zayn hopes to win his second championship in as many WrestleManias when he challenges Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER next month.
On Monday Night Raw, Zayn emerged as the victor of a Gauntlet Match to determine the Austrian’s next challenger. The match featured Zayn, Chad Gable, Shinsuke Nakamura, ‘Big’ Bronson Reed, Ricochet, and JD McDonagh of the Judgment Day.
The match started with Ricochet, the man GUNTHER dethroned in June 2022, taking on McDonagh. The One and Only pinned McDonagh before Bronson Reed eliminated Ricochet. Zayn would be the fourth entrant in the match and would eliminate Reed. He would then eliminate Nakamura and Chad Gable to get the win and the coveted title shot.
Sami Zayn as Intercontinental Champion
Zayn is a three-time Intercontinental Champion and won the title for the first time in March 2020. After opting to take a break from WWE programming due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Zayn would be stripped of the title but in storyline claimed to still be the champion when he returned to TV in August that same year.
At Clash of Champions in September 2020, Zayn was crowned the Undisputed Intercontinental Champion but lost the title to Big E in December. His third reign began in February 2022 but he would lose the gold to Ricochet mere weeks later.
WWE WrestleMania 40
This year’s WrestleMania will be the fifth annual two-night WrestleMania, a tradition that began with the Covid-19 pandemic. The show will also be the first WrestleMania following the launch of TKO Group Holdings last September. The card for the show so far is as follows:
Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes (Undisputed WWE Universal Championship)
Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bayley (WWE Women’s Championship)
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Becky Lynch (WWE Women’s World Championship)
Seth “Freakin” Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
GUNTHER (c) vs. Sami Zayn (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
Coming out of Elimination Chamber, most of the top title matches for WrestleMania 40 appear settled. Fans already knew Cody Rhodes would challenge Roman Reigns and learned Drew McIntyre would challenge Seth Rollins. Bayley vs. Iyo Sky has built nicely on SmackDown, while Becky Lynch made good on the teases that she’ll go after Rhea Ripley. Even the United States Championship picture appeared to crystallized when WWE set the wheels in motion for Logan Paul vs. Randy Orton during the men’s Elimination Chamber match.
Intercontinental Champion Gunther is all but assured to work a high-profile match at WrestleMania, if only for the combination of his talent and how well WWE has pushed him and this reign. Gunther surpassed The Honky Tonk Man for the longest single reign with the title months ago, and more recently this single reign has positioned him as the longest cumulative reigning IC champ ever.
The question remains whom Gunther will face at ‘Mania, particularly as a number of pundits have speculated the title might changes hands on this auspicious occasion.
Ahead of the Gauntlet Match on tonight’s WWE Raw to determine who will in fact battle Gunther at Wrestlemania, here are five Superstars we’d like to see in that spot:
Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn had a stare down with Gunther on Monday Night Raw and certainly is well-positioned as a prospective challenger for the Intercontinental Championship. Indeed, Zayn is on a very short list of men who don’t yet have a match for WrestleMania, is a credible threat to The Ring General, and is also a fresh opponent who hasn’t yet challenged for the belt during this reign. All that’s not to mention that Zayn vs. Gunther would all but guarantee a strong match.
There are those fans who are underwhelmed with this idea on the premise that they’re still holding out hope Zayn’s big push from 2023 could culminate in a world title reign. Besides that, he is already a four-time former Intercontinental Champion. Nonetheless, dethroning Gunther would, in and of itself be a major milestone that would have to be considered among Zayn’s biggest career accomplishments to date.
Damian Priest
The Raw after Elimination Chamber also saw WWE tease a confrontation between Damian Priest and Gunther as Judgment Day confronted the Intercontinental Champion. Explicit references to Senor Money in the Bank cashing in on Gunther arose, introducing possibilities for Priest challenging formally at WrestleMania or else stealing the title via cash-in after Gunther works someone else.
Priest vs. Gunther has potential has a clash between two big men who can go in the ring. Though some fans are lukewarm on Money in the Bank being used to challenge for secondary titles, Priest cashing in could also be seen as a way of elevating the Intercontinental Championship. That’s not to mention that if any secondary champion ever warranted a challenger taking advantage of a cash-in, it would have to be Gunther, and this would be a way to protect The Ring General while he transitions out of the IC title picture.
