Former champion wants to "hurt" WWE star Gunther

Gunther's reign on WWE's flagship show is still relatively fresh after dominating the blue brand for an entire calendar year. A rivalry sparked between The Ring General and Matt Riddle following the latter's return.

After weeks of torment from the Austrian and his faction, The King of Bros is looking to exact revenge on the former. While the match itself hasn't been made official yet, Gunther vs. Matt Riddle in the UK seems like a foregone conclusion at this point.

Whether WWE books for the go-home episode of SmackDown or Money in the Bank remains to be seen, albeit it makes the most sense for the RAW Superstars to compete on the premium live event. Ahead of the impending clash, Riddle has a few words for The Ring General:

"I’m going to make you pay for everything you’ve done to me and I’m going to take my pound of flesh from you Gunther!!!! I’m gonna make you hurt!!!!" Matt Riddle wrote on his Twitter page.

Riddle last held a title alongside Randy Orton in 2022, while his sole singles championship win came all the way back in February 2021, when he captured the United States Championship from Bobby Lashley.

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Gunther on his potential opponent at WWE SummerSlam

According to the Austrian megastar, being champion, he has the role of being on the defensive and does not mind whoever steps up to face him at The Biggest Party Of The Summer later this year in August.

Speaking on Steve Fall's Ten Count, Gunther touched on a variety of topics, from facing Seth Rollins at SummerSlam, to whoever else that is contending for the Intercontinental Championship:

"To be honest, especially since [Imperium] just got drafted to RAW, I think there's a lot of fresh matchups that could be done. I think I'm in a position right now where there's a target on my back, and it's on everybody else to come after me. I don't have to identify people that I want to go after. That's not the position I'm in." [H/T SEScoops]

Gunther even praised former Universal Champion Kevin Owens for the energy the latter brings to the ring. Imperium has also been feuding with the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions of late.

Meanwhile, the 35-year-old did not rule out the option of finally coming face-to-face with Roman Reigns. Fans have been sent into a frenzy at the possibility of a first-time-ever clash between the two undefeated champions.

After Sheamus, if we're being honest, Gunther has not had a proper feud, a lengthy one, against any WWE Superstar on the roster. Perhaps Matt Riddle could change all that as we head into the summer.

You can read more about fans debating whether The Ring General should face John Cena in the coming months here.

Are you looking forward to Gunther vs. Matt Riddle for the Intercontinental Championship? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.