Former Universal Champion to return and challenge Gunther at WrestleMania XL? Exploring potential feud

WrestleMania 40 is around the corner and Gunther's direction for the biggest event of the year is still obscure. He is running out of credible opponents on the roster for his Intercontinental Championship. Amid the wavering uncertainty, a former Universal Champion could return to WWE and challenge The Ring General.

The name in question is Braun Strowman. The Monster Among Men was recently spotted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he made his presence felt at The WWE Experience. The fact that WWE posted the clip on its social media handle leaves an inkling that his return might be on the horizon.

The 40-year-old has been away from WWE television for quite some time while recovering from his injury. Therefore, he could make his surprise return ahead of WrestleMania 40 and challenge Gunther for his Intercontinental Championship. Needless to say, Strowman is one of the biggest stars in the company and would be a viable opponent for the Imperium leader.

He might even prove to be one of the biggest threats to Gunther's title reign in his unprecedented run. WrestleMania has seen some of the most awe-inspiring moments in history, and this matchup has the potential to deliver the same. However, Braun Strowman is currently in recovery and there are no official updates about his return to the ring.

How Gunther's itinerary for WrestleMania XL saw major bumps

The Ring General has been walking down the path of glory as the longest running Intercontinental Champion in WWE history. He has vanquished every superstar who has stepped up to him. The company had major plans in store for him at this year's Show of Shows. However, his road to Mania has seen some major changes in plans.

Initially, Gunther was supposed to face Brock Lesnar at The Showcase of the Immortals this year. However, the plans were scrapped, which led to a quandary about his match at WrestleMania XL. Previously, there were also speculations that Bron Breakker could face The Ring General at the extravaganza, as the two had an epic encounter during the Royal Rumble 2024 match.

With Breakker signing with SmackDown, it seems like WWE has no plans to go in that direction. There has also been major speculation regarding WWE possibly deciding to take the Intercontinental title away from him after his matchup with Jey Uso on Monday Night RAW this week, however, that did not happen either.

Hence, it will be interesting to see who The Ring General faces at the biggest event of the year in Philadelphia.

Who do you think could face Gunther at WrestleMania XL? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.