Gunther Breaks Down Why He Looks Up To WWE Raw Star

Gunther is ready to get back in the ring with a WWE Raw rival.

At SummerSlam, Gunther will challenge for World Championship gold in WWE for the first time. As a result of winning the King of the Ring tournament, the star booked himself a shot at Damian Priest and the World Heavyweight crown.

Gunther is already the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in history, but now he has loftier goals.

As he prepared for his date with Priest, the Austrian star met Finn Balor on Raw, forcing his rival to pass out in a Sleeper Hold. With the match won, he refused to let go of the hold, with Priest running out to make the save.

Gunther Wants “Proper” Storyline With Finn Balor

The bout was the first time Gunther and Balor had wrestled, a somewhat surprising fact given their status as two of European wrestling’s biggest stars.

In a new interview with Justin Barrasso for Sports Illustrated, the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Title heaped paise on Balor, claiming he’s one of the best European wrestlers in history.

“We’d just flown in from Japan before Raw, but wrestling Finn Balor, I was excited for that one,” Gunther said. “Years ago, he came to wXw when he transitioned from New Japan to WWE. I’ve known him since back then and he’s always someone I’ve always looked up to as a wrestler. He’s one of the best European wrestlers ever, and he did it his own way. It was great to be in the ring with an excellent professional wrestler.

The match was exactly what it was supposed to be for the occasion. Down the line, I really hope we fulfill our potential with a proper program.”

Gunther and Balor were meant to square off at NXT TakeOver: Dublin in 2020, but the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.