WWE Called Out For Misbooking “No Charisma” Gunther

WWE booked Gunther to defeat John Cena, but hasn’t been able to follow up on it.

The Stamford-based promotion has come under fire multiple times recently from fans and critics who have voiced their honest opinions in an attempt to plead to the creative staff to improve what they feel has become a lackluster product with questionable booking and lazy storytelling.

Whether it’s critical fans on social media comment sections, video essay content creators on YouTube, or former wrestlers and promoters speaking on podcasts, many felt 2025 was a year in which WWE made too many mistakes across the board. The nadir for them, though, was the company’s booking of John Cena’s final ever match, in which he lost to Gunther by tapping out.

One such critic is former WWE star Johnathan Coachman, who now runs a popular podcast with ex-booker Vince Russo.

Johnathan Coachman Says WWE Made a Mistake By Trying to Push Gunther

In the latest episode of the Coach & Bro podcast, Coachman said that it would be great if current wrestling promoters and creative heads listened to honest criticism from people like himself and Russo to try to elevate their product.

He gave the example of Gunther’s misbooking by WWE and opined that Gunther lacks the charisma to have a massive heel run, like the one he’s on after retiring John Cena. Coachman pointed out how WWE has been clueless since the retirement match as to what to do with him. He also said that WWE star Drew McIntyre would make a much better heel.

I got so many reactions going, ‘Coach, you’re 100% right.’

Gunther walks out there and has no charisma. And right now all they’ve done with Guntehr is have him laugh, make a t-shirt that I created ‘cause I said it here on this show..tap like a B**…But in three weeks, they’ve done nothing with Gunther as the killer heel that they needed him to be to piggyback. off the John Cena stuff. (39:54 onwards)

Gunther is a star with a limited arsenal of moves and a basic wrestling character. With his limited range, The Ring General has still managed to be a top main-event star in WWE in recent years, when he held the World Heavyweight Championship, and had the longest Intercontinental title run ever, lasting 650 days. He even retired WWE and WCW legend Goldberg in the latter’s final match.

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