If you’ve watched Monday Night Raw recently, you’ve probably noticed a glaring omission from the shows. Gunther hasn’t been seen since his World Heavyweight Championship match against CM Punk at SummerSlam. Punk beat him, ending a 53 day reign that started when he beat Jey Uso on Raw. That was his second reign with the championship. He initially won it at SummerSlam last year but lost it back to Uso at WrestleMania 41 after a 258 day reign.
People have probably been fearing the worst since his absence has been noticeable. But he hasn’t been benched or facing creative bankruptcy. Nose surgery has made him miss the last two and a half months of competition. He’s been out for a while, so speculation should be ramping up about his return. When that happens, a return to SmackDown will help him as well as the brand.
Gunther Moving to SmackDown Will Be a Fresh Start
Over the past few weeks, SmackDown has undergone some major changes. Amidst criticism of the product and falling ratings, more writers were added to Road Dogg’s team. Ilja Dragunov was supposed to return on Raw. However, given the state of SmackDown, they decided to have him make his return there. They’ve also added Kiana James and Sami Zayn since July. It’s clear WWE knows that the blue brand is in a creative tailspin, so they’re changing things to hopefully fix it.
Gunther has been a mainstay on Raw since the 2023 WWE Draft. It’s been two and a half years since he’s been full time on Fridays. Additionally, with Ludwig Kaiser as El Grande Americano, a reunion with him isn’t likely to happen. Gunther moving to SmackDown will help himself and the brand by injecting more star power into a flailing show.
He Has Already Won Both Raw Branded Championships
Gunther has been on the main roster for over three years now. His first year on the main roster was spent on SmackDown, where he won the Intercontinental Championship. Drafted to Raw in 2023, he took it with him. The other title on the show, the World Heavyweight Championship, was his until Punk won it at SummerSlam. He could return on Raw and get one of his championships back. However, with things floundering on SmackDown, his return could be another much needed change to the blue brand.
He could go after Cody Rhodes’ Undisputed Universal Championship. Rhodes handed him a loss for the Crown Jewel Championship last year at Crown Jewel, so another match would be much anticipated by the fans. Facing Dragunov for the United States Championship could also make fans happy. His rivalry with him in WXW and NXT deserves another chapter on the main roster.
This Move Would Help SmackDown in a Big Way
Gunther moving to SmackDown would seem like easy fantasy booking for some people, given his association with Dragunov. However, there are more logical reasons as to why this is being proposed. SmackDown hasn’t been performing at its best. Ratings are down, and WWE is getting desperate to try and stop them from falling even lower. Since July, they’ve added James, Zayn, and Dragunov to Fridays to peak viewer interest. Gunther hasn’t been on Fridays since 2023. Adding another main event talent would majorly help them out.
In addition, he has already won both championships contested on Raw. Instead of getting one of those championships back, he should chase gold that he’s never won before. He could either face Rhodes for the first time in nearly a year or resume his rivalry with Dragunov. Either way, a move to SmackDown will definitely be a wise decision by him.
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