Andrade
Andrade has had one of the more confounding careers in American pro wrestling. He was a breakout star for CMLL, then had and up and down run in NXT before hitting his stride and arriving as NXT Champion. It looked like he’d be big deal when he moved up to the main roster, but he promptly found himself lost in the mid-card shuffle. Even more frustrating, Andrade’s run with AEW yielded similar results as he never quite seemed to find his spot. It’s telling that his most memorable accomplishment in his three years away from WWE may well have been teaming up with his father in law to headline the Ric Flair’s Last Match indie event.
If Andrade were to challenge Gunther, and especially if he were to take the Intercontinental Championship off him, it would be a nice testament that this WWE tenure really is going to be different for Andrade. His in-ring abilities are not in question. If WWE were to afford him this WrestleMania match, there’s every chance Andrade would make the most of the opportunity.
Ilja Dragunov
Gunther hasn’t suffered many losses under the WWE banner. Quite arguably the biggest loss of his WWE career to date came in developmental when Ilja Dragunov was the man to “pull the sword from the stone” and end Gunther’s 800+ day reign as NXT UK Champion.
There would be some poeticism to Dragunov—now the reigning NXT Champion—being the one to end Gunther’s next marathon title reign as well. No less important, Dragunov and Gunther have a proven track record as truly great opponents for one another. Dragunov making his main roster debut at WrestleMania in a show-stealing match in which he beats Gunther could do wonders for the Russian Superstar’s career.
John Cena
There’s no guarantee at all that John Cena will work WrestleMania 40. Indeed, between his busy acting schedule and not appearing on WWE television since his loss to Solo Sikoa at Crown Jewel this fall, it looks like the odds are Cena is sitting out ‘Mania this year. If he does appear, the smart money is on a surprise promo, altercation, or impromptu match more so than a full-fledged ‘Mania program and major bout.
Cena notoriously remains in great shape, though, and he’s the kind of legend who can readily be slotted into any title picture at the drop of a dime. Moreover, there is a ready made story to be told of Cena chasing the biggest title that’s eluded him throughout his WWE career, the Intercontinental Championship. Cena also marks an ideal opponent for Gunther. If Gunther were to lose, there’s little shame in him dropping a match to the guy WWE has pushed as “the greatest of all time.” Meanwhile, if Gunther were to win, this is one of the few one-on-one victories–shy of a world title win–that would undeniably elevate him at this point.
In the end, fans will probably find out the identity of Gunther’s WrestleMania challenger in the near future. The possibilities outlined here, not to mention the prospect of a Triple Threat or a multi-man ladder match offer all manner of interesting possibilities and every opportunity for Gunther to deliver another memorable performance on the Grandest Stage of Them All.
Chad Gable really wanted to show wrestling fans that his potential Intercontinental Championship opportunity does indeed mean more for him.
On WWE Raw, Gable will be one of the six participants competing in a gauntlet match to earn a shot at Gunther and his Intercontinental gold at WrestleMania 40. Gable had his first chance on a September 2023 episode of Raw, but came up short.
However, a fire was lit under him when Gunther made his daughter cry and ever since, Gable has been adamant at facing the unprecedented champion once again. That point was further hammered home on social media over the weekend as Gable posted a new vignette of himself expressing how important Monday’s match is to him.
“I’ve been running the gauntlet in my own head since that match with Gunther last September. Trust me, the only tears you wanna wipe off your child’s face are tears of joy, but if I want that chance, a new gauntlet stands in front of me. “
Gable says the match is full of “demons” of his past but that him going battling those is a chance at redemption for him.
“It’s a rare chance to rewrite history, we don’t get those every day so I intend to claim it and become a beacon of perseverance that my fans and my family can be proud of so I will endure, because for Chad Gable, this match just means more.”
Monday’s gauntlet match has implications larger than could possibly be put into words, but I created this piece to do my best to convey what this opportunity means to me above and beyond just Wrestlemania.
Coming from a storyline perspective, Gable and Sami Zayn are the two stars in the match who have made the greatest case to compete against Gunther at WrestleMania. The other participants in the fight are Ricochet, JD McDonagh, Bronson Reed and Shinsuke Nakamura.
WWE’s biggest show of the year, WrestleMania 40, will go down on April 6 and 7, 2024, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. GUNTHER will wrestle at the show of shows, and we are so much closer to figuring out his next opponent.
Brock Lesnar was originally set to face GUNTHER at WrestleMania 40. Now, WWE has set up a gauntlet match for next week’s episode of RAW to determine who will face the Ring General.
