5 potential challengers for Gunther at WWE Royal Rumble 2023
Gunther has been busy defending his WWE Intercontinental Championship against WWE Superstars, who are trying to snag it away from him. Despite their efforts, The Ring General has emerged victorious from these challenges and still holds the title.
His thunderous chop is just one of his feared arsenals, as this leaves a mark on whoever is receiving it. Gunther is indeed a force to be reckoned with on WWE’s current roster of superstars.
With Royal Rumble just around the corner, the Ring General is expected to be part of the annual Premium Live Event. To that end, fans are musing about who will be his opponent to come to D-day.
Here are some possible opponents for WWE’s Ring General.
#5. Butch (Pete Dunne)
Gunther and Butch had some history back when they were still slugging it out in NXT. For those unaware, the latter held the WWE United Kingdom Championship for 685 days before the former ended it. Gunther broke the said record at NXT TakeOver: New York on 5 April 2019, as he reigned as the UK Champ for an impressive 870 days.
The Ring General’s viciousness inside the ring and Butch’s penchant for firing away at anyone that he deems an enemy is certainly a recipe for one heck of a barn burner. Fans might also recall that their respective factions - Imperium and The Brawling Brutes have clashed in the past, and the WWE Universe commended their fight.
Now that they’re on the main roster and Gunther already went toe-to-toe against Sheamus, WWE’s creative might want to reignite the feud between the two superstars.
#4. Damian Priest vs. Gunther is also a plausible Royal Rumble matchup
Damian Priest possesses a towering build similar to Gunther’s, which is just one reason why WWE should consider such a match.
He started as a face when he debuted on the main roster in 2021. That good guy persona didn’t last long, though, as he eventually turned heel that same year. Later, Priest would be the first recruit of Edge’s Judgment Day faction, who would turn on him and kick him out of the stable.
It may well seem that Priest and Gunther have yet to cross paths, including the teams that they’re in. To that end, it would be interesting to see the two WWE Superstars unleash their respective wrestling styles inside the squared circle at this year’s Rumble.
#3. Luke Gallows
Another WWE Superstar that also has the wares to take on The Ring General is The O.C.’s Luke Gallows. At six foot eight, The Big LG will have no problems locking horns with Gunther if such a fight comes to light.
Like Damian Priest, Gallows vs. Gunther is also a matchup worth featuring in Premium Live Events like Royal Rumble.
Gallows’ O.C. bud – AJ Styles may give a tip or two about the current IC Champion. He previously fought The Ring General at WWE’s Holiday Tour SuperShow.
Outside WWE, he and Karl Anderson had amazing runs in various wrestling promotions. The two superstars were able to capture championships both individually and as a tag team.
#2. Sending a receipt to Ricochet after that botched chair spot
Gunther and Ricochet have already faced off in the past. A notable one was when the latter lost the WWE Intercontinental Championship to the former, who holds the title to this day.
The two could face off again for the title, but Ricochet failed to regain the IC belt. The two WWE Superstars also participated in a so-called Miracle on 34th Street Fight where it’s a Holiday-themed free-for-all.
During SmackDown’s final episode for 2022, the two crossed paths again when Ricochet helped a downed Braun Strowman. He came rushing with a steel chair and began swinging it as soon as he was inside the ring. However, there was a botched spot where he accidentally hit Gunther in the head, busting it open.
The Ring General will surely not let this one pass, and it would be interesting to see how he deals with the high-flying Ricochet at Rumble. That is, if such a match comes to fruition.
#1. Braun Strowman
Since his return to WWE, Braun Strowman has been trampling opponents left and right. This has put the IC Champion on notice, as Strowman is likely the one to take the title away from him.
Another thing worth noting is how dodgy The Ring General is facing Strowman. Case in point was when The Monster of All Monsters issued a challenge to Gunther for the title, which he declined.
This resulted in Strowman getting ganged upon by Imperium. This was also the spot where the aforementioned chair shot botch happened. Since the three WWE Superstars got tangled up in this promo, how about they finally settle the score in a triple threat match at this year’s Rumble?
The most recent episode of SmackDown featured the two WWE Superstars battling for the IC title as Gunther successfully defended his championship. However, there was a spot where Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci interfered in the match. This feud is likely to continue.
One might point out the rumors about Brock Lesnar facing The Ring General. It’s also plausible that they might brawl it out at the upcoming PLE. However, talks suggest that it could happen at this year’s WrestleMania.