Gunther has made one thing abundantly clear over the past few weeks on WWE programming. He is not willing to sit on the sidelines while the Undisputed WWE Championship picture moves forward without him.
Despite his dominant run at the top of the company and his reputation as one of the most dangerous competitors, The Ring General has found himself outside the immediate championship conversation.
The latest episode of SmackDown only reinforced that frustration. Gunther's growing hostility, including his confrontation with SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis, showed that he believes he has been unfairly overlooked despite his accomplishments.
Cody Rhodes is set to challenge CM Punk for the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam. Also, Saturday Night's Main Event XLV features a blockbuster tag team encounter. Thus, The Ring General has several opportunities to force WWE management to acknowledge him.
That said, in this article, we look at three ways The Career Killer could insert himself into the Undisputed WWE Championship picture.
Saturday Night's Main Event presents Gunther with perhaps his most straightforward path back into the title scene.
The Ring General is scheduled to team with Sami Zayn against CM Punk and Cody Rhodes in one of the biggest tag team matches WWE has announced in recent weeks. Although championships won't be on the line, the contest carries enormous implications for everyone involved.
Cody Rhodes is currently the No. 1 contender to the Undisputed WWE Championship and is preparing for arguably the biggest match of the year at SummerSlam. Thus, if Gunther manages to pin Rhodes cleanly in the center of the ring, it would instantly strengthen his claim that he deserves the next title opportunity.
Momentum has always mattered in WWE, especially before major premium live events. Thus, a decisive victory over the top challenger would leave fans and management questioning whether The American Nightmare truly deserves to head into SummerSlam as the favorite.
Also, it would allow The Ring General to remind everyone why he spent so long at the top of WWE. Few superstars can match his combination of technical wrestling, physical dominance, and championship pedigree. Thus, pinning Cody Rhodes would serve as tangible proof that he belongs ahead of several names currently waiting for title opportunities.
Even if Cody still challenges CM Punk at SummerSlam, Gunther could argue that he has already defeated the No. 1 contender and therefore deserves the title shot immediately afterward.
Instead of simply demanding another opportunity, The Career Killer would have earned one inside the ring.
Gunther's recent attack on Nick Aldis may not have been a random outburst.
On SmackDown, frustration finally boiled over after The Ring General felt that management continued overlooking him despite everything he had accomplished. Rather than accepting the situation, Gunther lashed out at the General Manager. Thus, making it clear that he believes he's being denied opportunities he has earned.
This confrontation could easily become a longer storyline. Nick Aldis is unlikely to reward violent behavior immediately. In fact, doing so would undermine his authority as SmackDown General Manager. However, Gunther has never been portrayed as someone willing to back down when he believes he's right.
Thus, The Ring General could continue to disrupt shows, confront Aldis backstage, ruin official announcements, or even attack anyone the company places ahead of him in the championship queue. Eventually, the pressure could become too much.
Instead of allowing SmackDown to descend into chaos every week, Aldis might finally decide that giving Gunther a No. 1 Contender's Match is the easiest solution.
That would fit WWE storytelling perfectly. Rather than handing The Ring General a championship opportunity outright, management could force him to earn it while simultaneously restoring order on Friday nights.
Such a match would also create another marquee television main event, especially if Gunther were forced to defeat another top star before officially entering the championship picture. Considering his resume, it would be difficult for anyone to argue that he hadn't earned the opportunity after winning such a contest.
If Gunther truly believes the company is intentionally keeping him away from the Undisputed WWE Championship, he may decide to stop waiting altogether.
SummerSlam presents the perfect opportunity. Whether CM Punk enters the event as champion or Cody Rhodes leaves with the title, The Ring General could ensure that the conversation afterward revolves around him instead of the match's winner.
Rather than interfering during the bout unnecessarily, Triple H could have Gunther strike immediately after the contest concludes.
Imagine CM Punk surviving an exhausting championship defense against Cody Rhodes, only for The Career Killer to appear and destroy the exhausted champion. He would then stand over the Undisputed WWE Championship as SummerSlam went off the air.
The same scenario works if Cody captures the championship. Gunther could attack the newly crowned champion before the celebration even begins. Thus, making his intentions crystal clear.
Such an ending would instantly establish the next major rivalry without taking anything away from the SummerSlam main event itself.
Alternatively, if the company wants to protect both Punk and Cody while extending their rivalry, The Ring General could directly interfere in the closing moments of the championship match. His involvement would prevent either superstar from securing a completely definitive victory and immediately justify another blockbuster encounter down the line.
More importantly, it would achieve Gunther's primary objective. He wouldn't simply be another superstar waiting backstage for his turn. Instead, he'd become the central figure in the championship picture overnight.
The Ring General has never been interested in asking politely for opportunities. Throughout his WWE career, he has taken what he believed he deserved through dominant performances and intimidation.
Given Gunther's recent actions and increasingly aggressive attitude, it feels less like a question of whether he forces himself back into the title picture and more a matter of when. If his current trajectory continues, it may not be long before the Undisputed WWE Championship once again becomes the centerpiece of his career.
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