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Gunther may not be unbeatable, but he has a knack for getting to the top and staying there.

The Austrian “Ring General” ruled NXT UK for more than two years before arriving on the main WWE roster. He shattered The Honky Tonk Man’s 35-year record by holding the Intercontinental title for 666 days. After winning last year’s King of the Ring tournament, Gunther dethroned Damien Priest to become World champion at SummerSlam 2024.

Jey Uso knocked the champ off his throne at WrestleMania 41, just like Sami Zayn beat Gunther for the IC title at WM 40. But it was only a matter of time before this happened.

Gunther said last week that he would regain the title because Jey Uso couldn’t stop helping his friends. Indeed, Uso came into the match with a rib injury at the hands of Bronson Reed. Gunther beat the weakened Uso on Monday night in Phoenix to recapture the title.

On the same night, the King of the Ring tournament began. The winner will challenge for the WWE or World title at SummerSlam. Let’s take a look at the brackets.

Sami Zayn already won the first match. He could win the KOTR tournament at Night of Champions in front of his adoring fans in Saudi Arabia. Then, Zayn could try to beat Gunther again and win his first World title.

Cody Rhodes, Sheamus, Priest, and Randy Orton are former World champions. Rusev, Aleister Black, and Carmelo Hayes could be ready for a breakout victory. And what about that mystery spot? As the poster suggested, it could be Roman Reigns.

But there’s one man that we can’t forget, especially when it comes to being an opponent for Gunther.

Last year at Bad Blood in Atlanta, Goldberg came out of the crowd and confronted Gunther. The 58-year-old former WCW champion is training for the final match of his career. What better way to go out than with a title vs. career match at SummerSlam against Gunther?

Remember, Goldberg doesn’t have to become King of the Ring. The tournament winner could choose to face John Cena or CM Punk for the WWE title at SummerSlam, while Goldberg can set his sights on Gunther.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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