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With WWE WrestleMania XL less than a month away, the Intercontinental Title picture is almost complete. But there could be a surprise 'final touch' in store for fans.
At WrestleMania 39, The Ring General solidified his dominance by defeating Sheamus and Drew McIntyre. A big chunk of the WWE Universe hailed this triple-threat encounter as the "Match of the Premium Live Event." Since then, Gunther has only continued to squash his opponents' hopes of capturing the prestigious IC Title.
Ahead of this year's WrestleMania, several superstars are clamoring for an opportunity to duke it out with The Ring General at The Showcase of the Immortals. As a result, a star-studded six-man Gauntlet Match will take place on tonight's episode of RAW to single out Gunther's next challenger.
But what if the six advertised names aren't the only ones preparing to run the Gauntlet? What if the Stamford-based promotion adds a last-minute surprise entrant? Here are four possible options:
#4. 3x WWE Champion Sheamus
If there's one WWE Superstar who knows how to put on a 'banger' in his sleep, it's Sheamus. His WrestleMania 37 and 39 outings have proved that The Celtic Warrior leaves nothing on the table when he gets a title shot at The Grandest Stage of Them All.
Since the summer of 2022, the Irish wrestler has been vocal about his desire to dethrone Gunther and become a Grand Slam Champion in WWE. However, all his attempts, so far, at keeping The Ring General down for a three-count have been unsuccessful.
Currently, the 46-year-old superstar is off TV. He hasn't stepped into the ring since losing to Edge in the latter's final WWE match. Despite that, the former WWE Champion has set his eyes on ending Gunther's historic IC title reign with a Brogue Kick.
So, provided that a brand switch is achievable, Sheamus could be a surprise seventh entrant in tonight's Gauntlet Match. A victory would give the former champion another chance to ''finish his story'' at The Showcase of the Immortals.
#3. Andrade
SmackDown is loaded from top to bottom with household names such as The Rock, Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, and Rey Mysterio. Monday Night RAW, on the other hand, is where the workhorses thrive.
Thus, Andrade finding a home on the red brand is a welcome move. What's concerning is that he doesn't have a clear direction on the Road to WrestleMania. Well, that is a problem that tonight's Gauntlet Match could fix.
If El Idolo enters the multi-man encounter tonight, he will instantly emerge as one of the favorites. While it's true that a majority of fans are backing either Sami Zayn or Chad Gable tonight, Andrade's win wouldn't disappoint anybody.
Even if he doesn't walk away with the victory, Andrade's hard-hitting style would only make the high-stakes match more enjoyable.
#2. Ludwig Kaiser
The upcoming Gauntlet Match has a bit of everything. From sympathetic yet resilient underdogs to a living representation of a tsunami, the field couldn't be more stacked. Well, it could be!
What the six-man field is currently lacking is a bit of an ''Imperial'' flavor. But that is a problem that WWE can fix before the match takes place. All the creative has to do is pencil Ludwig Kaiser into the #1 contender's match tonight.
Interestingly, there is more than one way to justify the last-minute addition of the Imperium member. It could be Gunther's decision to have his right-hand man eliminate as many potential threats to the IC Championship as possible. Or, it could be that Kaiser himself wants to prove that he is ready for the big stage.
In either case, Ludwig's involvement in tonight's Gauntlet Match could make things more gripping.
#1. Kofi Kingston
An underdog story is defined by the severity of the odds stacked against the protagonist. In WWE, hardly any underdog tale came close to captivating the audience the way KofiMania did.
Now, heading into tonight's Gauntlet contest, two superstars in particular have spent the last few months tackling all sorts of hurdles. The names in question are Sami Zayn and Chad Gable. These lovable good guys have clawed their way out of every hole they were put into and have now set their sights on ending Gunther's historic championship run.
Regardless of who wins between them, their victory would feel even more hard-earned if they triumph over Kofi Kingston. The New Day member had the WWE Universe sitting on the edge of their seats during his Ironman performance in a Gauntlet Match in 2019.
The aforementioned performance kicked off KofiMania, and the majority of fans would still agree that it's one of the most heartwarming wrestling stories in recent history. So, Kofi's addition to tonight's #1 contender's match would tremendously help boost the eventual winner's momentum.
Will we see any surprise additions in tonight's Gauntlet Match? Sound off.
