Gunther to be betrayed by major star, bigger plans - 4 reasons The Ring General turned babyface at WWE Bash in Berlin
Gunther defended the World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of WWE Bash in Berlin. He squared off against Randy Orton and defeated The Viper to retain the title. The leader of Imperium defeated Orton in the finals of the King of the Ring tournament earlier this year as well, but the match ended in controversy.
After the match, the two stars shook hands in the middle of the ring as the crowd cheered. The 36-year-old also cut a promo after the match and got a huge ovation from the fans in Germany.
Listed below are four reasons why Gunther turned babyface following his victory at Bash in Berlin.
#4. WWE fans respect Gunther
The WWE Universe has grown to respect Gunther, despite the WWE RAW star portraying a heel on television. He is coming off of a historic 666-day Intercontinental Championship reign that brought prestige back to the title. The Ring General also defeated Randy Orton on his own tonight at Bash in Berlin by choking him out, and there was not a controversial finish, unlike King and Queen of the Ring earlier this year.
Orton and Gunther took each other to the limit tonight, and the World Heavyweight Champion emerged victorious. The leader of Imperium likely wanted to shake Orton's hand as a sign of respect, potentially signifying that he will be a babyface moving forward on RAW.
Wrestling fans have already accepted the champion as one of the best in the business and could be ready to start cheering for him in the weeks ahead.
#3. The World Heavyweight Champion could become a bigger star as a babyface
WWE may view Gunther as the potential next face of the company, and may want him to be a babyface for marketing reasons. If the veteran were to officially turn babyface in the weeks ahead, he would have a number of heels to work with on RAW as World Heavyweight Champion.
Gunther's promo skills have drastically improved since he arrived on WWE's main roster. He has become confident with a microphone in his hand, and the promotion may want to capitalize on that by having him connect with the crowd as a babyface.
#2. Randy Orton could potentially turn heel after suffering another loss
Randy Orton returned to the promotion at Survivor Series 2023 after missing significant time with a back injury. He has been a babyface since his return but has lost several big matches in recent months. The Viper could be on the verge of snapping, and his loss today at Bash in Berlin may have been the last straw.
Orton could attack the champion in the weeks ahead and make it known that he is not finished with the World Heavyweight Champion. The crowd would then get behind Gunther in the rivalry, as he showed Orton respect by shaking his hand following their match at Bash in Berlin.
#1. Ludwig Kaiser could betray his stablemate on WWE RAW
Ludwig Kaiser brutally attacked Giovanni Vinci earlier this year after Imperium lost to The New Day on the April 22, 2024, edition of WWE RAW. He has stated that he wants to be a singles star and could be growing tired of living in the shadow of Imperium's leader.
Kaiser may decide to betray the World Heavyweight Champion in the weeks ahead and try to take the title from him. A rivalry against Gunther would be massive for Kaiser in terms of making him a viable singles star, and fans would likely feel sympathy for the World Heavyweight Champion as he was betrayed by his stablemate.