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The mighty Gunther was poised to make an impact in WWE as soon as he made his main roster debut. He first appeared on SmackDown alongside Ludwig Kaiser following WrestleMania. The pair were previously united in a faction known as Imperium.
Since joining the blue brand, Gunther has been undefeated. He's beaten enhancement talent, former Cruiserweight Champion Drew Gulak, and even Ricochet. On the latest edition of Friday Night SmackDown, he again defeated The One and Only to capture the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
The 34-year-old is no stranger to holding gold in WWE. He held the NXT UK Championship for a staggering 870 days. Despite his commanding presence, the SmackDown locker room will still be eager to dethrone him. Winning the title would be impressive, but defeating the undefeated champion would be even bigger. Who will be the first to challenge Gunther?
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Below are five potential challengers for WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther.
#5. Ricochet could have a rematch with Gunther
On Friday Night SmackDown, Gunther defeated Ricochet to capture the WWE Intercontinental Championship. The pair had a hard-fought bout. Defeating the high-flyer wasn't easy for the Austrian by any means.
Ricochet had a few moments where it appeared victory was in his grasp. Unfortunately, he couldn't get it done. With that said, he may have a justifiable reason to demand a rematch besides Lugwig Kaiser's distraction during the bout.
The former champion could make the argument that he'd have won if it weren't for Kaiser's interference. While that may or may not be accurate, the distraction can't be debated. A rematch between the two stars with Kaiser barred from ringside could settle the dispute.
#4. Kofi Kingston could battle The Ring General
Kofi Kingston is a credible challenger to any champion in professional wrestling today. He's held over 20 championships during his time with World Wrestling Entertainment. His resume is astounding.
One of Kingston's many titles in WWE is the Intercontinental Championship. The New Day member held the Intercontinental Title on four separate occasions. The men he defeated for each title reign are The Miz, Chris Jericho, Dolph Ziggler, and Drew McIntyre. Each of those four stars are former world champions.
Gunther would be a major challenge for Kofi to overcome. He's beaten the odds before. He's won bouts that nobody expected him to be able to win. Still, challenging Gunther may be too much for the former WWE Champion at this stage of his career.
#3. Shinsuke Nakamura is a former Intercontinental Champion
Shinsuke Nakamura has won a lot of gold in WWE. The King of Strong Style is a two-time NXT Champion. He's also held the WWE Intercontinental Championship and the United States Championship twice each. He's even succeeded in tag team wrestling as he held the SmackDown Tag Team Championship with Cesaro.
With all of Nakamura's success in WWE, he will inevitably be challenging for a title again soon. The Intercontinental Championship is on his brand. If he can't get his hands on Roman Reigns, Gunther may be his target instead.
Both the Austrian and Nakamura are incredible strikers. The WWE Universe would be thrilled with the visuals of the two attempting to outstrike each other. This bout could steal the show on just about any event.
#2. Xavier Woods wants the title
The New Day's Xavier Woods wants championship gold. He's made that very clear. The King of the Ring winner even had a brief social media spat with the former champion over the title.
Woods has had an incredibly successful career in WWE. He's held the tag team titles an incredible 11 times. In 2021, he became the King of the Ring at WWE Crown Jewel. Still, the talented star has yet to win a singles championship.
With Xavier declaring that he intends to win the title before the end of 2022, he will undoubtedly be looking to challenge Gunther. With the year half over already, the UpUpDownDown star will need to hurry to accomplish his goal in time.
#1. Drew McIntyre would be his biggest threat
The Scottish Warrior has made his intentions clear. Drew McIntyre wants to battle Roman Reigns at WWE Clash at the Castle. While the match is enticing, the event is several months away. Drew needs something to keep him busy before the bout.
In the meantime, The Scottish Cyborg could step up to the plate and challenge Gunther. Both men are intimidating. They both have a smashmouth style. They are both successful talents out of Europe.
Another aspect the two have in common is size. Both generally tower over their opposition. This potential bout would be more interesting than most, however. This match will be a rare occasion where the Austrian is the smaller star of the two involved. The changed dynamic would be quite compelling.
The former Imperium leader winning the WWE Intercontinental Championship delighted some in the WWE Universe. Securing the gold undoubtedly struck fear into most of the locker room. Whoever does challenge the powerful Gunther will have their work cut out for them.
Ex WWE writer blasts Liv Morgan HERE
