Greetings to another eWrestlingNews Query of the Day!
This evening on WWE RAW, we’re set to witness a Fatal 4-Way No. 1 Contender’s match to decide who will next challenge GUNTHER for the World Heavyweight Championship. The contenders are Seth Rollins, Damian Priest, Sheamus, and Dominik Mysterio.
Raw spoilers may already reveal the winner, but let’s discuss this without giving anything away (especially as this was written prior to the spoilers release!)
The query in focus here is: “Who’s your choice to win this match and when would you schedule their title fight with Gunther?”
We invite everyone to share your opinions in the comments below.
Sharing my perspective…
I rule out two contenders immediately. It’s difficult picturing Dominik Mysterio squaring off against Gunther, also revisiting Sheamus suddenly doesn’t make a lot of sense either. The real competition is between Damian Priest and Seth Rollins.
Picking between these two, Priest has an edge for me, depending on what WWE has planned for the coming months. Here’s my prediction :
A face-off between Rollins and Gunther promises to be exciting but shouldn’t be a rushed affair in just 3 weeks, getting glossed over in the hype for the WarGames match. Priest vs Gunther might not have the same allure as these two have already had encounters, a delayed rematch from a few months ago when the title changed hands.
Given Priest’s recent loss to Dom, I’d predict a reversal here. While ensuring Rollins looks impressive, I foresee a Bronson Reed interjection causing disruption. Their rivalry demands more than just a single bout at Crown Jewel. I envision another Rollins-Reed fight at Survivor Series or prior in Raw.
Scheduling Rollins’ title match against Gunther could happen either at Saturday Night’s Main Event or Royal Rumble. It’s plausible to include CM Punk anytime he plans a comeback. In such a situation, both get a chance at Royal Rumble. However, the Raw episode – the ‘Netflix premiere of Raw’- which is expected to showcase a major title match, could accommodate one of these fights.
My preference is to book Rollins against Gunther at the Saturday Night’s Main Event, alluding to Rollins moving on from Reed. For the Raw episode, I see Punk stepping in, and a prospective Rollins run-in paves the way for a Royal Rumble match where one would probably eliminate the other. Such an occurrence would escalate their feud while allowing Gunther’s title defense at RR against Goldberg, unless a face-off is scheduled for WrestleMania 41. I still believe John Cena winning the Royal Rumble, subsequently challenging Gunther at Mania, is an intriguing idea. Priest, however, gets another shot at Gunther at Survivor Series, makes an entry into Royal Rumble, and might start a championship rivalry with Bron Breakker on the Road to WrestleMania. Possibly, Dom and Wyatt Sicks would be locking horns on Judgment Day, and Sheamus, regrettably, might just feature in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
We’re eager to hear your thoughts. Share them below!