GUNTHER’s Next Opponent
WWE is gearing up for WrestleMania 40, with numerous superstars vying for a significant spot at what is slated to be the grandest WrestleMania ever.
A major talking point revolves around GUNTHER and his WWE Intercontinental Championship reign, which surpasses all others in the company’s history.
Dominik Mysterio, Shinsuke Nakamura, Ricochet, JD McDonagh, and Sami Zayn are among the top stars eager to challenge The Ring General at the marquee event.
RAW General Manager Adam Pearce has been considering everyone’s arguments for weeks and has finally made his decision. On tonight’s episode, he announced a monumental 6-man gauntlet match featuring former WWE Intercontinental champions Sami Zayn, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Ricochet, along with rising talents Bronson Reed, Chad Gable, and JD McDonagh. The victor will earn the opportunity to face GUNTHER for the prestigious title at WrestleMania 40.
We will have to see what WWE does to continue building toward WrestleMania 40. In the meantime, you can check out the card so far below. Obviously, the card is always subject to change, so keep checking back with SEScoops for more updates!
Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes: Singles match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship
Seth “Freakin” Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre: Singles match for the World Heavyweight Championship
Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bayley: Singles match for the WWE Women’s Championship
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Becky Lynch: Singles match for the Women’s World Championship
Gunther (c) vs. TBD: Singles match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
GUNTHER’s IC Title reign has been historic so far, and he recently beat Jey Uso to retain his belt. That match helped re-spark Jimmy vs Jey for their WrestleMania match, but there were never any real plans for things to go any other way.
It was noted on Twitter/X prior to the match that some were under the impression that Jey Uso would win the title. It was noted in some circles that talent were thinking that GUNTHER’s reign may end, but that’s not the case.
IC Title Plans Did Not Change
Fightful Select reported that there were never any real plans in place for Jey Uso to win the WWE IC Title from GUNTHER. There were a few rumors going around that he may win the title prior to the match.
Regarding rumors that Jey Uso was to win the IC Title last week, we’re told that info was relayed to a couple of people but it wasn’t actually planned.
I also asked around after the match and was told that there were never any plans for Jey Uso to win the title. The road to WrestleMania is underway, and that will include GUNTHER as IC Champion.
GUNTHER’s Historic IC Title Run
GUNTHER was already the longest-running WWE NXT UK Champion from 2019 to 2022, and he took that dominance to the main roster.
Gunther’s Intercontinental Championship reign reached a new milestone on February 20, as he broke the record for the most cumulative days as champion. This achievement surpasses the previous record-holder, Pedro Morales, who held the title for a total of 619 days across two reigns. Morales had held this record for an impressive 41 years.
SE Scoops will have continued coverage of the road to WrestleMania 40. So, keep checking back for more updates.
GUNTHER is still the Intercontinental Champion, but many in WWE were confident that the title would be changing hands this week.
On the January 19, 2024, episode of WWE Monday Night Raw, GUNTHER put his title on the line against ‘Main Event’ Jey Uso. The Austrian retained thanks to a distraction by Jimmy Uso, who would lay out his brother after the match. The match marked Jey’s first shot at the workhorse title.
A Possible Title Change?
Jey Uso didn’t win the WWE Intercontinental Championship, which will have come as a surprise to some in WWE. Wrestle Votes reports that “multiple people” within WWE were under the impression that Jey would be ending GUNTHER’s historic reign.
As far as 6 pm, several internal rundowns for Raw stated that Jey Uso was going to be winning the title. With that said, it cannot be counted out that WWE were using false rundowns to avoid the actual match result getting out. With this win, GUNTHER now holds the record for the most collective days as Intercontinental Champion.
What’s Next?
The dominant Austrian is not set to compete at WWE’s upcoming Elimination Chamber event from Perth, Australia. Due to strict immigration regulations, GUNTHER is currently unable to leave the United States, which could mean he misses the recently- announced WWE live event in Vienna, Austria.
As for Jey Uso, this week’s Raw has led to speculation that a match against Jimmy is an inevitability. After Jimmy betrayed his brother at SummerSlam 2023, it was reported that WWE was considering a match between the pair for WrestleMania 40.
GUNTHER will go down in history as the WWE Superstar who has held the Intercontinental Champion more than any other.
