Goldberg to dethrone Gunther only to drop the World Heavyweight Title to 39-year-old legend? Potential explored
On last night’s WWE RAW, Goldberg made his long-anticipated return, interrupting Gunther moments after the World Heavyweight Champion had called out Mr. Money in the Bank Seth Rollins and responded with trademark disrespect to the crowd chanting for the WWE Hall of Famer.
The moment wasn’t much of a surprise given how privy the WWE Universe had been to the plans for a showdown between Goldberg and Gunther. Still, it may have set the stage for what could be the most unpredictable World Heavyweight Championship scenario WWE has concocted in years.
Goldberg laid down the challenge for Saturday Night’s Main Event next month in Atlanta, his hometown. While many expect Gunther to eventually retire the Hall of Famer in a marquee passing-of-the-torch moment, Triple H might be cooking up something more chaotic. With Goldberg’s retirement looming, WWE could allow him to capture the World Heavyweight Title one last time, sending his hometown crowd into a frenzy, only to pull the rug from under them seconds later.
Enter The Architect, Seth Rollins. Gunther had mentioned Rollins on RAW this week, reminding the WWE Universe that he’s the lurking threat with the briefcase, for anyone and everyone near the World Heavyweight Championship and even the Undisputed WWE Championship.
The two men have yet to square off in a one-on-one match, something that fans eagerly anticipate. If Seth wins the title, a feud with Gunther, potentially as a babyface, could be a very interesting direction. Conflicts with Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed would also be quite interesting.
Seth Rollins could be in for a blockbuster SummerSlam feud with an expected former ally
In the unlikely yet not unprecedented scenario that Goldberg stuns another reigning and dominant world champion, this time the Ring General, to win the title, Rollins cashing in immediately afterward could flip the emotional tone of the night in a heartbeat. There would be massive heat on Seth in Atlanta, and it might even open up the possibility of Cody Rhodes, another Atlanta native, to enter the mix.
WWE has already been teasing another Seth-Cody chapter, a saga rich in history from their trilogy of matches in 2022 to the Road to WrestleMania 40. The layered storytelling of jealousy, respect, ambition, loyalty, and brotherhood that has followed has been one of the best long-term stories in WWE, and both men have come face-to-face multiple times over the past few months, including on tonight's RAW.
Cody, as the valiant babyface gunning for the WHC, taken from his people by the calculating Rollins, writes itself. This could be the opening act in a long summer feud, culminating perhaps in a SummerSlam main event, if WWE does not opt for the obvious yet somewhat predictable route of Rhodes winning the King of the Ring and challenging John Cena for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam.
Conversely, the Rhodes-Rollins face-off might just have been another one of many to slowly build up the next chapter in their story that might come to fruition in the distant future. Nevertheless, while Gunther vs. Goldberg may look like a straightforward title match, there are multiple layers at play.
