GUNTHER is one of the most important performers on the WWE roster. Initially, fans were apprehensive to see how he’d be booked on the main roster, but Triple H’s creative direction succeeded in building him as an excellent character to credit his amazing in-ring skills. During his run as Intercontinental Champion, Gunther had several strong programs, but surprisingly, he credits The Miz for giving him one of his favorites.
In late 2023, Gunther had a series of title defenses against The Miz. The first occurred at Survivor Series, while the second was on the December 18 edition of WWE Monday Night Raw. The moment fans saw that The Miz was positioned as a top challenger to Gunther, the complaints rolled in. Most pointed to The Miz as an unbelievable threat to Gunther, while others feared the worst that he’d actually win. However, Gunther only praises the program against the future Hall of Famer.
“I never envisioned Miz as one of my favorite opponents, but the program I did with him for the IC title is one of my favorite ones,” Gunther said while speaking to Ariel Helwani. “Similar with the stuff with Jey, it’s complete opposites, and it challenges me to find a different route to make it work for my side. I always hope I can challenge the other person to take that extra step to try something new.”
The Miz earned his praise during the program against Gunther
The Miz is often characterized as someone who just doesn’t belong in today’s version of professional wrestling and sports entertainment. Even though he’s been in the WWE for 22 years and has won nearly everything there is to win, fans still roll their eyes nearly every time his music hits. Today, he’s paired with Carmelo Hayes and there are rampant complaints that this is holding Hayes back from being the singles star fans see in him.
All of that aside, this praise from Gunther speaks to the abilities that The Miz has within the WWE system. Look back at those two matches in 2023. Even though several of the loudest voices on the internet railed against him being in this position, The Miz was able to get fans behind him during those matches. There were cheers for his hope spots and when the inevitable pinfall came, The Miz was celebrated for great work at that moment.
Gunther is set to defend the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Jey Uso at WrestleMania 41. This is expected to be a big moment in Jey Uso’s career, but it’s also a testament to Gunther’s position on the roster. It says a lot for him to look back at his program with The Miz and credit it as one of his favorites during an important time in WWE re-establishing itself into this current iteration.