“Next Move”: Cody Rhodes Tipped to Lose WWE Title to Gunther Despite Backlash Match Against AJ Styles

A couple of weeks ago, WWE held its big event; WrestleMania 40. Throughout both nights, we saw several battles take place as the twilight of an era dawned on the promotion. One of them was for the Intercontinental Championship between Gunther and Sami Zayn. Finally, the 666-day reign of ‘The Ring General’ came to an end at the hands of Zayn.

So what’s next for Gunther? While he did state that he will be in the King of the Ring 2024, there actually might be something special planned for him instead. A run as a Universal Champion! At least that’s what a revered wrestling personality mentioned on a podcast.

Gunther could dethrone Cody Rhodes with statistics backing his chances

The Ring General is one of the most dominating men on the roster. So much so, that renowned pro wrestling insiders Denise Salcedo and Kate revealed on the Fightful podcasthow the WWE must be planning to have Gunther as the next Universal Champion. And the statistics favor him too as 80% of his run in the WWE involved him being a champion. This is what Kate revealed, “Still feels like the move in to have Gunther defeat Cody. Like that just feels like the right next move with the trajectory he is in. We did some math by the paywall some other day. And like 80% of Gunther’s time in the WWE, he’s been a champion. Whether it’s been in NXT or the main roster. That’s an insane statistic. I mean that’s over a thousand days. Absolutely unbelievable. So it feels like he should be leveling up in that way to me.”

Since WrestleMania, we haven’t seen much of the Ring General. He did make his first reappearance for the company post-Mania for a Fatal 4-Way for the Intercontinental Championship during a Live Show held in Birmingham. But Sami Zayn retained the championship against Gunther, Finn Balor, and Chad Gable. So maybe the WWE doesn’t want him to be the Intercontinental champion again. But what could be the next storyline for him? Since Rhodes is busy with AJ Styles. Gunther has to tend to some other affairs. And he does have his plate full at the moment. The former Intercontinental champion did betray Giovanni Vinci by throwing him off the deep end. Moreover, there were rumors of Ilja Dragunov joining the Imperium after he wrapped up his stint in NXT. Could that be the next plot?

The Ring General is not interested in recruiting new lieutenants for Imperium

In recent days, and especially after the betrayal of Giovanni Vinci, there have been a lot of rumors about the possibility of former NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov joining Imperium. Especially since he was expected to join the main roster. However, Gunther doesn’t seem very interested in it. In a recent interview with Gorilla Position, Gunther was asked about this possibility and was quick to dismiss the idea. He mentioned that Dragunov is someone who can bring out the best in him, but on the opposite side as an enemy rather than a friend. He also indicated that Dragunov has his own path to travel and that he doesn’t think they have to coincide.

But it is worth noting that Ilja Dragunov has been made a part of the red brand now. Moreover, when asked about now being on the same brand as Gunther, the former NXT champion remarked with a scintillating statement. “Destiny” he exclaimed confidently.. So it shouldn’t be a surprise if he is made to face Gunther again. Do you think the WWE should build a storyline with Dragunov? What do you make of the latest statistic that favors Gunther’s chances of clinching a world title? Let us know in the comments.