Major WWE name, former champion & more - 4 potential replacements for Giovanni Vinci in Imperium
Last night on WWE RAW, Giovanni Vinci was brutally attacked by his partner after the duo lost to The New Day.
It seems that the assault was planned by the group's leader, Gunther. He had seemingly told Ludwig Kaiser to get the job done before the match. Imperium has always been a close-knit stable and now it's unclear if Kaiser and Vinci will continue as a duo. This has led many to question whether the stable has a person in mind to replace the 33-year-old.
With the 2024 WWE Draft coming up, there is a chance that Gunther could have his eye on a replacement. That said, here are four potential names who might join the faction soon.
#4 Baron Corbin
Baron Corbin has been working as part of a tag team alongside Bron Breakker over the past few months. But it appears that the two men have now gone their separate ways after Breakker joined SmackDown. Corbin has proven in the past that he works well in a stable and could be a good recruit for Imperium if they decide they want to add a new member.
With the Draft coming up, Corbin could be returning to the main roster and to ensure that he's not lost in the shuffle like he was in his first run, he could join forces with Gunther and Kaiser. If he joins the dominant faction, the former United States Champion could remain a prominent star on RAW or SmackDown.
#3 Chad Gable
At present Gunther and Chad Gable have a common enemy. It seems that they both want the Intercontinental Championship held by Sami Zayn. Gable has had quite a change of attitude because of his title pursuit. Hence, he could drift away from The Alpha Academy in the coming weeks and maybe align himself with a new faction.
The Ring General and Gable have had some incredible matches in the past and often in WWE, the biggest rivals eventually become the closest friends. If Gunther can recruit one of his most formidable opponents, even as a temporary member of his group, it will ensure he doesn't have to wrestle him again.
#2 Tiffany Stratton
Many fans believe that Ludwig Kaiser and Gunther could be heading to SmackDown as part of the WWE Draft so that Kaiser can work with his real-life partner Tiffany Stratton.
She is very different from what Imperium is known for and wouldn't be a straight replacement for Vinci. However, Stratton is still someone that the faction could use if they go up against any of the stables on SmackDown who already have female members.
Stratton has proven that she is a winner and would be someone that Gunther might be interested in aligning with if his group needed a female member.
#1 Current WWE NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov
Ilja Dragunov is the man who dethroned Gunther for the WWE NXT UK Championship several years ago. He's someone who The Ring General would remember well and there has been talk of him being recruited by the Imperium leader in the past.
There is a saying about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer and Dragunov is someone that Gunther will be hoping to keep close if he comes to the main roster as part of the draft. Of course, the 30-year-old is the current NXT Champion, but he could drop the title ahead of the Draft or even be promoted while still holding it.