Gunther to add his former rival to Imperium as Giovanni Vinci's replacement? Exploring potential betrayal

In recent times, Gunther has established himself as one of the biggest superstars in WWE. Since beating Honky Tonk Man’s record to become the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion, he seems to have become invincible in the Stamford-based promotion.

While the Austrian is currently on a great run, he might soon have to face a difficult choice of replacing Imperium member Giovanni Vinci. On the latest edition of RAW, Vinci cost Ludwig Kaiser his match against Johnny Gargano. This mixed with poor results could be why Gunther might expel the Italian.

Even though it may seem that the Intercontinental Champion would struggle to find a replacement for Vinci, that's not true. To replace his stablemate, Gunther could add his former rival Ilja Dragunov to Imperium. While the angle is speculative, it makes sense for several reasons.

Ilja Dragunov has been rumored to be part of Imperium for a long time. While it hasn't happened yet, now might be the perfect time. By adding the Russian to the heel faction, Dragunov would be able to make his main roster debut, which is something many in the WWE Universe wish to see.

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Gunther makes a promise ahead of his Survivor Series match against The Miz

Over the years, Gunther has made a name for himself. While some appreciate his Intercontinental Championship run, other fans are particularly impressed with how he has been able to transform himself physically.

While Gunther has been using them for quite a long time, his chops in WWE have made him very popular and have earned him the tag of being one of the hardest hitters. During a recent interview with Under the Ring, the Intercontinental Champion was asked who was the hardest chop of his career. He answered by saying:

"I can't answer that, but I'm gonna promise from Survivor Series on it's gonna be The Miz." [14:33 – 14:41]

You can check out what the Austrian said in the video below:

Going into the match, the Intercontinental Champion is surely the favorite due to everything he has achieved since winning the title. However, that does not mean The Miz does not stand a chance.

If anything, Miz is one of the most successful IC Champions, and he will look to use his appearance against his rival at Survivor Series. It will be interesting to see who walks out as a winner at the PLE.