Backstage Update On WWE's Plans For Gunther After Shocking Raw Twist
WWE's plans for Gunther post-Intercontinental Title reign and Imperium rift.
Tentative WWE plans for Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser to continue working together following this week's Imperium split, reports Fightful Select.
Monday's Raw saw Gunther watch Imperium stablemates Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci limp to an impromptu tag defeat to the New Day. Upset, Gunther stared Kaiser down after the bell, ultimately prompting Ludwig to turn on Vinci (who had just taken the fall) by beating him down around ringside.
Vinci and Kaiser were eventually separated by officials. Ludwig broke away from them momentarily, however, racing back towards Vinci and kicking his head while Giovanni was dangled over the ring steps.
Afterwards, Gunther looked pleased with Kaiser's actions, acknowledging his long-time ally in a brief backstage passing.
Gunther's 666-day Intercontinental Championship reign ended by Sami Zayn's hand at WrestleMania 40 earlier this month. On Raw, the Austrian declared for the upcoming King of the Ring tournament, the winner of which is to score a World Title match.
The core Imperium trio had been together effectively since May 2019, though Vinci was absent for a few months in 2022, when Kaiser and Gunther were moved to SmackDown while Vinci remained in NXT. The group was reformed at September's Clash at the Castle event.