Mapping Out Gunther's Role as WWE's Monster Heel Without Career Killer Gimmick
Over the past 12 months, Gunther has earned the nickname Career Killer by being the man to retire Goldberg, John Cena and AJ Styles.
It's been an impressive run, but with WWE only having so many people it can put out to pasture at the hands of The Ring General, the question becomes "What's next for Gunther?"
As one of the more protected acts on the main roster, the Austrian Superstar is a little harder to book than the average WWE talent because management wants to keep his aura intact.
Let's take a look at some of the possible directions the company could go with Gunther in 2026.
A Run With the AAA Mega Championship
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Gunther has held gold in several promotions during his time as a wrestler, but one place he has never won a title is Mexico.
With WWE now owning AAA, it gives him an opportunity to go after the AAA Mega Championship, currently held by Dominik Mysterio.
Imagine Gunther walking into the Mexico City Arena as the top champion in AAA and cutting a promo in his own language. He would get booed out of the building and it would be hilarious to watch him laugh as thousands of angry fans jeer.
Doing this would make him the first person to ever hold the top title in NXT UK, NXT, WWE and AAA, giving him even more to brag about.
Bringing Back Imperium
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With Ludwig Kaiser currently working as El Grande Americano, Imperium is truly done, but that doesn't mean it can't be resurrected.
Gunther, Kaiser and former WWE wrestler Giovanni Vinci made up the group in NXT and on the main roster. While having the same people might not be possible, The Ring General could still bring the stable back with new underlings.
He could recruit anyone from Raw, SmackDown or NXT to serve under him, and they don't necessarily all have to be European.
The Creed Brothers are a prime example of two gifted performers who have been underused. Alongside Gunther, they could finally break out as a tag team on the main roster.
Or, better yet, he could save two talented performers like Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate from having to play Americano's allies. He could even recruit some women this time, like Ivy Nile or NXT's Kendal Grey, who has proved she is a great technical wrestler.
A reformed Imperium could be a great foil for The Vision, MFTs, or Wyatt Sicks. There are tons of possibilities if WWE went this way.
Gunther could serve as a great mentor for a pair of young stars and help guide them to tag team gold.
The Austrian Champion?
3 of 6Back in WCW, Lance Storm once rechristened the United States Championship as the Canadian Championship. This is the kind of thing that would get Gunther so much heat.
Winning the U.S. title and immediately having it changed to the Austrian Championship, or even just the classic European Championship, would make him even more of a villain in the United States.
He could win it from Carmelo Hayes after a grueling match and then give a long promo about how the belt is tarnished by being associated with what he sees as an inferior country before revealing a new title with the Austrian flag on the front.
The European Championship would also be a good option for the rebranding, but given many fans have long wanted that belt back, it might not have the same impact as using the Austrian flag.
Either way, Gunther could have a long reign with the title before putting someone over by dropping it the same way he did with the Intercontinental Championship and Sami Zayn.
Reigniting His Feud With Ilja Dragunov
4 of 6During his time in NXT, the only man who seemed to have Gunther's number was Ilja Dragunov.
Putting these two back in the ring together would create some instant classics and give both men something to do while others fight over belts.
Their feud could be based solely on personal animosity. They don't need a title to make it feel special, and if they were to have a Best of Five series of matches, you already know each one would be a show-stealer.
If you saw their encounters in NXT, you know how good these two are together. Their years of experience working together before their time in WWE helped them build amazing chemistry.
The Mad Dragon and The Ring General colliding in a singles match at WrestleMania or any PLE would make many fans happy.
A Two-Time King
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WWE's use of the King of the Ring tournament has been sporadic over the years, but it was brought back in 2024 and 2025, so it wouldn't be surprising to see it used again this year.
The Ring General won it in 2024 but didn't participate the next year when Cody Rhodes was the victor.
The only two-time winner in the history of the tournament is Bret Hart, so it's even more uncommon than someone winning the Royal Rumble twice. Gunther would be sharing a very rare achievement if he won it again.
However, this is unlikely to happen until June at the earliest, the time of year when the tournament has been staged for the past two years.
A series of random feuds could keep him busy until early summer, when he puts his focus on the crown.
Back in the Hunt For a World Title
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This year's Elimination Chamber PLE will see six men compete for a shot at Drew McIntyre's Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania.
As of Monday night, only two wrestlers have qualified for the match, leaving four spots open.
Having Gunther qualify for this contest and win it to earn a title shot is a very real possibility, and it makes a lot of sense.
The Ring General has been on a roll in recent months, so his momentum has never been greater. If WWE wants to capitalize on the heat he has, throwing him back into the main event scene is a good way to do it.
This would put him on a collision course with Drew McIntyre, which is the kind of match we can get behind.
There are lots of potential feuds and stories for Gunther in WWE. What do you hope to see him do next?
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