WWE has quietly pulled the plug on a major creative direction involving Gunther, and new details reveal how different The Ring General’s WWE journey could have been.
Since arriving on the main roster, Gunther has been booked as an unstoppable force, capturing the World Heavyweight Championship twice and maintaining a dominant heel aura. But behind the scenes, WWE once considered a surprising twist that never made it to TV.
According to a new report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE originally teased tension between Gunther and his longtime ally Ludwig Kaiser. At one stage, creative discussions even included a potential babyface turn for the Austrian star, a move that would have dramatically shifted his character.
However, those plans were scrapped well before Kaiser’s surgery, and everything changed when he later adopted the El Grande Americano persona following Chad Gable’s injury.
Interestingly, WWE hasn’t completely abandoned the idea of Gunther vs. Kaiser. Meltzer notes that the two are currently being booked against each other as Gunther vs. El Grande Americano matches for the upcoming European tour—a move that has fans wondering if the rivalry could eventually spill onto weekly TV.
Whether this matchup becomes a full-fledged storyline or remains a live-event exclusive is still unclear.
🧨 Backstage Criticism Grows After Gunther’s Cena Win
Gunther’s stock skyrocketed after he forced John Cena to tap out in Cena’s retirement match on December 13 at Saturday Night’s Main Event. The shocking result instantly made him WWE’s most hated man.
Yet despite weekly promos mocking fans and reminding them that their hero “tapped out,” some insiders believe WWE dropped the ball afterward.
Former WWE announcer Jonathan Coachman didn’t hold back, claiming the company has failed to capitalize on Gunther’s biggest win. Speaking on the Coach and Bro podcast, Coachman said many agree with his take that Gunther lacks charisma—and questioned why WWE hasn’t leaned harder into him as a true killer heel post-Cena.
With canceled plans, mixed opinions, and a mysterious European feud brewing, Gunther’s next chapter in WWE may be far more unpredictable than fans expected.
