How WWE's Latest International Event May Signal Big Future Plans For Gunther And Imperium
The WWE has made great strides in extending its international reach as of late when it comes to Premium Live Events. Months after a massively successful Money In The Bank event in London and ahead of the upcoming WWE event Elimination Chamber set for Perth, we now have another international pay-per-view in the works. The WWE is creating an all-new live event for an upcoming show in Germany, and I can't help but think it's signaling big future plans for Gunther and the rest of Imperium.
The WWE announced its first-ever major Premium Live Event in Germany, which is currently rocking the moniker Bash In Berlin, and will be hosted in the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin on August 31, 2024. We're still a ways away in terms of predicting exactly what the lead-up and outcome will be, but it's hard to imagine this event taking place without Gunther and the rest of Imperium taking on headlining matches.
Why Bash In Berlin May Signal A Big Year For Imperium
There's no denying that Gunther is one of the WWE's top stars. While his stranglehold on the Intercontinental Championship is still running strong, there have been many rumors about the champ eventually dropping the title and moving on to the Heavyweight championship belt. At the time of writing, that's currently a heavily contested belt, with champ Seth Rollins taking on Drew McIntyre at Crown Jewel. It also seems like Damian Priest is waiting for a chance to cash in on Rollins with his Money In The Bank contract, so it seems throwing Gunther into the mix now would be overkill.
The question I'm wondering is, did the WWE want to do a show in Germany to set up the next phase of Gunther and Imperium's career? Ludwig Kaiser is the only German native amongst the faction, but Gunther's homeland of Austria and Giovanni Vinci's Italy aren't that far away from the venue, geographically speaking. The WWE usually likes to build the international event cards around the stars from the area, much like it did with Drew McIntyre taking on Roman Reigns at Clash at the Castle.
I think it's plausible, and possibly even likely, that Gunther is going to have a major title match headlining Bash In Berlin in 2024. To justify that, The WWE will have to continue his upward trajectory through 2024, which could set the stage for big moments for him at WrestleMania 40 and other events.
Bash In Berlin Will Probably Happen After SummerSlam 2024
Based on the WWE PLE calendars of the past, it's looking like Bash In Berlin will happen about a month after SummerSlam 2024. This has me thinking that Gunther could very well have a big match tentatively scheduled for the event. It feels way too early to speculate as to what, but again, I would wager he'll be in the conversation for a major title to help better set the stage for Berlin.
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Of course, we're deep into speculative territory here. There's no telling who might get injured between now and then and how that could impact the WWE's plans, even if they want to highlight Imperium at Bash In Berlin. That said, it would be pretty fantastic to see this faction shine in a country where they'd have the most passionate fans in their corner. Hell, they might even cheer for Gunther to beat Roman Reigns if it came down to it. As I mentioned, we might have a better idea of what this storyline will look like at SummerSlam, given its potential positioning ahead of the event.
Gunther has already gotten a solid push in the WWE, but I think there's room for it to grow even further. Hopefully, this PLE is a sign that 2024 will be a big year for him and also a chance for Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vicci to establish themselves as more than just his muscle.
WWE's next big event is Crown Jewel, which those with a Peacock Premium subscription can check out on Saturday, November 4th. Gunther won't be part of it, but if 2024 is the year his run really takes off, then it won't be that much of a bummer.
