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WWE Backlash 2025 certainly taught fans one thing: Gunther may no longer be World Heavyweight Champion, but he’s still one of the biggest stars in the business.
Gunther, just a few weeks after losing his title to Jey Uso at WrestleMania 41, rebounded with a resounding victory over Pat McAfee at WWE Backlash in St. Louis. Yes, “The Ring General” stepped into the ring with the Raw commentator and made former NFL star pass out in a sleeper hold submission in one of the most surprising matches in recent WWE history.
The bout itself came after Gunther ruthlessly attacked McAfee on Raw a few weeks ago, a result of the rage he felt after losing to Uso. It was the second straight WrestleMania that Gunther lost his title after an extended reign, and this time around, WWE didn’t want to waste any time getting Gunther back on track.
After some brief time off requested by Gunther himself, one of the most dominant stars in WWE history did exactly that at WWE Backlash: Dominated.
For all the flack McAfee has received for getting a pay-per-view match as a commentator and supposedly “stealing a spot,” McAfee once again delivered a very good match at WWE Backlash just as he’s done in all of his previous in-ring encounters. More importantly, however, McAfee did exactly what his match with Gunther set out to do, and that’s help Gunther regain his momentum after that WrestleMania loss.
Gunther’s WWE Backlash victory over McAfee wasn’t exactly a win in the main event of WrestleMania 41. But by defeating McAfee, who received one of the biggest pops of the night, and carrying him to a pay-per-view quality match, Gunther demonstrated exactly why he won’t be down for long.
Still, Gunther is traversing new territory, and how he fares after his win over McAfee will be critical to his future success.
For virtually his entire WWE career and especially on the main roster, Gunther has been one of WWE’s most protected stars. He rarely loses, consistently holds titles, and delivers stellar match after stellar match on the biggest stages. But at WrestleMania 41, Gunther tapped out to Uso in incredibly quick fashion, ending his World Heavyweight Championship reign and setting him up for his first extended run away from the title picture.
Gunther appears to be a non-factor in Raw’s world title scene for now, so WWE’s creative team’s biggest challenge is keeping him near the top of the card without being involved in a title feud as he’s so accustomed to doing.
WWE Backlash 2025 was a nice start to this new stage of Gunther’s career, with a strong win over McIntyre and a rare display of sportsmanship afterward. Arguably the best all-around in-ring performer in the world, Gunther once again demonstrated why he is as reliable as they come and should remain a mainstay at the top of the card despite his title reign ending at the hands of Uso.
Feuding with a Raw commentator and part-time wrestler is certainly fine for now, but WWE now must face the tough task of carving out a consistent role for Gunther moving forward. There is no shortage of potential feud options for Gunther in WWE, whether he stays on Raw or moves to SmackDown.
But after Gunther’s destruction of McAfee at WWE Backlash, it’s time to give him a long-term story without a title involve. And of course, that’s no easy task.
