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WWE Considering Three Options for Gunther's WrestleMania 42 Opponent

Who will the Career Killer face at WrestleMania 42 next month? WWE is said to be considering three different options for Gunther.
Rick Ucchino|
Gunther
Gunther | Netflix

What's next for the Career Killer?

That's a question that the WWE creative team is reportedly trying to answer with WrestleMania 42 set to take place six weeks from this coming Saturday. Only a handful of matches for this year's 'Showcase of the Immortals' have been announced thus far, none of which involve Gunther.

The Ring General is one of the biggest villains in the company right now after he retired fan favorites John Cena and AJ Styles within just a few weeks of each other, but his plans for WrestleMania are said to be undetermined, as of this writing.

It's been heavily rumored that the card for the biggest show of the year has been undergoing constant re-evaluation amid lower than expected ticket sales, and the guys behind WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select They are reporting that WWE is currently considering three different opponents for Gunther: Brock Lesnar, Oba Femi, and Rey Mysterio. 

Lesnar returned to WWE on the February 23 edition of WWE Raw and issued an open challenge for WrestleMania 42. The Beast will work the upcoming five dates, where he'll be waiting for one brave soul to step up and agree to face him in Las Vegas:

  • Monday, March 16 - WWE Raw in San Antonio, Texas
  • Monday, March 23 - WWE Raw in Boston, Massachusetts
  • Monday, March 30 - WWE Raw in New York City, New York
  • Monday, April 6 - WWE Raw in Houston, Texas
  • Monday, April 13 - WWE Raw in Sacramento, California

Plans were reportedly in place for Gunther to face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XL in Philadelphia, but Lesnar was pulled from any and all appearances after he was implicated in the ongoing Janel Grant lawsuit filed against Vince McMahon and WWE.

Brock wasn't cleared to come back to television until SummerSlam last year in New Jersey, and now a match with Gunther appears to be back on the table.

Oba Femi is one of the men, along with LA Knight, that is reportedly under consideration to face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 42, so it's interesting to hear that he's also an option for Gunther.

WWE is said to be very aware of the fan interest in watching Lesnar and Femi throw down on the grand stage this year, and if that match is ultimately booked, that would leave just one of the reported options left for Gunther.

Could Rey Mysterio be the Career Killer's next target?

Rey Mysterio
Rey Mysterio | Netflix

Rey Mysterio is one of the best to ever lace up a pair of boots. He's already a WWE Hall of Famer, and when healthy, his in-ring ability is as sharp as ever. But the 51-year-old has unfortunately been hit by the injury bug in recent years, including a groin tear that put him on the shelf just hours before his scheduled match at WrestleMania 41.

While he's never set a specific target date, Mysterio has publicly stated that he is approaching the end of his in-ring career. That could potentially make him a target of WWE's new Grim Reaper.

Having Gunther set his sights on retiring another legend would be a logical next step for his character. The Ring General is currently involved in a television program with Mysterio's good friend Dragon Lee. One devious act against Lee could set things in motion for Rey to step up to the former World Heavyweight Champion.

We'll find out soon enough if WWE decides to go down that road.

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

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