The Path of Gunther Goes Straight Toward the World Heavyweight Championship after WrestleMania 40

On the first night of WrestleMania 40, Intercontinental Champion Gunther was given a prominent match to defend his title. After the bell and a stunning loss, the path of Gunther goes straight toward the World Heavyweight Championship. Imperium has been unstoppable since it debuted. They are a near-perfect act for a main event heel champion. This is especially true as factions like The Bloodline and Judgment Day are starting to fade away. His run was already main-event caliber, and that was before the title match at WrestleMania. That match revived a surprisingly quiet crowd and got the fans fired up for WrestleMania's main event, ending his mid-card reign and tenure with one final Helluva Kick.  

A thrilling WrestleMania moment

Last year, Gunther had a standout match with Sheamus and Drew McIntyre. He never looked in any real danger; it was a hard-hitting affair where the story was about how he could make up the numbers. This year, his match with Sami Zayn was just as dominant but told the story of arrogance unbecoming a champion. This match was less about Gunther. It replaced a throughline of managing multiple challengers with managing expectations. Gunther looked dominant but arrogant. That made his downfall sweeter and saved him as a legitimate contender for the next level. He didn't get outwrestled. He just didn't lock in for the big fight. 

His treating Sami as easy prey led to the end of a historic run. This, of course, is a necessary step toward the World Heavyweight Championship. He would not hold both titles, so he had to shed his early success to reach the next level. Freed from that title and the likes of Ricochet or Chad Gable, Gunther has taken a massive step forward. Sami will be a great champion. However, his title wouldn't be the same without Gunther, which further proves he is ready for the big time. 

Creating a historic intercontinental title run

Heading into WrestleMania 40, Gunther had a run that pushed him into the WWE history books. By the time he got to WrestleMania 40, he had already been well over 600 days as Intercontinental Champion. That shatters the previous record by a considerable margin and gives Gunther enormous credibility for WWE's big new belt. Gunther has mixed dominant performances with typical heel behavior. His Imperium is not the only reason he wins; they help plenty. The dynamic is perfect for a main event act. 

This run has seen him power through the mid-card ranks on Raw. He has only had a couple of forays with certified leading-event talent like Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso. This means that for as long and as important as his run has been, he hasn't faced off with the top guys. That has not hurt his credibility at all. In fact, he was such a credible competitor that it forced WWE to give him a certified main-event challenger for his WrestleMania opponent, Sami Zayn, in the first place. WWE also had a super popular star take the belt to give their endorsement to Gunther on the way up. 

The perfect opportunity for victory awaits abroad

With WrestleMania behind him, Gunther goes straight to the World Heavyweight Championship. The WWE's Bash in Berlin is capping off the summer events emanating from Germany. The Austrian-born star is already being touted as a hometown hero for that show. If WWE can maintain its momentum all summer, then Bash will be an incredibly hyped show. Gunther headlining it makes all the sense in the world.

Of course, Gunther doesn't need to win in Berlin. He can come into that show with the title to an ovation like Rhea Ripley did at Elimination Chamber. However, Gunther may be one of the biggest locks for "permanent heel" in WWE today. To win the title in front of adoring fans just once would be a lot of fun. Likewise, his run overall absolutely earned him that moment. For one night anyway, Gunther can be the undisputed face of the largest wrestling promotion in the world. 

Gunther's road to the World Heavyweight title 

Tomorrow night at WrestleMania Sunday, Seth Rollins will defend his title against Drew McIntyre. For weeks, it has seemed like McIntyre is ready to ascend to the top of the Raw main event. That will be well earned if it happens. Likewise, Seth Rollins has been an excellent champion thus far. The fact is, Gunther was on a collision course for that title before the bell even rang in Philadelphia. He and Sami put together a fantastic underdog story. He gave Sami the title, and Sami gave him a clear path forward into the main event. Now, Gunther can focus on what he does best: dominating. The not-so-bold prediction is by the summer's end, the era of Imperium will have finally begun.