Gunther to be stripped of the King of the Ring crown after a WWE legend's return? Exploring the possibility
Gunther has been absent from WWE in recent weeks after the star's win at the King of the Ring Premium Live Event. Heading into Clash at the Castle this Saturday, the star does not have a match for the show. However, he may end up losing the King of the Ring crown as well, once a WWE legend returns.
At King of the Ring, things didn't go exactly as planned for either Randy Orton or Gunther. Orton was hurt, with his knee injury getting worse during the match, resulting in him having to take time away after the event. Meanwhile, Gunther stepped into his role as King of the Ring with a huge shadow over the win he had been waiting for so long.
Instead of it being a clean finish, Orton's shoulders never touched the mat. With that being the case, there are several reasons why this means that the star is likely to be stripped of his King of the Ring title.
#1 Gunther never won the match
Gunther never won the King of the Ring match, losing out on the one opportunity he had to seal himself as the dominant king after the match.
Triple H also acknowledged the big mistake after the show and said that there would likely be a rematch down the line between Orton and The Ring General once The Viper returned. When Orton does return, he will want to make it clear that he never lost at Jeddah, which will likely lead to The Ring General being stripped of the title until the two wrestle next.
#2 Gunther's absence on WWE RAW
While he has won King of the Ring, the former Intercontinental Champion has also disappeared from WWE TV. Instead of the company deciding to capitalize on his win and tease him as the future world title contender, The Ring General is nowhere to be seen.
He missed both of the last two weeks' shows, and while Bronson Reed also missed them, he was on Main Event. The Ring General was not. Given his absence, the company may decide to strip him of the win, until there's no doubt left as to the rightful winner.
#3 Gunther's World Heavyweight Title shot
Based on his King of the Ring win, the star is set to get a title shot against the World Heavyweight Title holder at SummerSlam 2024. At this point, that could be either Damian Priest or Drew McIntyre, given that they are the two in the title picture at this time.
On top of that, with Money in the Bank also set to take place after Clash at the Castle, there's a long time to go before they finally reach SummerSlam. WWE may decide to strip him of the title to add to the storyline while he gets there, as it could act as the main goal for The Ring General, to get back the crown he feels he rightfully won.