The Austrian captured the Intercontinental Championship on SmackDown in June 2022 with a victory over Ricochet. Since then, GUNTHER has retained against a litany of different opponents. At WWE Clash at the Castle 2022, GUNTHER would retain in a five-star classic against Sheamus, who only needs the IC title to complete the Grand Slam.
Now, GUNTHER has another accolade to his name. As of today, the Imperium leader has surpassed Pedro Morales’ collective 619 days across two reigns to now hold the record for the most collective days with the gold. Morales held the title from December 1980 to June 1981 and later from November 1981 to January 1983.
What’s Next?
On last night’s Raw, GUNTHER put his title on the line against ‘Main Event’ Jey Uso. The Austrian retained thanks to a distraction by Jimmy Uso, who would lay out his brother after the match. The match marked Jey’s first shot at the workhorse title. The dominant Austrian is not set to compete at WWE’s upcoming Elimination Chamber event from Perth, Australia.
One thing fans shouldn’t expect to see next from GUNTHER is a pursuit of a WWE World Championship. Last August, GUNTHER expressed his hesitation at being a double champion and said it was not the time for him to pursue a World Championship.
Posted February 20th, 2024 in WWE. Tagged: Gunther.
Paul Heyman has a long history of managing clients in the pro wrestling world. The Bloodline might not last forever, especially as the road to WrestleMania 40 becomes even more tumultuous. There are many more Superstars in WWE who may benefit from Heyman’s guidance, and we collected a list to explore a few options.
Throughout his career, Heyman has managed many top names including Brock Lesnar, CM Punk, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Rob Van Dam, The Dudley Boyz, Steve Austin, Rick Rude, and Matt Hardy. Additionally, Heyman has had stints managing factions such as The Dangerous Alliance in WCW and The Dangerous Alliance and The Alliance in WWE. That doesn’t even count his position as The Bloodline’s Wise Man.
Brock Lesnar is no longer in any WWE creative plans due to his name being connected to Janel Grant’s lawsuit. I asked just last week and was able to confirm that is still the case, and Lesnar’s name is not coming up in any creative fashion. Since the Beast Incarnate’s return to WWE might take a long while, let’s see who might be next for Heyman if the Bloodline implodes.
Bron Breakker
It seems that Breakker is the #1 candidate to become the next Paul Heyman Guy after The Wise Man’s Bloodline tenure is over. Heyman paid special attention to Breakker during SmackDown, as he made extra effort to introduce himself. Heyman and Breakker also had a segment on NXT months ago. The former NXT Champion also has all the tools needed to become a breakout star for the main roster once he can get things moving for himself after his NXT obligations are over.
GUNTHER
GUNTHER’s imposing presence and hard-hitting style would make him a perfect candidate for Paul Heyman’s stable. Heyman could amplify the IC Champion’s intimidating persona and help him become a dominant force in WWE, both in the ring and on the microphone. The Ring General has a pretty great thing going with Imperium right now, but that stable has showed signs of cracks in the past, and GUNTHER’s domination in WWE will not end with the stable’s eventual demise.
Pete Dunne
The former Butch is known for his intense in-ring style and captivating presence. Triple H gave Pete Dunne is name back, and the Brawling Brutes is now over. He teamed up with Tyler Bate, and they are getting a chance as a tandem. Some would say that Dunne may thrive under Paul Heyman’s guidance. Heyman could help Dunne further develop his character and storytelling abilities, solidifying his status as a top star in WWE.
Dexter Lumis
With his unique character and silent intensity, Dexter Lumis would be an intriguing addition to Paul Heyman’s stable. Heyman could help Lumis further develop his character and storytelling abilities, positioning him as a standout star in WWE. If anything, it would give Lumis something to do. I’ve asked around about his status many times, and I’ve been told that he’s not injured. Hopefully, WWE will figure out a way to use the serial killer with a heart of gold soon.
Raquel Rodriguez
As the current NXT Women’s Champion, Raquel Rodriguez has already proven herself as a dominant force in WWE. With Paul Heyman’s guidance, she could further elevate her character and mic skills, establishing herself as a top star on the main roster. She hasn’t been able to find her footing on the main roster since her call-up, although she has seen glimpses of good booking. Perhaps, Heyman advocating for her may do the trick.
Shotzi Blackheart
With her unique look, high-flying style, and charismatic personality, Shotzi Blackheart would be an excellent addition to Paul Heyman’s stable of clients. Heyman could help Blackheart refine her character and mic skills, positioning her as a standout star in WWE’s women’s division. Sadly, Shotzi is out of action with a knee injury which will keep her on the shelf for a majority of 2024, but her return as a Paul Heyman Girl may be just what she needs.
