Gunther's Next Challenger For WWE Intercontinental Title Is...
Surprising superstar wins battle royal to earn title match at Night of Champions.
Mustafa Ali is your new #1 contender for the Intercontinental Championship, winning a battle royal on Raw Monday night to punch his ticket to face Gunther at Night of Champions later this month.
Ali survived until the final three of a battle royal that saw Bronson Reed dominate much of the match and eliminate the biggest participants along the way. Mustafa and Ricochet teamed up to try to knock the big Aussie out, but Reed caught Ricochet on the apron and was looking to dump him when Ali dropkicked both men off the apron to win.
Later in the evening, Mustafa ran into Gunther backstage, leading to the IC champ congratulating and lamenting his challenger's fate. Ali turned it back around, suggesting that it was Gunther who would be traveling halfway around the world to be disappointed.
.@AliWWE has done it!
He will challenge @Gunther_AUT for the #ICTitle at #WWENOC!!!#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/H6pxtuHP8v
Advertisement— WWE (@WWE) May 16, 2023
The win is obviously Ali's biggest in quite some time, as he has been floundering in the lower tiers of Raw until very recently. His Positive-Ali gimmick has led to some beatdowns and confrontations, but he's at least been getting consistent TV time, working four matches since WrestleMania (and winning three of them).
While it's difficult to bet against Gunther and his historic Intercontinental Championship reign, it's worth noting that Ali will have his first PLE match since losing a United States Championship match to Austin Theory at Hell in a Cell last June.