Gunther is once again the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. He and Jey Uso battled for nearly 30 minutes in the main event of the June 9 episode of WWE Raw. It was a match with a well-told story that included callbacks to Uso’s recent matches and an apparent injury to his midsection. This was a surprising and interesting move for WWE, but there’s a lot to come in what’s next.
First, a large contingent of fans was upset that Jey Uso’s run was over. Uso was a controversial champion for a variety of reasons, but one thing was clear. He had a large fan base that was excited to see him every time he was on screen. WWE doesn’t value in-ring ability as highly as some online voices would like, but puts a premium on some of the metrics Uso was hitting. It is understandable to see him as a champion, even for a brief moment.
WWE further developed the storyline that Gunther is Uso’s top rival. They’ve battled several times at this point, with Gunther coming out on top more often than not. But there’s more to be told here between these two men. Expect them to lock horns again because they continue to bring the best out of each other, with the potential to rise even beyond what they’ve done so far.
There’s also another interesting element to the situation with Jey Uso. While he was champion, he never interacted with Roman Reigns. Reigns didn’t congratulate him for winning the Royal Rumble. Didn’t encourage him before facing the monster that is Gunther. He didn’t congratulate him on winning the championship. That can’t be ignored, and there’s another story to tell there when the time is right.
GUNTHER as WWE World Heavyweight Champion: What’s Next?
Gunther as champion creates some interesting opportunities. Some fans will enjoy it, and others are bound to hate it.
For example, there’s one man who is looking to retire at some point this year. Reports are that Goldberg is attempting to have one final match in 2025, and Gunther’s name was at the top of the list. Pitting Goldberg versus Gunther at this point would be the perfect way to give Gunther a major title win while allowing the former to retire in a “positive” way. If this match is really going to happen, let’s get it out of the way sooner, rather than later.
But what about after that? Well, that’s where the King of the Ring comes into play. Imagine the scene in Saudi Arabia with Sami Zayn reaching the finals of the King of the Ring tournament. He wins, and challenges Gunther at SummerSlam. Again, that would put Gunther in place of being a giant foe against another big fan favorite. The same way Sami supported Jey, Jey will support Sami, and Zayn should get the moment of his career by picking up the title at SummerSlam.
At least at first glance, because there’s a man with a briefcase waiting in the wings. That would be a twist that could set up some compelling storytelling at the top of the men’s division.
WWE Monday Night Raw was a strong episode, with top angles moving forward. Gunther, taking the title from Jey Uso was the right move and its ramifications will be felt in many different ways.