6 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (June 24)

Ups...

6. Gunther Looks Dominant

Gunther Ricochet
WWE.com

Not every match on free TV needs to be a back-and-forth stunner.

Sometimes, simply having a dominant champion win with relative ease is the way to go. Yours truly is a big fan of presenting Gunther as somebody who's even better now he's in possession of the Intercontinental Title. That makes the belt look really good, to tell the truth.

There was no reason for Ricochet to take the towering Austrian to his limits again here. Sure, these lads could have a banger with more time, but it'd be unnecessary to portray Gunther as just another IC Champ this early into his run. Nah, he needed to look like a killer here.

It'll be interesting to find out who's next now he's finished with Rico though. WWE better have somebody decent lined up, because it'd be a shame if they spurned Gunther's title run. He's the most exciting heel IC Champ since Sami Zayn (in 2020 - not the shorter 2022 run).

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.