#288: Gunther vs. Sami Zayn, WWE WrestleMania XL, Night 1 (4/6/2024).
This is for Gunther’s Intercontinental Championship.
Coming into this match, Gunther is the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion of all time, sitting at a very not demonic 666 days as champion. Zayn won a Gauntlet Match to earn this shot, and he looks to be the man to dethrone the Ring General.
Backstage, Zayn greets his wife and son, as well as Chad Gable, who helped train him for this match on the way here. Right as he’s about to go through the curtain, he’s met by Kevin Owens, his best friend, who gives him one final bit of hype by telling him to go and do it.
During Gunther’s entrance, we see a shot of fans in Cologne, Germany, who look like the most hyped wrestling fans in history. Just aggressively fist bumping and chanting Gunther’s name.
The bell sounds, and we are under way. They lock up, and Zayn struggles to overpower the champion. Gunther forces Zayn into the corner, and shoves his face. Zayn chops at Gunther repeatedly, and lands several punches to the head. Gunther catches Zayn mid air, and lands a nice German Suplex. Gunther with a trademark chop from Hell, followed by a big boot to the face. He lands some more hard chops to the chest, and a nice European uppercut.
The crowd is hot as Zayn tries to fight his way free of this onslaught, but he only eats a clothesline in the corner. Gunther lays Zayn across the top rope, and drives his boot into the throat. Gunther with a hard forearm to the back, and another uppercut. Gunther taunts Zayn’s wife at ringside, and then connects with a knee to the face. Zayn slaps Gunther in the face, and the champion responds with a chop. They go back and forth for a moment, until Zayn lands a big clothesline.
He lifts Gunther up, who responds with several chops. Zayn explodes with a barrage of punches, and a boot to the arm. Half Nelson suplex connects, and another, but Gunther responds with a clothesline that gets him a 2 count. Gunther goes for a powerbomb, and Zayn is able to fight it off. He springboards off the ropes with a tornado DDT. Zayn gears up for the Helluva Kick, and Gunther catches him in a Sleeper Hold.
Zayn slings him away, and tries for the Blue Thunder Bomb. Gunther fights it off, and gets the Sleeper Hold in again, and this time, he grapevines his legs around the midsection. Zayn is back to his feet, and he’s carrying Gunther to the ropes. Gunther breaks the hold, and hits a German Suplex. Zayn blocks a clothesline and hits the Exploder Suplex into the turnbuckle. Zayn tries for the Helluva Kick again, and Gunther responds with a shotgun dropkick.
Folding Powerbomb by Gunther connects, and Zayn is able to kick out! Zayn recovers in the corner, and Gunther hits his own Helluva Kick! Zayn collapses into his arms, and Gunther goes for it again, but Zayn explodes out with the proper Helluva Kick! He makes the cover, and Gunther is able to kick out. Zayn is going for it again, and Gunther responds with a huge lariat. Two straight powerbombs, and Zayn is able to get his shoulder up again!
Gunther taunts at Zayn’s wife again, and she tells him it’s over. Gunther drives his boot into Zayn’s face, and stomps on him. Zayn tries to return to his feet, and Gunther hits another clothesline, which bounces Zayn’s head off the mat. More taunting by Gunther, and another powerbomb connects. The referee checks on Zayn, as Gunther goes to the top rope. He connects with the big splash, and he doesn’t event attempt the pin. He’s back on the top, and he hits another splash. This has become a game to the Ring General. Zayn is tossing himself around the mat, trying to will himself back into the match. Gunther goes to the top rope, and Zayn catches him with a Helluva Kick. Zayn goes up there with him, and connects with a brainbuster on the top turnbuckle itself! Wow! Gunther is rocked, and he tries to recover in the corner.
Zayn hits another Helluva Kick! He backs away, and hits a third! Zayn covers, and he’s done it! The mammoth reign of Gunther is over, and Zayn is the new Intercontinental Champion! This was a wonderfully told story that kept it so simple at times. Gunther was the big bad bully, and Zayn was the ultimate underdog. That was extra important as the match went on, and Gunther was thoroughly destroying Zayn with ease.
It had enough going for it to make you think Zayn had a chance, but not enough to give you doubt that Gunther wouldn’t retain like he always does. It had all the usual stiffness of a Gunther match, mixed in with the great babyface fire that Zayn has almost perfected to a T. The ending sequence, with Gunther toying with Zayn, and the challenger punching the mat to force himself back into the fight was well done.
And then there was the turnbuckle Brainbuster. Boy, that looked nasty! A big moment required a big move, and the spirit of El Generico was alive and well here, as Zayn dug deep into his arsenal to finally topple the Ring General. This could’ve used a few more minutes on it, as I did think it was painfully short, but what we got was pretty damn good.