Vince McMahon is no longer calling the shots in WWE after making his sudden departure from the company amid a multi-million-dollar controversy. But weeks before he departed, the former CEO and Chairman reportedly wanted to bury one of WWE’s current champions, Gunther. It was reported back in August that McMahon soured on “The Ring General” after his appearance on the July 4th edition of Monday Night Raw. Despite having been on the main roster since April, McMahon apparently wanted to give him the boot back to NXT.
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“I know that Vince McMahon just didn’t like what he saw on Raw and was over him, like legitimately wanted to bury him, go back to NXT, that type of stuff,” WrestleVotes told GiveMeSport this week. The Austrian star is viewed much more favorably by Paul Levesque, who booked him to have a record-breaking 870-day reign as NXT UK Champion while in WWE’s developmental system.
“Gunther is going to be around for a long time. He’s got real potential as a heel, and he’s going be here for 10/12 years,” the insider noted in the new report. “He’s going to open some shows, he’s going to close some shows, but he’s just going to be a solid match every night. That’s what Hunters sees in him right now. …Hunter likes him and he’s going to give him a shot. People are starting to understand what he is and the Clash at the Castle deal with Sheamus helped.”
Gunther vs. John Cena at WrestleMania 39?
Gunther’s Intercontinental Championship reign has already eclipsed five months with successful defenses against Ricochet, Shinsuke Nakamura, Sheamus and Rey Mysterio. One of the rumored matches for WrestleMania is Gunther defending his title against a returning John Cena.
“Of course, we could see it. I don’t know what’s going to happen or if it’s going to happen. Obviously, that’s something I would love to do. John Cena is one of the legends. Because he’s not really active at the moment anymore, he just pops up, but when he does, if the chance is there for me, I’ll gladly take it. One of, if not the most popular babyface in this sport of all time. I think I would be a great counterpart to that. I would love to do it,” Gunther told NBC Sports Boston in a recent interview.
