Was Gunther considered for "racial tension" storyline? Former WWE Champion spills the beans

World Heavyweight Champion Gunther is on a collision course with the previous titleholder, Damian Priest, at WWE Survivor Series: WarGames. The show will take place on November 30 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The Ring General has always been booked strongly in World Wrestling Entertainment. His in-ring presence demands opponents who compliment it. On paper, two-time WWE Champion Bobby Lashley fits the bill. Evidently, however, the company did not think so. Since departing from the Stamford-based promotion, The All Mighty reunited with MVP and Shelton Benjamin, making his debut in All Elite Wrestling. They are now "The Hurt Syndicate."

In an interview with The Lame Guys Podcast, Bobby Lashley discussed a program he proposed, which was meant to provoke fans and, in turn, make for compelling television. Lashley wanted The Hurt Business by his side when Gunther said to him that people like him did not deserve a title opportunity. The All Mighty simply wanted to tease the "racial tension" angle:

"When Gunther was rolling, there was one thing I wanted to do with him, and everybody would have been like, 'Ohhhhh.' If we were still the Hurt Business, I was like, 'I want to roll up on him, and I want Gunther to say, 'People like you don't deserve a chance at my title.'' People would have been like, 'What did he say?' We would have toed that line. If you think about the German and these black dudes. 'Is there a little bit of racial tension there?'" [H/T: Fightful]

Earlier this year, the 48-year-old veteran claimed that Gunther refused to work with him without giving away any details. Now that Lashley is in AEW, perhaps the train has left the station for the blockbuster showdown.

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Is WWE leaving a trail of breadcrumbs for Gunther vs. CM Punk following Survivor Series: WarGames?

WWE analyst Matt Camp recently discussed the World Heavyweight Championship match at Survivor Series: WarGames. He is not getting the feeling of a big match, calling Priest a lackluster opponent for The Ring General, especially because CM Punk was the rumored opponent for the Thanksgiving event. Meanwhile, the Austrian Anomaly seemingly teased a program with The Best in the World.

He used Punk's theme song's opening lines, "Look in my eyes, what do you see?" during a backstage segment with Ludwig Kaiser before he was attacked by Damian Priest.

In September, The Straight Edge Superstar proclaimed that he was coming for The Ring General's World Heavyweight Championship. The angle was, however, derailed thanks to Drew McIntyre.