Rhea Ripley
The Nightmare could be a good fit as a Paul Heyman Girl due to her distinct appearance, impressive in-ring skills, and ability on the microphone. Ripley’s unique look and imposing presence make her stand out performer. With Heyman’s guidance, Ripley could further develop her in-ring storytelling and refine her microphone skills, enhancing her ability to connect with the audience and establish herself as a dominant force in the women’s division. She is currently in the Judgment Day, but that stable may open the door to Heyman swooping in eventually.
There are many options for WWE Superstars that would make fine Paul Heyman clients. SEScoops will have continued coverage of WWE, just in case any of these prospective pairings becomes a reality.
GUNTHER is aware that his dream match with Brock Lesnar is unlikely but he’s not ready to give up hope just yet.
The prospect of the Ring General Vs. The Beast has been of great interest to the WWE Universe for some time. In late 2022, it was reported that GUNTHER Vs. Lesnar was in the works for WrestleMania 39. That didn’t happen as Lesnar faced Omos in LA while the Intercontinental Champion retained against Drew McIntyre and Sheamus.
GUNTHER On Brock Lesnar Match
Recently, Brock Lesnar was pulled from all WWE plans due to his reported ties to Janel Grant’s lawsuit against Vince McMahon. While Lesnar isn’t mentioned by name, Miss Grant alleges that McMahon trafficked her to a former UFC Heavyweight Champion believed to be the Beast.
“I always was vocal about my dream match in the past, but that fell through now. I don’t know if we’ll see Brock again if that’s ever going to happen. But I’m wide open when it comes to that as of now.”
What’s Next?
Lesnar had been scheduled to face Dominik Mysterio at WWE Elimination Chamber: Perth but that is no longer the case. Lesnar’s name is similarly not being brought up regarding plans for WrestleMania 40.
The dominant reign of Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER continued this week after the Austrian retained against an unlikely opponent after SmackDown.
The February 9, 2024, episode of WWE SmackDown saw the blue brand deal with the fallout from the WrestleMania 40 kick-off press conference, and build toward WWE Elimination Chamber: Perth. The Men’s Elimination Chamber match will determine Seth Rollins’ WrestleMania opponent, as confirmed on SmackDown. Triple H was also on SmackDown and took several shots at The Rock given the Great One’s involvement with the WrestleMania kick-off press conference.
GUNTHER After SmackDown
In a post-show dark match, GUNTHER was ready to defend his WWE Intercontinental Championship. In an unlikely course of action, the Imperium leader faced R-Truth. At one point in the match, as seen in the video below, Truth used the signature ‘Five-Knuckle Shuffle’ from his childhood hero, John Cena.
Despite the popularity of the former WWE 24/7 Champion, it was GUNTHER who retained.
This wasn’t Truth’s only appearance of the night. During a backstage segment, Truth spoke with Kevin Owens, who he mistook for The Miz. Given that Miz is a Raw Superstar, Truth warned Owens to not let ‘Nick’ catch him. Owens thought Truth was referring to the non-existent Nick Mysterio, but the veteran was more sensible than that and said he was referring to Nick Aldis.
What’s Next for GUNTHER?
Today marks day 610 of GUNTHER’s dominant reign as Intercontinental Champion. Should he hold on to the title for the rest of this month, he will break the record for the most combined days of anyone with the title. He already holds the record for the longest individual title run.
GUNTHER’s win wasn’t the only dark match at SmackDown…
Kazuchika Okada is one of the biggest name in pro wrestling outside WWE, and there is a chance that he may take their offer. AEW is still in the running, and Tony Khan might be offering more money, but at this point anything can happen in the pro wrestling world.
Okada Possibly Joining WWE
There was once a time when GUNTHER was seen as one of the top names outside WWE, but he finally gave in and signed with the company. After an ungodly reign as NXT UK Champion, he finally made his way to the United States, where things have really worked out for him.
GUNTHER was recently asked about Okada joining WWE while he was speaking with Haus of Wrestling. The IC Champion would love to see Okada in WWE, and he said that he is a big fan of what The Rainmaker did in NJPW.
