From former Universal Champions to Hall of Famers - 4 WWE Superstars who want to face Gunther and 1 who he wants to face
Gunther has been an unstoppable force on the WWE SmackDown roster for some time now. Known as WALTER during his time in WWE NXT and NXT UK, he has made a big name for himself as one of the most dominant superstars to ever step foot in the ring.
The Ring General is gradually becoming one of the company's most bankable stars. Many fans see him as a future Brock Lesnar-type figure in the company. However, The Austrian Anomaly still has a long way to go before he can potentially replace some of the biggest names in sports entertainment.
Gunther seems to be on track as he has impressed some notable names in the industry. Several current superstars want to face the big man in a match. Meanwhile, there is one superstar who The Ring General has his eyes on.
With that being said, check out the four WWE Superstars who want to face Gunther in a singles match and the one he wants to face.
#5. Finn Balor is still waiting for his match against Gunther
"Someone like @WalterAUT comes along every 20 years."
"I'd put him in the same frame as Brock Lesnar, he's an anomaly."
@FinnBalor wants WALTER and will fight him anywhere including the BT Sport studio đź‘€
This match is still very much on the agenda 🙌 https://t.co/fl6xmwIoUp
Finn Balor and Gunther are no strangers to one another. Their paths crossed when Balor appeared on WWE NXT and set his sights on the brand's UK Championship. The champion was more than ready to give Balor a run for his money on NXT UK.
The two men had a good build for their match, and Imperium attacked The Prince several times. However, before their bout could take place, the COVID-19 pandemic ruined their plans.
Travel restrictions and closed-door shows forced WWE to rewrite plans and end the rivalry between the two men. However, in an interview with Newsweek, the Judgment Day leader confirmed that he was looking to face The Ring General at some point in his career.
"We were building to the match with WALTER [Gunther], which was something that I was super excited about, but the world kind of went to s**t," Bálor said. "COVID came and kind of shut that down, but you know that's something that definitely isn't gone. I think when we all get back up and running and the doors open back to normal, that WALTER match is something that I've definitely got my eyes up and it's something I'll look forward to."
Balor went on to win the NXT Championship soon after and moved back to the main roster. Now that Gunther is on the main roster, fans can expect their paths to cross again. A contest between The Austrian Anomaly and The Prince will be a treat to watch.
#4. Edge wants to face Gunther in WWE
Edge's miraculous return at the 2020 Royal Rumble confirmed that he had an undying love for pro wrestling and WWE. The Rated-R Superstar's initial rivalry saw him compete against Randy Orton in a few matches.
Since his comeback, fans have been treated to dream matches between The Ultimate Opportunist and some newer superstars. He has undergone a few character changes and will likely return to WWE RAW very soon.
There are still a few dream matches pending between the Hall of Famer and some younger superstars. He was a guest on Corey Graves' After the Bell podcast, where he spoke about his desire to face a few stars, including Gunther.
"I think Brock knows how and you saw two minutes of that. That's fun. God, you can look at that UK: [Tyler] Bate, Walter [Gunther] and I know I'm forgetting names. Shane Thorn, I'd love to get in there with him. I'd love to get in and really really just see what they got and see and try and give them some tools to take it to the next level."
He added:
"You know what I mean? And and there's so much untapped potential there. Roddy [Roderick Strong], [Bobby] Fish and [Kyle] O'Reilly just give me a partner. There's just there's so much there."
The Hall of Famer is seemingly looking to win a few more titles in his current run in the company. He is also ready to give newer stars a big push to help them make it big in WWE, which makes The Ring General a viable opponent for the former.
#3. Drew McIntyre is looking to face the former Imperium leader
I'm sure @WalterAUT wants a rematch since I battered him in a chop off at Survivor Series... #DrewAndA twitter.com/nickgill13/sta…
Drew McIntyre is arguably one of the best Scottish wrestlers in WWE history. He has proven himself at every stage of his current run and carried the company forward effortlessly.
Gunther remained unpinned in WWE up until the 2019 Survivor Series, where he was part of Team NXT. Drew McIntyre hit him with a Claymore Kick and became the first superstar in WWE to pin The Austrian Anomaly.
Ever since fans have been waiting for the two European superstars to go head-to-head in a singles match. The Scottish Warrior himself has expressed his desire to face him in a singles match during an interview with Digital Spy:
“If I was to pick an opponent [from WWE NXT UK] that might be interesting for the fans to watch I’d say myself and Walter [Gunther]. It might be a bit of a spectacle for everybody to watch and the story is simple – two big lads battering each other,” McIntyre said.
Gunther has also mentioned that a match against McIntyre would suit his career.
“I'm not focused on if I want to go to RAW or SmackDown, I'm not that sort of guy. But I have a lot of respect for Drew. He represents European wrestling as a whole very well in the United States.” He said “I really like his style of wrestling, he's a big and tall guy, very intense. I'm hoping for a singles match with him one day."
Now that both men are on the main roster, WWE could look to put them in the same ring for a singles match. Seeing them compete for a championship at a European premium live event would be exciting.
#2. Sheamus wants to take on The Ring General for the Intercontinental Championship
European superstars are always looking for excuses to face each other in WWE. Fans have already seen Drew McIntyre and Sheamus compete against each other several times over the past few months.
The Celtic Warrior is another superstar who is looking to face him in a singles match at some point. Sheamus wants to win the Intercontinental Championship, which The Ring General currently holds. He is the only man standing between Sheamus and his dream of becoming a Grand Slam Champion.
“Honestly, I want to wrestle whatever the IC champion is. That’s my goal and first priority to get the Intercontinental title. Otherwise, what talent-wise goes, there’s a lot of guys coming in, you got Walter [Gunther] coming in. He’s a good hard-hitting prospect, like it’s good to get in there and slap him around,” Sheamus told The Five Count.
It's no secret that the WWE creative loves to book big men in championship matches. Sheamus and Gunther are two of the biggest men in the company, and a bout between them would be great for the business.
#1. The Austrian Anomaly wants to face Brock Lesnar
Many top superstars want to face the mighty Gunther in a singles match in WWE. However, the superstar he wants to face is none other than The Beast Incarnate Brock Lesnar.
The Austrian Anomaly is only getting started in the company. Meanwhile, Lesnar has been one of the most destructive men in the company for two decades, and he is someone who can give Gunther a tough time.
In an interview with Sport Bible, The Ring General revealed that he was all up for taking on the former Universal Champion in a match.
"For sure. I think right now there's no smarter professional wrestlers than Brock Lesnar at the moment. I'm aware of the -- I don't know -- the negative reactions he gets by the fans, but if I ever end up in that position in my career, I would be very thankful [laughs]. For sure, 100 per cent." He said, "I think Brock is amazing and I would love to do that."
Gunther has had a lot of good things to say about The Beast Incarnate in multiple interviews. It shows that he respects the veteran and understands him very well.