AJ Styles Will Put His Career On The Line Against GUNTHER At WWE Royal Rumble

AJ Styles is officially walking into the most dangerous match of his WWE career.

On the latest episode of WWE Raw, Styles confirmed that he has accepted GUNTHER’s brutal stipulation for their upcoming clash at the Royal Rumble event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: if Styles loses, his career is over.

The tension between the two started brewing in the fallout from GUNTHER’s shocking submission victory over John Cena in what was billed as Cena’s retirement match. Since forcing Cena to tap out at Saturday Night’s Main Event in December, the self-proclaimed “Ring General” has been on a victory lap, boasting weekly on Raw about ending the career of one of WWE’s greatest icons. That arrogance didn’t sit well with Styles, another longtime rival of Cena who felt compelled to step in and humble GUNTHER.

Their first encounter took place last week on Raw in Berlin, Germany, and it delivered exactly the kind of hard-hitting, technical battle fans expected. Styles appeared to have GUNTHER beaten after locking in the Calf Crusher and clearly forcing a tap out. The problem? The referee didn’t see it. While Styles argued his case, GUNTHER capitalized on the distraction and escaped with a controversial victory, leaving a massive question mark hanging over the result.

That unresolved finish led Styles to demand a rematch this week. GUNTHER, however, wasn’t interested in a simple do-over. Instead, he raised the stakes dramatically, agreeing to face Styles again only if “The Phenomenal One” was willing to put his entire career on the line. Initially hesitant, Styles later made his decision clear in a backstage segment with Raw General Manager Adam Pearce, officially accepting the challenge.

Now the rematch is set, and the implications couldn’t be bigger. This will be GUNTHER’s third match since retiring John Cena, and he’ll be looking to add another legendary name to his list by ending AJ Styles’ career on one of WWE’s biggest international stages.

Whether this marks the final chapter for Styles or another defining moment in GUNTHER’s dominant reign remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Royal Rumble just became must-see viewing.

Report: Gunther Expected Back on WWE TV Soon

It looks like WWE fans won’t have to wait much longer to see the return of “The Ring General.” According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Gunther is set to make his comeback to television after being sidelined since SummerSlam.

Gunther hasn’t been seen since night one of SummerSlam, where he dropped the World Heavyweight Title to CM Punk. That chaotic night saw Seth Rollins cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Punk immediately after, leaving the Austrian powerhouse empty-handed. WWE later announced that Gunther was out indefinitely with a series of serious injuries — including a subdural hematoma and orbital blowout fracture. Reports also surfaced that he underwent surgery to repair a broken nose.

Now cleared and expected back “very soon,” speculation is already heating up over what WWE has in store for him. With Crown Jewel in Perth, Australia on the horizon, Gunther could be slotted into a high-profile match on the card.

Over the past year, the former champion has been linked to several potential dream bouts. One of the biggest rumors ties him to John Cena, with whispers that Gunther could be the final opponent on Cena’s retirement tour. That match, however, isn’t expected until December, when Cena’s farewell bout officially takes place.

Another long-discussed showdown is Gunther vs. Brock Lesnar. WWE had initially explored the match for WrestleMania 40 before Lesnar was pulled from creative plans, but with Lesnar now back in the mix and having already bested Cena, that collision with Gunther could finally materialize.

Whether it’s Brock, Cena, or another top name, Gunther’s return is set to shake up WWE’s main event scene. After establishing himself as one of the most dominant champions in recent memory, fans are eager to see who will be the first to step in front of “The Ring General” when he marches back onto WWE TV.

Goldberg Returns, Targets GUNTHER for Final Match at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event

After months of speculation and teases, Goldberg made his long-awaited WWE return — and he’s coming back for one final battle.

On this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw, just as World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER was celebrating his recent title win over Jey Uso, the Hall of Famer made a thunderous return to WWE television. But this wasn’t just a cameo — it was a direct challenge. Goldberg declared that GUNTHER would be his last opponent, setting the stage for a massive showdown next month at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Atlanta, Georgia.

GUNTHER had taken to the ring to silence speculation and refocus the conversation around his title reign, addressing rumors and even mentioning Seth Rollins and his looming Money in the Bank briefcase. But before he could get too far, Goldberg’s music hit — and the energy in the arena shifted immediately.

Standing face to face with the reigning champion, Goldberg made it clear: this is personal. He reminded GUNTHER that it was he who picked the fight in the first place, all the way back at Bad Blood last October, when the Austrian powerhouse called him out in front of his hometown crowd while Goldberg was seated ringside with his family.

Since then, fans have speculated that the WWE legend was plotting a retirement match. Those suspicions only intensified after Goldberg mentioned during an appearance on SEC Nation last fall that he was preparing for one final in-ring performance in 2025. With Saturday Night’s Main Event now confirmed for Atlanta — Goldberg’s backyard — the stars have aligned for a generational clash.

There were some concerns about Goldberg’s readiness. In recent interviews, he admitted to dealing with nagging injuries and had been undergoing stem cell treatments for his back, shoulder, and knee. But judging by his return on Raw, the former Universal Champion is locked in and ready to go.

The match is shaping up to be a blockbuster: GUNTHER, the hard-hitting Ring General with a dominant title reign, versus Goldberg, one of the most explosive forces in WWE history looking to go out on his own terms — and in his hometown, no less.

Will Goldberg ride off into the sunset as champion one last time? Or will GUNTHER add another legend to his growing list of victims?

WALTER Undergoes Unnecessary WWE Name Change

NXT 2.0’s “Ring General” WALTER has been given a new ring name by WWE. For some reason.

WALTER has a new name! The former NXT UK Champion revealed that his new name was Gunther following the main event of this week’s NXT 2.0.

It all went down at the WWE Performance Center on Tuesday, January 18. In what was his first singles match on NXT 2.0, “Der Ring General” went one-on-one with Diamond Mine’s Roderick Strong in a thrilling main event. It was a hard-hitting bout, and Strong put up a good fight, but ultimately, WALTER was too powerful a foe to overcome. With his brute strength and wily in-ring skills, the gargantuan Austrian eventually overpowered the former NXT Cruiserweight Champion and finished him off with a brutal powerbomb for the 1-2-3.

After the bell, WALTER got on the mic to make a declaration. “The winner of the match … is GUNTHER!” as his Imperium colleagues Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner appeared and proceeded to deliver a beat down to the still-reeling Roderick Strong. Strong’s Diamond Mine underlings Brutus and Julius Creed ran to the ring to make the save and a three-on-three brawl ensued as the show went off the air.

Changing WALTER’s name to Gunther seems pointless — and it is definitely pointless — but it could mean that WWE has some big plans for him. Right?

It is tough to bet against Walter,” Triple H said of Gunther (back when was Gunther was still called WALTER) during an appearance on The Bump back in January 2021. “Anyone who has watched him over the last few years, anyone who has recently watched him against Ilja [Dragunov], one of the most physically imposing, physically dominating performers out there. There’s no wasted movement, he’s not flashy, he doesn’t care about how it looks, he’s just effective.”

Source: TheSportster