WWE WrestleMania 42 wasn’t supposed to feature Seth Rollins vs. Gunther. That dream match was a backup plan to a backup plan.
Original plans called for Rollins to face his former The Vision stablemate Bron Breakker and former Gunther to continue his “Career Killer” gimmick with a match against Rey Mysterio. Then, Breakker underwent hernia, Rollins’ potential backup opponent Bronson Reed got injured too, and Mysterio still hasn’t returned to WWE after suffering an injury in January.
Advertisement
So, WWE called audible after audible, and just when it looked like Gunther might shockingly be left off WrestleMania 42, “The Ring General” returned to Raw, attacked Rollins and set up a dream match with “The Visionary” at WWE’s flagship PLE.
MORE FROM FORBESWWE WrestleMania 42 Results As Becky Lynch Cheats To Beat AJ LeeBy Blake Oestriecher
WWE had plenty of obstacles en route to WrestleMania 42, and yet, Rollins and Gunther delivered an instant classic inside Allegiant Stadium.
The two former world champions battled it out in a stellar match until Gunther was able to lock in a devastating sleeper hold thanks to interference from a returning Bron Breakker, who speared Rollins while the referee was distracted. That forced Rollins to pass out and gave Gunther yet another signature win after he recently retired Goldberg, John Cena and AJ Styles.
Advertisement
Here are the key highlights and takeaways from Gunther’s win over Rollins at WrestleManai 42:
-
Before the bell rang, Gunther immediately attacked and pummelled Gunther, hitting him with a vicious powerbomb, but Rollins quickly rebounded and sent Gunther over the announce table before beating him down. Once the bell finally rang, the two stars exchanged strikes before Gunther blasted Rollins with a big boot.
-
Gunther attempted a German suplex, but Rollins landed on his feet. Rollins went for the Stomp, but Gunther hit him with a big clothesline. Gunther slowed down the pace and eventually attempted a superplex. Rollins wiggled out and hit Gunther with a running buckle bomb.
-
Rollins missed a Stomp attempt, and then Gunther hit him with a German suplex. Rollins responded with a German of his own, and then the two stars exchanged clotheslines, sending them to the mat.
-
Gunther and Rollins had a chop battle in the ring, but Gunther ultimately hit him with a powerbomb for a two-count. Rollins reversed a clothesline attempt and went for the pedigree, but Gunther countered. Rollins was able to hit Gunther with a running knee, and after a pin exchange, a pedigree too. He nailed Gunther with the Stomp as the crowd finally made some noise, but that got just two.
-
Rollins went for a top rope Stomp, but Gunther moved and avoided it. Rollins rolled him up, but Gunther reversed into a sleeper hold. Rollins eventually escaped the hold and hit two discus elbows. He went for a third, but Gunther blasted him with a nasty clothesline.
-
Up top, Rollins hit Gunther with a superplex and Falcon Arrow for a very close nearfall. Rollins locked in a sleeper of his own, and Gunther was able to get the rope break. Rollin hit a pair of dives on the outside and went for a third, but Gunther caught him and powerbombed him onto the apron and then again onto the announce table.
-
Gunther cleared off the Spanish announce table and went for a powerbomb. Rollins reversed and hit Gunther with a pedigree on top of the table. Rollins ran across the other announce table and then smashed Gunther’s face with a Stomp on the Spanish announce table.
-
When it looked like Rollins had the match in the bag, a returning Bron Breakker emerged and speared Rollins as the ref checked on Gunther. That allowed Gunther to reenter the ring, lock in the sleeper on Rollins and force Rollins to pass out. That was enough for the win.
The feud between Gunther and Rollins should be a short-lived one. Why? Well, because both stars have other fish to fry in WWE.
It came as a bit of a shock when, prior to WrestleMania 42, it was reported that Breakker was actually cleared to wrestle but WWE wanted to hold off on a match with Rollins to give it a longer build. Now, after what transpired at WrestleMania 42, we may know why.
Because The Vision’s mouthpiece Paul Heyman remained on TV in Breakker’s absence and even found himself at odds with Rollins virtually every week, it wasn’t as if WWE was simply going to drop the feud between Rollins and Breakker. That match would have been more than fitting for the WrestleMania stage, but its delay could and should set the stage for a nice post-WrestleMania rivalry on Raw.
Advertisement
After Breakker’s unforgettable WrestleMania return, WWE fans can consider this feud a lock now.
It’s no secret that WWE’s down season typically comes right after WrestleMania, and a significant feud like Breakker vs. Rollins could prevent the red brand from taking a noticeable dip after WrestleMania. In other words, Breakker vs. Rollins was simply on pause, not scrapped altogether.
And now, Gunther can move on as well.
To where? That isn’t as clear. Gunther is pushed stronger than just about any star in WWE, but he doesn’t quite figure into either world title picture at the moment. Still, WWE has kept Gunther strong for a reason, and after his big WrestleMania 42 win, he should remain a focal point of WWE as Rollins reignites his feud with Breakker.
Advertisement
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
