Gunther missed out on the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match after CM Punk pinned him in a triple threat qualifier on the Sept. 25 episode of WWE SmackDown. Finn Bálor was the third man in the match, and his Coup de Grâce set up the finish. Since SummerSlam, the Ring General’s only win on SmackDown has come against Matt Cardona.
Late in the match, Gunther had Punk locked in a Sleeper when Bálor leaped in and hit the Ring General with the Coup de Grâce. Before the Irishman could make a cover, Punk regrouped and scored the pin on Gunther instead. The victory made the former Undisputed WWE Champion the fifth man to qualify for the ladder match on Oct. 10 in New Orleans. Bron Breakker, Je’Von Evans, Trick Williams, and Penta earned their spots earlier in September.
In a backstage interview with Cathy Kelley before the match, Gunther complained about having to earn his way into a ladder-climbing contest. The Ring General also brought up the punch Bálor landed on him backstage on the Sept. 11 episode of SmackDown. Bálor threw that punch after growing tired of Gunther’s complaining.
On his way to the ring, Gunther stopped Danhausen from putting a curse on him. The two first crossed paths on the Aug. 28 episode of SmackDown, when both were waiting to see general manager Nick Aldis. Danhausen made his WWE debut at Elimination Chamber on Feb. 28 and beat Dominik Mysterio in a Human Monies on a Pole match at SummerSlam.
Gunther opened SummerSlam weekend by making Aldis tap out to a Sleeper on Aug. 1. The next night, the general manager added him to a fatal four-way for a future Undisputed WWE Championship match. The returning Kevin Owens won by pinning Sami Zayn.
The Cardona match came on the Aug. 14 episode of SmackDown. Cardona attacked the Ring General after Gunther insulted Cardona’s wife, Chelsea Green, and the two fought in an impromptu match. Gunther won by making Cardona tap out to the Boston Crab.
The Ring General’s next match came on Aug. 28, in a triple threat with Owens and Bálor. The winner was set to become the next challenger for Punk, who held the Undisputed WWE Championship at the time. Zayn dragged Bálor out of the ring and attacked two referees, and the match ended in a no contest. Gunther did not wrestle at Sunday Night’s Main Event in Atlanta on Sept. 6.
Gunther was also absent from the Sept. 18 episode of SmackDown. In an Instagram post, the Austrian said he spent that time in London with his wife, Jinny. The Sept. 25 loss to Punk was his first match since Aug. 28.
Gunther retired John Cena less than a year ago, and now he cannot even get into a ladder match. The Ring General lost a qualifier that was decided by someone else’s finisher. Since SummerSlam, the only SmackDown win on his record is over Cardona. Clash in Italy and Night of Champions both ended without gold, and Aldis cost him at Saturday Night’s Main Event in July.
Now Danhausen is circling with a curse. Brushing him off on the way to the ring only makes it more likely the curse comes back around. No one in WWE has an answer for Danhausen, so if the curse lands, the dry spell is only going to get longer. A losing streak is not a revamp, and Gunther needs a revamp.
WWE built Gunther into the Career Killer, then left him bickering with a general manager, getting punched backstage, and chasing qualifiers. A star who beat Goldberg, AJ Styles, and Cena in their final matches deserves a real direction. The talent is still there, and so are the matches that proved it. WWE continues to fail with Gunther, and the clock is ticking.
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