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Gunther made an announcement on RAW this week after his match against The Miz, saying that he would be leaving WWE for a while to rest up. He left Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci in the red brand with instructions about his leave of absence, but it could end up creating real issues by the time he returns to the ring again.
Thanks to his loss to Gunther, The Miz will no longer be able to challenge the Intercontinental Champion for the title. However, there's no shortage of opposition to the Ring General.
Jey Uso is currently ready to face Ring General for the Intercontinental Title after having made his intentions clear before. The match is yet to be confirmed.
While Gunther is away, it may result in Kaiser and Vinci bearing the brunt of his absence, with multiple potential contenders looking to send a message. At this time, it's uncertain how long he'll be away, but it's expected that he'll be back in time for the build-up to the Royal Rumble event.
In that time, Ivar, Bronson Reed, Ricochet, Gable, Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, and others may all look to become the top name in the title picture. With Kaiser and Vinci already entrenched in a feud with DIY, they may be quickly overwhelmed in the next few weeks, especially with Jey Uso already having defeated Kaiser this week.
By the time Gunther returns, he may find himself without his allies and facing multiple stars, all wanting a shot at his title.
Gunther has been immense as the Intercontinental Champion in WWE
Although the Ring General has only been part of the main roster for the past year and a half, he's already cemented his legacy. He won the Intercontinental title on June 10, 2022, defeating Ricochet. Now, he has surpassed 555 days with it.
Since he's taking time off and leaving WWE for a short while, he could surpass 600 days if he does not defend the title at the Royal Rumble event.
He has the longest-ever reign ever, far above The Honky Tonk Man's 454 days.