“I think Okada is fantastic. I always love Japanese wrestling. When I grew up in professional wrestling, understanding everything, I always enjoyed Japanese wrestling the most. I was more of an All Japan guy than a New Japan guy, to be honest. But yeah, he’s one of the best in the world, and if he joins WWE, he’s very welcome to, and I think he finds great competition here.”
What’s Next For GUNTHER In WWE
GUNTHER is 600 days and counting as Intercontinental Champion, and he teased going for 1,000. It will be interesting to see who steps up to face him, because Okada vs GUNTHER could be an incredible match to see.
Brock Lesnar was supposed to face GUNTHER at WrestleMania, but that booking was famously scrapped. Odds are, the Ring General will have a Mania match, but he may have Jay Uso to deal with at Elimination Chamber first.
The ‘Road To WrestleMania’ may look bleak for WWE superstar CM Punk. He competed at WWE Royal Rumble on January 27 for the first time in over a decade and looked in good shape. However, fans noticed he favored his arm in the Men’s Royal Rumble Match.
According to PWInsider, Punk suffered a torn triceps during Saturday’s Royal Rumble match. Sources indicate that he will need surgery, which would keep him out for 4-6 months.
‘The belief among sources we have spoken with is that post-surgery, CM Punk would likely need in the area of 4-6 months of recovery and physical therapy.’
Punk is expected to address the WWE Universe on the January 29 episode of Monday Night Raw from Tampa, FL.
How did CM Punk’s Injury Occur?
Fans have pointed out that Punk looked hurt after he took a Future Shock DDT from Drew McIntyre in the Men’s Royal Rumble match. The report noted that Punk allegedly told a referee during the match that it was his tricep.
CM Punk might've injured his arm last night #RoyalRumble
he was clutching his right arm after the DDT and spent several minutes in the corner having a lengthy chat with the referee. hopefully it's nothing serious. pic.twitter.com/yPf7ZS3hqz
PWInsider has confirmed CM Punk did suffer a torn triceps during the Royal Rumble, likely on a Future Shock DDT from Drew McIntyre, and will need surgery. His Wrestlemania hopes have been dashed. Thankfully for WWE, they have a deep bench, but that’s a huge blow to that card.
While it seemed WWE was leaning towards a Punk and Rollins showdown at WWE WrestleMania 40, they have also teased WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther as the title challenger. On the January 22 episode of WWE Monday Night Raw, ‘The Ringe General’ had an in-ring segment with Rollins and showed interest in becoming the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
Although Punk vs. Rollins may have been in the works, a potential title vs. title match between Gunther and Rollins could make for a big program for WWE WrestleMania 40. If Punk is injured, hopefully, he can fully recover and reignite his feud with Rollins later this year.
Brock Lesnar was not specifically named in the earth-shattering lawsuit that Janel Grant filed against Vince McMahon, WWE and John Laurinaitis. The Beast Incarnate was heavily implied, as a former UFC Heavyweight Champion was mentioned. Now, that connection to this damning lawsuit has disrupted WrestleMania plans.
Brock Lesnar Plans Changed For The Royal Rumble
Bron Breakker took over Lesnar’s planned creative for the Royal Rumble match. The entry point, eliminations, and his eventual elimination were all originally intended for Lesnar.
I was able to confirm that Breakker was called up to the WWE main roster thanks to that last-minute change. That being said, Breakker will not be taking Lesnar’s planned spot against Dominik Mysterio at the Elimination Chamber premium live event.
Lesnar vs Dominik is not happening at Elimination Chamber. Bron Breakker was called up to replace Brock in the Rumble, but he won't get that spot at the Chamber event against Dirty Dom.
Dave Meltzer reported during his daily update that Gunther was supposed to face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania. While it’s not confirmed that they were planned to have as an IC title match, that match is now on hold.
The Lesnar creative which at this point he’s not going to be involved with unless they decide they would bring him back, was Lesnar vs. Dominik Mysterio in Australia and Lesnar vs. Gunther (I don’t know factually an IC title match but one would expect) at WrestleMania. Whether Bron Breakker gets those matches is not clear yet.
Brock Lesnar’s Connection To Vince McMahon Lawsuit
The Janel Grant lawsuit didn’t specify any wrestler but described one as both a former UFC Heavyweight Champion fighter and WWE talent. Given the timeline is 2021, it’s pretty easy to narrow down those choices, although it is important to reiterate that Brock Lesnar was not named.
The lawsuit stated that McMahon shared explicit photos with the WWE Superstar, who said that, “he likes what he sees.” Four WWE Producers and television production techs were also allegedly received this explicit content.
