3 opponents Gunther can face after taking on Randy Orton at Bash in Berlin

Gunther may have just become World Heavyweight Champion, but he already has a huge challenge ahead of him. The Ring General will have his first-ever title defense at Bash in Berlin against The Apex Predator Randy Orton.

For context, Orton made a surprise appearance at the start of last night's RAW and confronted Gunther. Orton got himself a title shot by reminding the new champion that their previous encounter during the King of the Ring finals did not have a clean finish. Nevertheless, The Ring General seemed unfazed and welcomed the challenge.

Assuming that Gunther does indeed come out on top at Bash in Berlin, the question arises, what's next? Well, there will be no shortage of challengers for the World Heavyweight Champion. But, here are the three top stars Gunther could face next should he vanquish The Viper.

#3. Finn Balor tries to prove that he is better than Damian Priest

One of the first challengers Gunther can face if he defeats Randy Orton is Finn Balor. The two already had an epic match on the episode of RAW before SummerSlam. Moreover, it was thanks to Balor's betrayal of Damian Priest that The Ring General got the edge and won the title.

Finn Balor would also have his own reasons for wanting to become World Heavyweight Champion. For starters, he came close to winning the title at SummerSlam 2023. Secondly, he will want to get back to being a top star in the WWE locker room. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, he will want to prove that he is better than Damian Priest by beating the very man to whom The Archer of Infamy lost his title.

#2. Seth Rollins is finally free to challenge for the World Heavyweight title once again

One matchup the WWE has been hinting at for a while now is Gunther versus The Visionary, Seth Rollins. As many in the WWE Universe will remember, the seeds were planted way back, following this year's Royal Rumble. The Ring General even confronted Rollins at the time when the latter was still World Heavyweight Champion.

If that isn't reason enough, it's also important to remember that Rollins is free to challenge for the title now. He was in a bit of a sticky situation following Money in the Bank, because his loss to Damian Priest made him ineligible to challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship. But now, he is free of those bonds. That being said, Rollins may want to deal with Bronson Reed first before setting his sights on championship gold.

#1. Ludwig Kaiser betrays his good friend Gunther for a title shot

Gunther no doubt has some questionable tactics when dealing with his opponents. From targeting their weaknesses to berating how they were raised. Nothing seems off-limits for him. But the same goes for his good friend Ludwig Kaiser who some might claim is an even bigger villain than The Ring General.

As things stand, the two are on good terms, as Kaiser seems to adore and praise the World Heavyweight Champion at every opportunity he gets. But, it's hard to forget what he did to one of his other good friends, and former tag-team partner, Giovanni Vinci. Who's to say Kaiser won't backstab Gunther just to be in the World Title picture?