At the latest edition of Saturday Night's Main Event , Gunther became the ultimate boogeyman for a lot of WWE fans. And that is unlikely to change in 2026.
Saturday's event was one of the most anticipated — or feared — of this year. For the final time, WWE icon John Cena competed in a professional wrestling ring. It was the grand finale to a year-long retirement tour. Heading into the card, most assumed he would take an L in his final match, since it is a decades-long tradition in the industry.
Yet, when the match came, fans inside Capital One Arena and around the world got wrapped up in the moment, hoped for the unlikely, and were enraged when Cena tapped out to former World Heavyweight champ Gunther. But the 17-time champion losing to the Austrian was inevitable.
Not just because it was Cena's last match. No, "The Ring General" is one of the new faces of the company and is being built to be a legend in his own right. Beyond already being a two-time world champ, he had the longest Intercontinental title reign in history, but most importantly, he just played the role earlier this year when he sent WCW icon Goldberg home with a loss in his retirement match.
That's why, with rumors swirling that Brock Lesnar could end his wrestling career in 2026 , Gunther is the perfect person to also close "The Beast's" career with a defeat.
Credit: WWE
Because his career has spanned a couple of decades, there are many WWE fans who forget, or don't even know, that future Hall of Famer Randy Orton became a star during his run as the "Legend Killer." He grew into infamy as a heel in Evolution by hitting numerous promotional greats with his RKO, or, in the case of Mick Foley, kicking him down a flight of stairs.
Well, Gunther is slowly emerging as a force of nature, ending the legendary run of some iconic wrestlers. It is a new fact that has fans online comparing him to Marvel character Thanos , and he is collecting wrestler retirements like infinity stones. Oddly enough, he could collect three more in 2026 if WWE chose to.
While it has not been confirmed, there have been rumors that Lesnar, AJ Styles , and Rey Mysterio could be bringing their Hall of Fame careers to a close next year. At this point, considering all the hate Gunther has received for making Cena tap, would it be surprising if WWE leaned into that anger to turn the Austrian into the ultimate bad guy by ending the careers of some or all of those legends?
While matches with Mysterio and Styles would certainly be very good, and Gunther would be a heavy favorite to win them, adding Lesnar's pelt to his trophy case would be far more appealing. It would further the narrative that he is the face of the new pro wrestling era in WWE and is killing off another legend left from the days of sports entertainment.
There were rumors last year that the two could face off, and it is a match that should happen, even if it isn't Lesnar's last. But Gunther can't end a streak like the Undertaker or Roman Reigns' historic title reign. However, sending three or more legends into retirement with losses would further solidify his place as a growing legend of his time, and possibly the greatest villain of his era.
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