Gunther's highly anticipated World Heavyweight Title defense against WWE Superstar finally in the works - Report
Gunther put away Randy Orton at the WWE Bash in Berlin Premium Live Event. His next challenger appears to be Sami Zayn, who staked his claim for a shot at the World Heavyweight Title last Monday. Interestingly, during the company's tour in Germany ahead of Bash in Berlin, Triple H and Co. pitted Gunther against one of the latter's biggest rivals Ilja Dragunov.
Most notably, at NXT TakeOver 36 in 2021, The Mad Dragon challenged the longest-reigning NXT UK Champion Gunther. The Mad Dragunov's standing rear-naked choke sleeper hold was too much for The Ring General to endure, thus forcing the latter to tap out.
Perhaps the creative was testing the waters, as the reception in Germany has been very positive for their showdown. WRKD Wrestling had reported insider information regarding WWE's plans to run Gunther vs. Ilja Dragunov for the World Heavyweight Championship:
"WWE has taken notice of the excitement on social media regarding Gunther and Dragunov’s house show match in Germany this week and plans on running the match again in the future," the report stated.
Ilja Dragunov's response to possibly challenging Gunther on WWE's main roster
In an interview with the Daily Star, Ilja Dragunov was asked whether he has an interest in reigniting his rivalry with Gunther.
Both athletes have a stiff and brutal in-ring style and their chemistry is palpable. They tore the roof down during the Bash in Berlin Germany tour. The Mad Dragon appreciates how fans view his rivalry with The Ring General, and admitted that he is keeping an eye on the World Heavyweight Champion:
"There is a reason why people are still talking about those matches, even after such a long time where we didn’t see each other. Me and Gunther. I think first of all, those matches really laid the standard for what the European talent is able to do. Of course, I pay attention to his work. [...] You always need somebody who pushes you to your limit so you can actually realize where that is and you can focus on how you can get better. [...] This is the kind of tension that draws people to want to see more," said Ilja Dragunov.
Ilja Dragunov and Gunther had crossed paths during the King of the Ring Tournament in May, albeit The Mad Dragon was eliminated before getting to The Ring General. The evidence points to WWE waiting for the precise moment to strike with this highly anticipated rematch.