WWE World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER recently appeared on the Saturday Night’s Main Event recap podcast to discuss his surprising 15-minute match against WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg, which extended far beyond typical expectations. The champion highlighted how Goldberg’s formidable presence as a character and personality made the match especially challenging.
GUNTHER noted,
“Yes, I agree to that (it was a task handling Goldberg) and I feel like that’s something about Goldberg in general. He’s not a Mount Rushmore wrestler of this business or anything. But him as a person, as a character, as a brand in this business… he’s a Hall of Famer already but a Mount Rushmore character, Mount Rushmore personality in this business, and that’s what made him just special is he never needed to be a good technical wrestler, he never needed to have a lot of finesse. Everything he did — and it’s almost a little bit similar to what I do — he’s very straight to the point, he’s very straightforward. So that guy was not easy to handle for anybody he ever stepped in the ring with. So, I expected that. But, to be honest, today, it caught me by surprise. I was out there with him for 15 minutes or maybe a little bit longer. I don’t think anybody really expected that out of the match and I expected it to be shorter, so that was a big surprise to me and so that being said, after it’s all said and done, I can pay my respects to him, to Bill Goldberg. He came back for the right reasons. To fight for what’s near and dear to him. Obviously, it was for the World Heavyweight Championship but I would say, going into that, you could tell it was about something way more personal than a championship so, I gotta pay my respect to him.”
—GUNTHER, WWE World Heavyweight Champion
Hints at Future Challenges from Seth Rollins and CM Punk
Looking ahead to his next title defenders, GUNTHER addressed tensions with both Seth Rollins and CM Punk. He indicated that Rollins experienced difficulties during a recent encounter and hinted at unresolved matters with Punk, especially referring to an incident on the June 30th Raw episode when CM Punk shoved him to the mat.
He stated,
“Didn’t look too good for Seth Rollins today. We’ll see about that, and yeah, you touched on CM Punk but… I know that moment (when he shoved me to the mat on the June 30th Raw) and that will be addressed in the future. But for now and for today, I achieved something far greater than Bill Goldberg ever achieved (he smirked). So I gave him the honor of being retired by one of the greatest to ever do this. I’ll leave you guys with that.”
—GUNTHER, WWE World Heavyweight Champion
The Significance of GUNTHER’s Victory and What Lies Ahead
GUNTHER’s unexpected lengthy battle and ultimate victory over a legendary figure like Goldberg enhances his credibility as WWE World Heavyweight Champion. By acknowledging Goldberg’s influence and signaling future confrontations with prominent stars such as CM Punk and Seth Rollins, he sets the stage for high-stakes rivalries that will captivate WWE fans. The teased showdown involving CM Punk promises to be a major storyline, with GUNTHER underscoring that tensions will soon be settled inside the ring.
This sequence of events signals an intense period for WWE’s heavyweight title scene, with GUNTHER solidifying his status while preparing to face some of the company’s top talents. Fans can expect these forthcoming matches to be emotionally charged and fiercely contested.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Did CM Punk have surgery?
A. WWE has announced that CM Punk had surgery on his injured triceps. CM Punk believes he’s gearing up for an incredible return to wrestling.
Q. Does CM Punk support LGBTQ?
A. Punk concluded his speech with, “I can’t imagine what it’s like to be gay, lesbian, or especially trans and feel stuck in a body that doesn’t feel right. That’s why I support them.”
Q. What surgery did CM Punk have?
A. CM Punk recently had an operation on his torn triceps. He’s now getting ready for an amazing return to wrestling.
During tonight’s WWE RAW, viewers got a short update on Punk. They showed a video of him after the surgery.
Q. Was CM Punk actually hurt?
A. Even though Punk’s fall looked genuine, it was part of the plan. Meanwhile, McIntyre got hurt for real and needed 16 stitches.
