Booking Gunther as WWE's Massive Heel From Retirement Matches to WrestleMania Feuds

With victory over John Cena in his final match at Saturday Night's Main Event, Gunther has become the most hated man in WWE.

Monday on Raw, he basked in the disgust and anger of the fans, taunting them and looking smug as he headed through the backstage area and out of the Giant Center in Hershey, Philadelphia.

The heat for The Ring General was nuclear and his momentum is as great as it's ever been, so the question becomes: How does WWE book him to take advantage of the moment and create long-term feuds and moments that will keep him red-hot?

The path to building Gunther into the latest monster heel is clearer than one might think.

The Road to Royal Rumble

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Following his triumphant promo on Raw, Gunther had a brief backstage confrontation with Otis as he walked through the backstage area.

Later, in a promo that aired internationally during the Netflix broadcast commercial breaks, Otis warned The Ring General to show respect or the two of them would have problems.

We have seen Otis and Gunther mix it up before, with the big man giving the Austrian star a run for his money.

With WWE likely hesitant to tip its hand regarding WrestleMania 42 plans for Gunther, a match or two with Otis in the build to the Royal Rumble is a decent way to keep the former world champion busy and garnering heat against one of the more beloved guys on the roster.

Officially announcing The Ring General for the men's Royal Rumble match would be another creative step in the right direction.

Men's Royal Rumble Match

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Gunther has competed in the Rumble match before, lasting over an hour before being eliminated by the 2023 winner Cody Rhodes.

The Ring General should enter the match again in 2025, but have his run toward victory thwarted by AJ Styles. Gunther stared down and taunted The Phenomenal One on Monday's Raw.

Styles eliminating Gunther, only to be dragged from the match, beaten down and robbed of an opportunity to headline WrestleMania, is just the ignition a rivalry between these two needs.

WrestleMania 42

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With creative already hinting at potential matchups between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns, and CM Punk and Brock Lesnar, the best use of Gunther is a match in which he can again prove his value as the greatest in-ring performer in WWE today while building on the incredible heat he has from retiring Cena.

His clash with Styles at the Rumble jump-starts a WrestleMania program between the two, during which The Ring General recalls recent conversations in which his newfound rival said he would retire in 2026.

Eager to end another career of an all-time great, Gunther agrees to face The Phenomenal One, but only if Styles agrees to put his career on the line in the process.

Content with all that he has accomplished and determined to stop the man who ended his friend's career, Styles agrees to the stipulation, setting up one of the biggest non-title match-ups in recent 'Mania history.

In a grueling, 20-25 minute contest, Gunther cuts Styles down. Despite a late surge from the future Hall of Famer, the Austrian catches The Phenomenal One in his trademark sleeper.

The babyface makes several attempts to escape, each one frustrating Gunther more, before he transitions into a powerbomb that drives Styles to the mat for the pinfall victory, ending another legendary career.

Retiring The Beast

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Coming out of WrestleMania, Gunther would be as hated as one could be after a four-month run that has seen him retire both Cena and Styles.

It will be important for WWE to capitalize on that momentum and put an exclamation point on it so as to maximize the effect the creative has had.

Gunther should then roll into SummerSlam in Minnesota on August 1-2.

Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Lesnar is one of the megastars potentially set to hang up the boots in 2026. If that is the case, Minnesota would be an ideal place for The Beast Incarnate to end his career.

Gunther vs. Lesnar is a marquee matchup that could easily headline one of the two nights of SummerSlam and would also add to the world-beating Austrian's growing resume.

Imagine Gunther besting The Beast in front of the fans who watched Lesnar compete at the University of Minnesota, where he won an NCAA national wrestling title. Whether he taps him out, puts him to sleep or simply pins him, Gunther will be an unstoppable force as he gears up for the end of 2026.

The American Nightmare and WrestleMania 43

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Assuming Cody Rhodes leaves WrestleMania 42 with the Undisputed WWE Championship or regains it along the way, a showdown with The Ring General is the clear direction for 2027.

It was clear in the moments after Saturday Night's Main Event how emotional The American Nightmare became as Cena said goodbye to pro wrestling. With Gunther responsible for costing Rhodes' friend one last victory, the foundation for a rivalry has been laid.

That the American Nightmare is also responsible for two of Gunther's biggest failures—the 2023 men's Rumble and 2024 men's Crown Jewel Championship—only serves to give the babyface something to hold over his rival.

The villain will wrap up 2026 as one of the most dominant and hated Superstars on the roster and enter 2027 with one purpose: regaining championship gold.

He would win the men's Rumble and challenge Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia, site of his previous loss to The American Nightmare.

Rhodes will throw everything he has at Gunther but he will then have to watch as his championship reign ends in the grasp of The Ring General's vaunted sleeper hold.

Gunther wins, captures a title he has yet to hold, and realizes his full potential as the Darth Vader of WWE.