6 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE Bash In Berlin (Results & Review)

2. Gunther Perseveres

Setting aside the slow third of the main event, Gunther versus Randy Orton did tell a pretty decent story of a broken-down, aging veteran trying to level the playing field against a dangerous opponent.

Orton’s neck and back issues kept him out of the ring for more than a year, and they became a central talking point during the match, but the Viper clearly tried to counter that by removing one of Gunther’s biggest weapons: his right-handed chop. Orton targeted Gunther’s right arm repeatedly during the first half of the match, severely limiting the Ring General’s offense throughout. Gunther was a master at selling the pain each time he tried to chop or clothesline Orton, to diminished results.

He struggled to powerbomb Randy, failing several times and eating an RKO on a botched attempt. It basically took Gunther sucking it up and forcing his arm into position for a sleeper – or a series of them as he had to reapply the hold a few times – to finally put Orton down.

The uncharacteristic show of respect from Gunther worked well here too, an acknowledgement that the 14-time world champion’s strategy was solid and very nearly worked. With Orton headed back to SmackDown, Gunther could show respect and not have to worry about Randy walking out on Raw asking for a rematch.