4 opponents for Gunther at WWE WrestleMania 40 - Popular star to finally live up to forgotten promise?
The latest episode of Monday Night RAW was a big show. A Last Chance Women's Battle Royal was held featuring a return, Elimination Chamber: Perth implications, and Cody Rhodes battled against Drew McIntyre in a singles competition. The show even had an exciting eight-man tag team match.
The most interesting and exciting match of the night, however, was arguably the Intercontinental Championship defense in the main event. Gunther, who is the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion of all time, successfully defended his title against Jey Uso.
While Gunther did not exactly win the match fairly, a win is a win nonetheless. The Ring General now moves forward with his unbelievable title reign still intact. Naturally, fans are already speculating about who his next opponent may be.
Given that WrestleMania 40 is quickly approaching, there is a strong chance that Gunther's next title defense will be at The Show of Shows. This article will take a look at a handful of opponents for The Ring General at the biggest event of the year.
Below are four opponents for Gunther at WWE WrestleMania 40.
#4. Jey Uso arguably deserves a rematch
Jey Uso is one of WWE's most popular performers. For years, he was known as one-half of The Usos and later as a member of The Bloodline, but he broke out of the group last year and has been making a name for himself as a singles star ever since.
Gunther and Jey are not strangers to each other, as they just competed in a match on Monday Night RAW, which the former won. His victory was shallow, however, as it came courtesy of an interference from Jey's twin brother, Jimmy Uso. Jimmy caused enough of a distraction to help Gunther stand tall.
Given the controversial nature of Jey's loss to Gunther on WWE RAW, a rematch between the pair of talented superstars would make a lot of sense. Unfortunately, Jey may be distracted by his feud with his twin brother going forward, which could delay any kind of rematch the two could have.
#3. Chad Gable promised that he would dethrone Gunther
Chad Gable is a phenomenal in-ring competitor and one of WWE's most underrated performers. When it comes to in-ring action, very few can compare to the former Olympian. Master Gable also has charisma and is in great physical shape. By all means, he should be a massive superstar.
Just like Jey Uso, Chad has been a victim of Gunther and his Intercontinental Championship reign. The two men had a series of bouts on WWE RAW last year, including a standout championship match. In the end, however, Gable lost.
Despite his loss, Master Gable remained confident that he could and would dethrone Gunther in the future. The former SmackDown Tag Team Champion even went as far as to swear to God that he would be the man to take the title away from The Ring General.
Some people may have forgotten it, but the promise is important. Given his big win over Ivar on RAW, Gable may be building momentum back to fulfill his promise at WrestleMania 40.
#2. Sami Zayn needs a win in WWE
Sami Zayn is a wrestling veteran who has done nearly all there is to do. He headlined WrestleMania 39, where he became one-half of the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions. He has also held the Intercontinental Championship and the NXT Championship.
As is the case with the prior entries on this list, Sami is another person who has battled and lost to Gunther. Still, the pair have not had a proper feud with a major premium live event match, which makes a clash between the pair enticing.
Right now, Sami Zayn is in a bit of a funk. The Underdog from the Underground spoke on RAW about his recent losing streak, having failed in big-time matches against Seth Rollins, Shinsuke Nakamura, Drew McIntyre, and Randy Orton. He wants to be a champion and believes he can win gold at The Grandest Stage of Them All, so maybe this could be his path to WrestleMania 40.
#1. Ilja Dragunov is Gunther's kryptonite
Ilja Dragunov is the human embodiment of intensity. Few people in WWE can match the rage and drive that the reigning NXT Champion brings to the table. His matches, as a result, are some of the most violent in any promotion.
While many men have been victims of Gunther, very few can say that they have defeated The Ring General, especially in WWE. Ilja Dragunov, however, is one man who can lay claim to that fact. He defeated Gunther for the NXT UK Championship at TakeOver 36 in 2021.
Given that he has beaten the seemingly unbeatable champion in the past, it would make sense for The Mad Dragon to do it again. Whether he is still NXT Champion or not, Ilja could battle against Gunther in a massive match at WrestleMania 40 to try and replicate his success.
Who do you want to see as Gunther's opponent at WrestleMania 40? Sound off in the comments section below!