The tournament to determine who John Cena will face in his final match continues tonight on Raw, as the favorite to win returns to WWE.
For the first time since SummerSlam, Gunther steps back into the ring to face NXT’s Je’Von Evans in a first-round matchup. Yet despite his status as the tournament favorite, Gunther’s return has drawn surprisingly little fanfare and even less hype — a missed opportunity given what he represents in WWE’s current landscape.
Since coming to WWE’s main roster in 2022, no one has dominated the squared circle like Gunther. A heel through and through, most of his victories have been clean and decisive over the likes of Randy Orton, Drew McIntyre, and Goldberg. He holds the record for the longest Intercontinental Championship reign in history, and his first World Heavyweight Championship run is the second-longest on record.
When he was last seen, he was beating the snot out of CM Punk — and that’s not hyperbole. In real time, fans watched Gunther grind Punk down with a series of chops. In the weeks that followed, Punk wrestled in several tag-team and multi-person matches. Since his bout with Gunther, Punk has wrestled only three singles matches.
All of this highlights how brutal that match was and how terrifying Gunther’s peak form can be.
Which is exactly why WWE’s presentation of Gunther’s return feels strangely muted. The man who became Raw’s final boss and had children in tears on some nights is just, well, back. No video package. No reminders of his dominance. Just a passing announcement that he’d be facing Je’Von Evans.
Perhaps for effect, Gunther should have been a mystery opponent against Evans.
Having Evans enter the ring first and then watching his eyes bulge in disbelief as the opening chords of Gunther’s theme hit would have sold the fact that WWE’s most punishing star was back. Followed by a short, uncomfortable squash match, WWE could have sent a powerful message to fans: Gunther is back, and that means bad news for everyone, including Cena.
Then again, WWE can still achieve that by booking Gunther to run through Evans like a bus running over a stray soda can in the middle of the street.
But execution matters, and presentation shapes perception. When a figure as dominant as Gunther returns, the audience should feel it before the bell rings.
Regardless, the baddest man in WWE is back. And since WWE didn’t make that clear before, hopefully this tournament will.
