There’s a lot going on headed into GUNTHER’s Intercontinental Championship defense against Sami Zayn at WrestleMania — and that is very much a good thing. Zayn training with Chad Gable, including a little bit of tough love throughout a cool video package, opens up some possibilities during and after the match. The fact that GUNTHER is still paying Gable some mind is also a positive, as one would imagine that no matter how the Mania match goes, Gable will still be in the mix for the industry’s premier midcard title afterwards. And Zayn now squarely back in the underdog role, fighting against all odds, which is what has endeared him to fans in the past in similar situations, making for great theater when the payoff comes (or doesn’t, such as at Elimination Chamber in Montreal, but I suppose that’s a different story).

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But the biggest win here, in my opinion, is GUNTHER looking every bit the big bad in what will likely be the last time we see him before Saturday’s match. I take absolutely nothing away from his run as Intercontinental Champion whatsoever as I say that I feel like he’s slipped away from that a little bit in recent weeks, whether that’s from chastising his foolhardy minions in Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser, or simply by earning the respect of the collective thanks, simply, to his phenomenal work as champion. Come to think of it, that’s just what happens with just about every outstanding heel — running the bad until the well is dry and rolling it right into a big face run. But we’re not there yet for GUNTHER and tonight, he reminded us that he’s all business, sending a violent message to Zayn, Gable, and anyone else who might dare get in his way anytime soon.

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All that said, I’m still really going to have to think about my pick in this match as I could easily see any of three outcomes: 1) GUNTHER dominates, retains, and we spend a good portion of the early part of next year following Zayn trying to “find himself” again. 2) In a closely contested match, GUNTHER pulls it out in the end, with a jealous Gable turning on Zayn. Or 3) Zayn wins the damn thing outright, likely with Gable’s help (if only to turn away those pesky minions), and GUNTHER moves on to greater goals. Whatever the outcome, this just worked perfectly.

Written by Jon Jordan