Former US Champion to return after 171 days on WWE RAW as Brock Lesnar's WrestleMania replacement? Exploring the possibility

Brock Lesnar hasn't been mentioned on WWE RAW or SmackDown after his name allegedly came up in the latest lawsuit against Vince McMahon. This has seemingly thrown a monkey wrench in the company's rumored plans for The Beast on the Road to WrestleMania 40. Interestingly, this may have opened the door for a former United States Champion's comeback.

As previously reported, Bron Breakker replaced Brock Lesnar in the 2024 men's Royal Rumble match amid the aforementioned legal issues. It looks like WWE might want to distance itself from The Beast for a while. Before the controversy, Lesnar was rumored to face Gunther at WrestleMania 40.

In The Beast's absence, former United States Champion Sheamus could return after 171 days on this week's episode of RAW. He was last seen on WWE programming on the August 18, 2023, episode of SmackDown.

The Celtic Warrior has reportedly been dealing with an injury since last year. However, he might finally show up on Monday to reignite his feud with The Ring General after weeks of teases.

Tonight on WWE RAW, Gunther will celebrate 600 days as Intercontinental Champion. However, his celebrations could be spoiled by a returning Sheamus. Over the past few months, the veteran has put The Ring General on notice several times on Twitter.

Both men have a long history and have delivered spectacular matches together. After weeks of build-up, the company could book Gunther to face Sheamus in a one-on-one title match at WrestleMania 40.

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What is Sheamus' weakness, according to Gunther?

Gunther vs. Sheamus vs. Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 39

The Ring General and The Celtic Warrior match have similar wrestling styles, as they are known for delivering hard-hitting matches.

In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda Wrestling, Gunther said Sheamus was a formidable in-ring competitor, but he was not focused enough to defeat him. The WWE RAW Superstar highlighted how the veteran quickly got frustrated and had a soft heart.

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Will Sheamus return on WWE RAW?

As mentioned above, The Celtic Warrior was on the SmackDown roster before he suffered a shoulder injury. He last wrestled Edge in a one-on-one match, which was also the latter's final bout in the company.

Recent reports have indicated that Sheamus is expected to return in the next few weeks, but his brand status remains unclear. However, with the recent controversy surrounding Brock Lesnar and the potential changes of plans, The Celtic Warrior could join WWE RAW. The veteran's former group, The Brawling Brutes, has also disbanded on the blue brand.

It will be interesting to see if tonight's WWE RAW will mark Sheamus' return to television.