Gunther defeats former Champion for the seventh time in 9 years after SmackDown goes off the air

World Heavyweight Champion Gunther has been the main man in Germany - being from the neighboring nation of Austria. After SmackDown went off the air, he gave fans a teaser of Bash in Berlin by beating an old foe for the seventh time in nine years.

As the Bash in Berlin Kickoff got underway, the World Heavyweight Champion Gunther and Randy Orton were the main attraction. Although the crowd massively favored the former, the Berlin audience still sang The Viper's theme song and showed respect for the living legend.

One of Gunther's familiar old foes is Ilja Dragunov, the 12-year veteran and a former NXT Champion. The two have faced off 15 times in nine years, to be specific. Eight of their first clashes were in Germany. On European tours, that trend continued.

After SmackDown went off the air, the world champion and Ilja Dragunov gave fans a treat, with the Ring General retaining.

The most famous bout between the two happened a couple of years ago at NXT Takeover: 36, with Dragunov beating the Ring General in a certified classic. They can't seem to do anything wrong when they share the ring, and that continues on the main roster.

The crowd was hot, and this was almost just a warm-up for the (assumed) main event of Bash in Berlin.

The two will inevitably clash again on the main roster one day. The timing just needs to be right.

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