'Former AEW star; 47-year-old legend' - 4 WWE heels Gunther can send after Sami Zayn on RAW to avoid accepting his Bad Blood challenge 

With less than a week to go before WWE Bad Blood, Gunther might need to think out of the box to ensure he doesn't have to defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Sami Zayn this Saturday.

Over the last several weeks, The Ring General has been adamant about his choice not to fight Sami Zayn at Bad Blood. He even had his closest ally in WWE, Ludwig Kaiser, try to foil The Great Liberator's championship quest, but to no avail.

So, with tonight being the final RAW before the PLE, the champion could have someone else attack the star who ended his legendary Intercontinental Championship reign. Here are four unconventional WWE Superstars Gunther could reach out to for help.

#4. Pete Dunne

Pete Dunne's ongoing heel run has been a breath of fresh air after he spent the last two years putting others over. Tonight's episode of RAW could get him a step closer to fighting for the World Heavyweight Championship.

It's common knowledge that Dunne and Gunther don't see eye to eye. They have feuded in NXT and on the main roster. But if The Ring General offers him a future title shot in exchange for rendering Sami Zayn unfit to compete at Bad Blood, The Bruiserweight might simply accept it.

After all, the ex-Brawling Brutes member loves to pick fights with multiple people at once. So, his unfinished business with Sheamus would not stop him from going after Zayn.

#3. Chad Gable

Gunther's illustrious reign as the WWE Intercontinental Champion featured incredible matches and segments. One of his strongest rivalries during said period was against Chad Gable.

Following a series of emotionally gripping bouts between the two, fans were confident that The Olympian would be the one to dethrone The Imperium head. However, Sami Zayn beat him to the punch to achieve that accolade. This ultimately led to Gable turning heel.

Now, Gunther has the perfect opportunity to rekindle the animosity between the 'Streak Ender' and the American Made leader. All he has to do is convince Gable to jump Zayn, which could earn him another chance to beat The Austrian star.

#2. Shawn Spears from NXT

There's nothing stopping the World Heavyweight Champion from looking beyond the WWE RAW roster in his search for ideal prospects to get rid of the 'Sami Zayn problem.'

As a result, NXT's Shawn Spears could be the guy who helps keep The Ring General's schedule free this Saturday. Spears jumped ship from AEW to WWE earlier this year and has remained a heel so far into his current stint. So, him making a quick trip to RAW tonight is a possibility.

This could also be an effective way to have Sami Zayn head to NXT to square off against Spears, thus getting more eyes on the Tuesday Night Show as it gets accustomed to its new network.

#1. 2x WWE Champion AJ Styles

It's been quite a while since WWE Universe last saw AJ Styles on TV. While his return to the upcoming edition of SmackDown has already been announced, he could surprise fans by making an early comeback on tonight's RAW.

There's no denying that Styles has already faced almost every top face on SmackDown. From Cody Rhodes to LA Knight and Randy Orton, The Phenomenal One has clashed with them all this year. So, a change of scenery would be a welcome development as his contract status remains up in the air.

So, the 47-year-old legend's advertised appearance on SmackDown could be a farewell to the blue brand. In the meantime, he could start early on RAW and lay out Sami Zayn, thus getting on Gunther's radar and planting the seeds for the potential dream match between the two.