7 Best Opponents for Gunther at WWE WrestleMania 42
WrestleMania 42 is less than a month away on April 18 and 19, but as of right now, Gunther does not have a clear direction heading into the Show of Shows.
According to Bodyslam's Patreon, The Ring General was supposed to enter into a feud with Rey Mysterio after he unmasked Dragon Lee during their recent Raw encounter, but Mysterio being injured has caused those plans to be scrapped.
This leaves one of WWE's premiere heels without a program for the biggest show of the year, but the good news is there is still plenty of time.
WWE has four weeks worth of shows to create a feud for him, and with so many other stars without a spot on the card, there are lots of interesting options available.
The biggest thing management needs to decide is whether Gunther is going to win or lose. That decision will make different opponents better options than others. Let's take a look at some of the best possible opponents for Gunther at WrestleMania 42.
Dragon Lee
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An obvious choice would be for Gunther to simply continue the story he is already in with Dragon Lee. Taking the mask of a luchador is a huge sign of disrespect, so it's an easy story to tell with Lee wanting to get revenge.
With Gunther already hold a decisive win over him, this option would work better if Lee is going to get an underdog victory at 'Mania.
Not only would this elevate the high-flyer as a solo act, but it would give us a feel-good moment that a lot of fans might not see coming.
Gunther is a former world champion, a record-breaking intercontinental champion, and one of the winningest Superstars in the entire company. Losing to someone like Lee at a PLE is not the kind of thing most people would expect.
Lee could even get some assistance from other people Gunther has wronged to help protect The Ring General, but he would gain more if he wins on his own.
Penta
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If the idea behind the Lee story was for another luchador to seek retribution on his behalf, WWE can always put Penta in that role.
He recently won the Intercontinental Championship from Dominik Mysterio, so putting Gunther into a title match for the belt he held longer than anyone else would be an added bonus.
Much like Lee, this situation would play out best if Penta gets the win. It would help establish him as a fighting IC champion, and it would give him one of his biggest wins to date.
Gunther may be a top star, but he is not above putting someone on Penta's level over for the sake of the story. Plus, he doesn't need the IC title to feel like an attraction.
Rusev
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Rusev is in desperate need of an opponent who can help him remind the WWE Universe how good he is, and Gunther could be the answer.
The only time these two have ever shared a ring was during the 2026 men's Royal Rumble match, so this would be a huge first-time encounter WWE can add to the card.
This would be a hard-hitting fight that would add some intensity to the show, and it's one of the options that works whether Gunther wins or loses.
If he gets the victory, he adds another name to the list of opponents he has bested. If he loses, Rusev gains a lot of momentum as a result. Neither man would suffer much from a loss, so either outcome would work.
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Aleister Black
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Aleister Black has been involved in some good matches since he returned to WWE last year, but he could use a big win to gain some momentum.
This is one of those combinations that barely needs a story behind it because the fight would be so good that nobody will care how they got there.
It could be as simple as WWE holding a tournament for a title shot with Black and Gunther making it to the finals at WrestleMania.
Black winning would be nice, but it would be more likely that Gunther would end up with his hand raised in this scenario. If there was no title shot on the line, either man could get the win to set up a rematch down the line.
Carmelo Hayes
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Even though Gunther is a member of the Raw roster, people cross brands all the time in WWE, so having him pursue a title on SmackDown is not out of the question.
Carmelo Hayes has had an awesome run as the United States champion with several open challenge leading to him having the best match of the week, but his reign won't last forever.
Having him retain the title would obviously be great, but having Gunther win the U.S. title would allow him to be an even more obnoxious foreign heel the same way Kevin Owens was when he held the belt a few years ago.
This would definitely lead to a great match, and having Gunther win the belt would give him something more substantial to do for the next few months.
Ilja Dragunov
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One of the few people in WWE who has had Gunther's number is someone who is also in desperate need of a WrestleMania program.
Ilja Dragunov is one of the best bell-to-bell wrestlers in the entire company right now, so it should be a priority for WWE to make sure he is on the biggest show of the year.
His matches with Gunther have been instant classics every time, so having them reignite their rivalry would be great for both men.
Regardless of who leaves with the W, the fans are the real winners if we get this match on the biggest stage imaginable.
They have had a handful of matches on house shows, but the last time these two had a televised encounter was all the way back in 2021 at an NXT TakeOver special. It's time to put them back in the ring and see what they can do.
Shinsuke Nakamura
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Sometimes a match doesn't need a long drawn-out story. Sometimes, all you need is two talented wrestlers in the ring for the magic to happen.
Gunther and Shinsuke Nakamura have had a handful of matches over the years, but their most recent took place in 2023, so it's been long enough that this would feel like a fresh feud again.
What's great about this match is it pits two different styles against each other. European and Japanese Strong Style would collide, and it would easily be one of the best matches on the card.
Nakamura hasn't had much to do recently other than bug Tama Tonga occasionally, so it would be nice to see him get a marquee match at the biggest show of the year against someone who could bring the best out of him.
These seven names are all possibilities, but WWE has a big roster. Who would you like to see Gunther face at WrestleMania 42?
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