Evans’ clash with GUNTHER took place on the November 17, 2025 edition of “Raw,” emanating from New York City’s Madison Square Garden. On that occasion, Evans and GUNTHER wrestled in the first round of the Last Time Is Now Tournament, which the latter eventually went on to win entirely.

When asked about his mental approach heading into it, especially given the physicality level of his opponent, Evans noted that he treated it like any other match in WWE.

“You just got to go out there and do it. That’s my mindset,” he said. “Hey, when they play my music, I have no choice but to go out there. I can’t be like, ‘Wait, I’m not ready yet.’ I can’t do that. It’s just one of those things like, hey, let’s go out there, let’s go kill it. You feel me? That’s very important, for sure.”

“The Ring General” defeated “The Young OG” via submission after cinching in a sleeper hold, to which Evans then tapped out. At the time, Evans was amidst the final weeks of his “WWE NXT” run, while also taking on main roster opportunities. Meanwhile, GUNTHER marked his first match since losing the World Heavyweight Championship to CM Punk at WWE SummerSlam.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Denise Salcedo with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.