Randy Orton’s next opponent: Another battle with Gunther awaits

Randy Orton lost a controversial matchup against Gunther at King of the Ring, making a rematch between the two inevitable.

Orton suffered a lower-body injury in the lead-up to King and Queen of the Ring, and it worsened during his back-and-forth match with Gunther.

Sporting a heavily wrapped left knee, Orton came to the ring slowly, clearly hampered by the injury. But once the bell rang, ‘The Viper’ took form.

For a moment, it appeared Orton would take the King of the Ring crown, especially after he hit a second ‘RKO’ on Gunther late in the fight.

However, in a controversial ending, ‘The Ring General’ rolled Orton up, and the referee counted to three, securing victory for Gunther.

The only problem? Orton’s shoulder wasn’t down. Even on the live broadcast, it was blatantly obvious that the ending was botched.

Triple H commented on the outcome, admitting that the referee messed up but still naming Gunther the official 2024 King of the Ring.

But the WWE COO promised a rematch whenever Orton is back to 100%, meaning this chapter of the book isn’t over yet for Gunther.

Randy Orton’s next fight: A rematch with the King

Orton will once again stand across from Gunther the next time ‘The Viper’ takes the ring, but it remains to be seen when that will be.

As Triple H said, Orton is far from 100% at the moment. Anyone who watched him in the King of the Ring finale would agree.

Still, given Orton’s track record, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s ready for the rematch by the time June 15 rolls around.

There’s a chance Orton vs Gunther 2 takes place in front of a passionate Scottish crowd as WWE’s Clash at the Castle heads to the United Kingdom.

If Orton is held out of action for a few weeks, then the July 6 Money in the Bank PLE makes the most sense for both sides.

With Gunther already slated for a World Heavyweight Championship match at SummerSlam, a second battle with Orton should occur before then.

That leaves Clash at the Castle or Money in the Bank as the most likely suitors, as WWE would be foolish to burn that rematch on a random episode of Friday Night SmackDown.

One thing is sure: Orton will get his chance for revenge against ‘The Ring General.’ The only question is ‘when’ the two will lock horns — not ‘if.’