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Over three months remain before the Royal Rumble, but that is not stopping the WWE Universe from speculating who will win the titular contest in 2024.
Gunther is a legitimate contender to win the annual 30-Man Battle Royal. There is a section of the viewers who are, in fact, convinced that The Ring General will walk out of Tropicana Field the victor after being the runner-up this year. However, he has some tough competition.
Corey Graves recently spoke extensively about Intercontinental Champion on the After The Bell podcast. The commentator predicted that Gunther will become a fan-favorite before the Road to WrestleMania 40 commences:
"By the time the Royal Rumble rolls around, Gunther will be a fan favorite and wildly popular amongst the WWE Universe without changing a damn thing about what he does," Graves said. [H/T: Wrestling Inc.]
Graves went on to compare the Austrian to late legend Mr. Perfect in that everything they do is thrilling and eye-catching.
Gunther wants to main event WWE WrestleMania with his Intercontinental Championship reign intact
Earlier this year, The Ring General vanquished the challenges put forth by former World Champions Drew McIntyre and Sheamus. When asked about potentially facing the world champion at the Show of Shows in 2024 on WWE's The Bump a few months ago, Gunther asserted:
"Coming back to protecting and restoring [the IC title], if I want to do that on the biggest scale possible, and have the biggest impact possible with that, my goal needs to be to be in the most prominent spot of WrestleMania. That's why I said it. I'm not gonna change anything. I'm gonna stay focused, and I'm gonna keep doing what I'm doing. I'm fairly confident in my skill. So, we will see how it plays out over the next year. But I stand with that claim, or that prediction."
As the year draws to a close, he has broken the all-time record as the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion of WWE. The last time the Intercontinental Champion challenged the World Champion on The Grandest Stage was in 1990, at WrestleMania 6, where The Ultimate Warrior faced Hulk Hogan.
Should Gunther be the one to walk into WrestleMania 40 as the Royal Rumble winner? Sound off in the comments section below!