In March 2020, McMahon began sharing sexually explicit photographs and videos of Ms. Grant (including pornographic content he recorded) with other men both inside and outside the company, including with members of the television production “tech” team, executive(s), 4 producer(s), and a world-famous athlete and former UFC Heavyweight Champion with whom WWE was actively trying to sign to a new contract (and ultimately did sign that contract).
In December of the same year, McMahon allegedly provided Grant’s personal cellphone number to the unnamed WWE Superstar. The lawsuit claims that the wrestler requested a video of her urinating, and after she complied, he used derogatory language, calling her ‘b*tch.” She was also later told that sleeping with this talent was a part of his contract renewal, although a “play date” could not be arranged.
The January 15 episode of WWE Monday Night Raw gave fans an update on Kofi Kingston’s status. On the January 8 episode of the show, Kingston was attacked by Ludwig Kaiser, resulting in him being injured. WWE Commentator Michael Cole revealed on this past WWE Monday Night Raw that the former WWE Champion is expected to be out for a few weeks.
Cole shared that Kingston’s injury was a “Cervical neck sprain and an AC sprain.” It’s unclear if these injuries are legitimate or a part of a storyline. Both injuries would seemingly rule out Kingston’s involvement in the WWE Royal Rumble on January 27.
That said, his partner Xavier Woods made his return and wants to get revenge for Kingston. Woods faced Kaiser on the January 15 episode and lost by disqualification after The New Day member hit him with a chair. They continued to brawl after the match, with Woods getting the better of the exchange.
In a backstage interview with Byron Sexton, the former King Of The Ring Winner tried to explain his actions but was attacked from behind by Kaiser. Before the Imperium member could continue, Jey Uso appeared to stop the assault.
For two weeks, Uso helped Kingston in his feud against the Imperium (Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci). Since Vinci and Kingston are out with an injury, this could lead to Uso and WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther being more involved in the storyline.
What Could Be Next In The Storyline?
Although Woods is looking to get revenge on Kaiser for Kingston, Uso could soon set his sights on Gunther’s championship. “The Ring General” has looked unbeatable since winning the title on the June 10, 2022, episode of WWE Friday Night Smackdown. He has successfully defended the title 19 times and would be looking for new challengers.
Uso’s involvement in the storyline with Kingston and Woods may provide WWE a way to transition to him challenging the WWE Intercontinental Champion. Since moving to WWE Monday Night Raw, Uso has been showing that he can stand on his own without his family, and it would solidify his decision by potentially winning the title.
For Woods, his ongoing feud with Kaiser may lead to the return of both Kingston and Vinci in a few weeks. The company could decide to have a featured tag team match between The New Day(Kingston & Woods) and Imperium (Kaiser & Vinci) within the next few months.
While the storyline seems to point in this direction, WWE has plenty of options. Regardless, it doesn’t seem the company has a plan for everyone involved, which may lead to big matches heading into the “Road To WrestleMania.”
With GUNTHER’s impressive run on the main roster, CM Punk is keeping an eye on the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion. On Instagram, Punk reacted to GUNTHER’s declaration, saying if what he’s heard is real, it’s going to be a tough time for the 28 other Superstars in the match other than himself and GUNTHER.
Punk’s comment is a nod to the infamous tweet by Keith Lee that he sent in early 2022 about the Austrian. Following reports that WWE would be changing the name of WALTER to GUNTHER, Lee had the following to say.
The tweet has become a meme among fans given GUNTHER’s exceptional tenure on the main roster. In contrast, many have felt that Lee’s tenure with AEW has been far from groundbreaking, with many believing he is being wasted in the promotion.
The 2024 Royal Rumble Matches: Who’s In?
GUNTHER and Punk are just two names confirmed for the Men’s Royal Rumble match. The pair are joined by Bobby Lashley, who like Punk and GUNTHER is yet to win a Rumble match. Former winners Cody Rhodes (2023), Drew McIntyre (2020), and Shinsuke Nakamura (2018) have also been confirmed for the match.
On the women’s side of things, Bayley and Nia Jax are hoping to win their first Royal Rumble matches. Bianca Belair, the winner of the 2021 Rumble, and Becky Lynch, who stood tall in 2019, hope to make history by becoming the first two-time Women’s Royal Rumble match winner.
Could WWE be on course to a highly-physical match at WrestleMania 40…
