4 Superstars who should challenge Gunther if they win the 2025 WWE Men's Royal Rumble

The 2025 WWE Royal Rumble is less than 100 hours away, and as usual, anticipation for the iconic PLE is nearing its peak. Four matches have been set for the card, including the Men's and Women's Rumble matches. The build-up on the men's side has been particularly explosive, involving many huge names, intriguing subplots, and compelling promo segments.

Whoever emerges victorious in the 30-man melee will have a huge WrestleMania 41 choice to make. The winner will have to pick between challenging the Undisputed WWE Champion, be it Cody Rhodes or Kevin Owens, and facing Gunther for the World Heavyweight Title. While the former prospect is more appealing for some potential winners, fans will prefer to see certain possible Rumble winners go after The Ring General instead.

Here are four potential WWE Men's Royal Rumble 2025 winners who should choose to face Gunther at WrestleMania 41 if they prevail in Indianapolis:

---

#4. Seth Rollins should face Gunther for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship if he wins the 2025 Men's Royal Rumble

The Ring General and The Visionary came face-to-face on the final RAW before Royal Rumble 2025. [Image via WWE.com]

Heading into WWE Royal Rumble 2025, Seth Rollins' WrestleMania 41 plans are subject to much speculation. The 2019 Rumble winner seemed set to clash with bitter rival CM Punk at The Show of Shows, but that feud was seemingly brought forward to RAW's Netflix debut. Punk and Rollins could yet pick up where they left off post-Rumble, but as of now, their "beef" seems to have cooled off somewhat.

With The Second City Saint's attention potentially diverted to Cody Rhodes or even Roman Reigns, why not have Rollins win his second Rumble and challenge Gunther? The Visionary is a big part of the World Heavyweight Title's history, has never faced The Ring General for it, and even once labeled the Undisputed Championship the "Hollywood" Title, which didn't align with his "workhorse" values.

Having arguably the two greatest World Heavyweight Champions thus far battle over the cherished prize on The Grandest Stage of Them All would be epic.

---

#3. A dark horse such as Logan Paul, Jey Uso, or LA Knight could shock the world and challenge Gunther at WrestleMania 41

The World Heavyweight Championship was instituted as a star-making tool to give opportunities to uncrowned main event-level WWE Superstars. At the height of Roman Reigns' tyrannical dominance, it allowed stars such as Shinsuke Nakamura and Finn Balor to remind fans of their world-champion pedigree. It then crowned two first-time world champions in the form of Gunther and Damian Priest last year.

Following in the footsteps of The Archer of Infamy and The Ring General in 2025 could be super-popular stars like Jey Uso and LA Knight or the polarizing Logan Paul. All three men held mid-card titles in 2024 and have also declared for the upcoming Men's Rumble. Instead of John Cena winning his third Rumble or CM Punk using it to decorate his already immense legacy, why not put over one of the dark horses?

Why not let the victorious dark horse go after the young title with a statement-making Rumble win under their belt and let the established stars use the Elimination Chamber to chase the historically established championship?

---

#2. Gunther is a fresher pick for Roman Reigns if the Tribal Chief wins the 2025 Men's Royal Rumble

Roman Reigns' long history with the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship is well known. The Tribal Chief was the inaugural Undisputed Champion, unifying the WWE and Universal Titles during his iconic 1316-day reign with the Universal Championship. Additionally, he faced current titleholder Cody Rhodes at WrestleManias 39 and 40, winning the first encounter and losing the second.

On the other hand, Reigns has never won the World Heavyweight Championship, nor has he faced Gunther. He is also unofficially a member of the RAW on Netflix roster, the same show that is home to the young title. Very few challengers would elevate the title and The Ring General in quite the same way a babyface Head of The Table would.

Given the former Shield powerhouse's extensive history with Rhodes, Kevin Owens, and the Undisputed WWE Title, picking Gunther would offer a much fresher route to WrestleMania 41 if the 39-year-old wins the Men's Royal Rumble.

---

#1. Gunther would arguably be a better WWE WrestleMania 41 opponent for John Cena than Cody Rhodes

The weeks leading up to the 2025 WWE Royal Rumble have been littered with rumors of John Cena being Cody Rhodes' planned WrestleMania 41 opponent. This has understandably caused great excitement since The Franchise Player and The American Nightmare are arguably the promotion's two greatest babyfaces of the 21st century so far. Many fans are excited to witness a generational "torch-passing" moment in Las Vegas.

However, given that both men are babyfaces, it will be better for The Cenation Leader to go the Gunther route if he wins his third Rumble. The Ring General would arguably be a better foil for Cena's emotional journey to his final Show of Shows and shot at a historic 17th world title.

With The Rock, CM Punk, Drew McIntyre, and more potentially involved on Rhodes' side, the 16-time World Champion's choice should be clear. He can always face The American Nightmare later in the year, potentially after the latter turns heel.