While its main roster world champions are already set with WrestleMania challengers, WWE has yet to fill in the blanks surrounding its two mid-card titles — the Intercontinental and United States Championships.

Coming off a successful title defense against Jey Uso, Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER is now looking ahead toward WrestleMania 40. On this week’s episode of “WWE Raw,” GUNTHER encountered a handful of potential WrestleMania adversaries, such as Alpha Academy’s Chad Gable, The Judgment Day’s Dominik Mysterio, and former three-time titleholder Sami Zayn. After receiving widespread acclaim for his performances in 2023, many fans, and even GUNTHER, have cast Gable as an ideal candidate to face off against “The Ring General” on WWE’s grandest stage. Sami Zayn, however, presents a compelling case in his own right.

Upon his return to WWE television, Zayn lost five matches in a row, four of which were televised. It wasn’t until after the 2024 Elimination Chamber event that Zayn finally picked up another win. Zayn, of course, has long been considered an underdog in WWE. With his fighting spirit (and unparalleled charisma), though, Zayn has not only captured the hearts of the WWE Universe, but has also propelled himself into a new tier of talent.

Last year, Zayn’s efforts earned him an opportunity to challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Unfortunately, Zayn found himself on the losing end of the title match. Still, his fan support never wavered. Even after his tag team partner, Kevin Owens, was sent to the opposing brand, the WWE Universe continued to boast strong favor for Zayn.

With that in mind, it’s time to not only put Zayn back on a winning track, but to also reward that loyalty with a significant singles championship moment. What better way to achieve that than by dethroning the ever-dominant, history-making GUNTHER at “The Show of Shows”?

Written by Ella Jay