This time final week, it appeared that GUNTHER and Finn Balor have been on a collision course to wrestle at Crown Jewel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. As an alternative, the match did not occur, and on Monday, Dave Meltzer reported the match was known as off after GUNTHER opted out of touring to Riyadh. Hours afterward “Wrestling Observer Radio,” Meltzer confirmed the main points of his report, and likewise revealed that GUNTHER had misplaced a darkish match earlier than “Uncooked” that night time to Trick Williams. It is a loss that raised the eyebrow of each Meltzer and co-host Bryan Alvarez, who questioned if this was punishment for GUNTHER backing out of Crown Jewel.
“I imply, it is doable that is all coincidental,” Meltzer mentioned. “It’s doable…it is completely doable. As a result of in a darkish match, the babyface does go over. That is the rule. I imply, often with a man on the stage of GUNTHER, they’re going to do a run-in and a DQ…trigger they defend the highest guys in these kind of matches. So there’s most likely one thing to this.”
Meltzer identified that whereas WWE had initially been ambivalent over skills that determined to not journey to previous Saudi reveals, that had modified over the previous couple of years.
“Initially, in case you mentioned no, you mentioned no and all was understood,” Meltzer mentioned. “After which it acquired the place in case you say no to going, effectively you may say no, however we will need to readjust your push. Or in case you’re a champion, it is like ‘You do not have to go, however it’s a must to drop the belt earlier than the present.’ That is the gist of the way it’s been for the final couple of years.”
Although neither Meltzer nor Alvarez might verify GUNTHER was being punished, Alvarez did be aware that GUNTHER had by no means misplaced a darkish match in WWE previous to this loss to Williams, and had largely been protected in non-televised occasions, shedding them by DQ or countout till just lately.
For those who use any of the quotes on this article, please credit score “Wrestling Observer Radio” and supply a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription
