7 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Jan 13)

4. GUNTHER Retains

GUNTHER Braun Strowman
WWE.com

Phew!

There were real fears that WWE would pull the rug out from underneath GUNTHER when he was programmed with Strowman. Vince McMahon's recent return only exacerbated those concerns, but WWE stood by the big IC Champ and made him look like the man on this week's SmackDown.

That's great news, and it bodes well for GUNTHER's 2023 to come. He just scored a definitive win over a former World Champ in a featured spot on a Roman Reigns-less edition of blue brand telly. Do not underestimate just how powerful a statement that is from company creative.

This was almost Hunter's way of saying, 'OK, Vince - return if you want, but you're not screwing around with wrestlers I believe in'. Seeing GUNTHER topple someone like Braun in this fashion would've surely been impossible under Vinnie Mac's watch.

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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.