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Gunther Reportedly Requires Surgery After WWE SummerSlam 2025 Main Event

Originally posted on Wrestling on SI
By Ethan Schlabaugh | Last updated Aug 3, 2025 1:21 PM ET

Gunther's second reign as the World Heavyweight Champion has come to an end after 50-plus days. CM Punk would capture his first WWE title in years when he pinned the "Ring General" in the night one main event of WWE SummerSlam.

A report from Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio claims that Gunther entered the match with a nose injury and will require surgery.

The nose was a focal point of how Punk was able to beat Gunther, with the former champion getting busted open near the end with an announce table spot. Punk would perform the GTS twice to keep Gunther down, targeting that nose for the victory.

Meltzer went on to explain how his nose injury was worked into the match.

It's very clear from watching the finish that Gunther's having surgery on his nose pretty quick because they shot the angle where, you know, it's like he busted his nose. So that busted nose thing, that was 100 percent, you know, worked blood and planned. I mean, it was totally planned. So, you know, that was the cover for that.Dave Meltzer

What's Next For The Ring General?

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Since arriving to the WWE back in 2019, Gunther has spent around 80% of his WWE career holding some sort of championship gold, starting with the NXT UK Championship. That title would see him have a record-breaking reign of 870 days.

He'd go on to break the record for longest Intercontinental Championship reign, previously held by Pedro Morales. His two runs with the World Heavyweight Championship have made it past a total of 300 days, a bit short of Seth Rollins' first reign with the title.

Now that Seth Rollins and CM Punk seem destined to reignite their heated rivalry, with the World Heavyweight Championship being the focus, Gunther taking some time off television could be helpful for the WWE to come up with a storyline for him upon returning.

It's unsure how long he could be out of action, so stay tuned for any update on his situation.

This article first appeared on Wrestling on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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