Gunther may be absent from WWE television, but he is well aware of the upcoming challenge awaiting him at WWE Backlash.
Following his storyline suspension for attacking Pat McAfee on the April 21 episode of Raw, Gunther has remained off-screen. On the April 28 broadcast, McAfee officially challenged the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion to a match at Backlash on May 10, 2025. As he put it, "If I die, I die." SmackDown General Manger Nick Aldis, who was filling in for the injured Raw GM Adam Pearce (also Gunther), reluctantly made the match.
Gunther, who did not appear live, thoroughly enjoyed watching the scene unfold. In response to McAfee being his next opponent, he wrote on Twitter: “??”.
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Gunther vs. Pat McAfee
The match comes just weeks after Gunther 259-day reign as WWE World Heavyweight Champion ended with a loss to Jey Uso at WrestleMania 41. Since his suspension, Gunther has reportedly been seen in London, indicating he may be spending time in Europe during his hiatus.
Pat McAfee, who transitioned to wrestling in 2020, brings experience from his matches at NXT TakeOver 30 and WarGames, as well as his main roster appearances. Notably, McAfee holds singles victories at WrestleMania 38, SummerSlam 2022, and WrestleMania 39, with his only premium live event loss coming against Vince McMahon.
Gunther, meanwhile, remains one of WWE's most decorated competitors, having previously held the WWE Intercontinental Championship, WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and NXT United Kingdom Championship.
