Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Gunther has spent the last several months solidifying his reputation as a career killer, having ended the legendary full-time careers of both John Cena and AJ Styles. In both bouts, “The Ring General” forced his iconic opponents to either tap out or pass out in his sleeper hold.
At WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas, the tables were turned on the Austrian powerhouse when Jey Uso managed to lock in a sleeper hold, eventually forcing Gunther to tap out. Speaking to Cody Rhodes on the latest episode of What Do You Want To Talk About?, Gunther was asked about the decision behind submitting to Jey on such a grand stage.
“With Jey, at that moment, that’s the thing, I can swallow my pride. When it’s over, it’s over, I have no issue with that. If the audience views that as weakness, let them be. It’s alright.”
While the WrestleMania loss was a significant setback, Gunther’s path to redemption was quick. On the June 9, 2025, episode of WWE Raw, he secured his revenge against Jey Uso, defeating him in a rematch to reclaim the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. He later dropped the title to CM Punk.
Gunther’s dominance continued this past Monday on the March 2 episode of Raw in Indianapolis. In a bout against Dragon Lee, the former champion once again utilized his signature submission. For the latest on his WrestleMania status, click here.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit What Do You Wanna Talk About? with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
