The moment may have come thanks to Danhausen, but it looks like WWE is set to offer a new GUNTHER feud with ‘The Demon’ Finn Balor.
The Halloween Eve episode of WWE SmackDown saw GUNTHER get his hands on Danhausen, only for the ‘Very Nice, Very Evil’ star to issue a curse, revealing ‘The Demon’ Finn Balor as the subject of his backstage experiments.
The segment came after weeks of Danhausen attempting to win over GUNTHER, with The Ring General being less than impressed by those silly antics.
The program between the two stars has been met with mixed reactions online, but fans could be about to get a standout moment with challenges of its own:
How did we get here?
In late August, Danhausen met GUNTHER for the first time, with the former World Heavyweight Champion treating his fellow star with a distinct air of disdain.
Not put off by the dismissal, Danhausen would continue to try to win over The Ring General, though none of it would go well.
With Danhausen hosting Very Nice, Very Evil SmackDown, GUNTHER promised to make it a “very special night for a very special boy”, and it certainly was.
And Finn Balor is involved?
Not for the first time, Finn Balor has been involved in what’s going on between GUNTHER and Danhausen.
Back on the September 9 episode of SmackDown, it was Balor who came to Danhausen’s rescue, saving him from a brutal beating in the ring.
Balor vs. GUNTHER
Initially advertised for a Zuffa Boxing event in London, Finn Balor was featured in advertising for WWE Crown Jewel at the then-location for the upcoming PLE, with GUNTHER beside him on the entrance graphic.
Addressing plans in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer indicated that GUNTHER vs. Balor was on the Crown Jewel card, with any change to those plans being last minute.
At the time of writing, Finn Balor (in Demon form or otherwise) vs. GUNTHER is not featured on the WWE Crown Jewel card, with that show taking place on November 7.
The challenge of ‘The Demon’
Last seen at WrestleMania 42, ‘The Demon’ beat Dominik Mysterio in a Street Fight. Prior that that, the persona hadn’t been seen since the Hell in a Cell match with Edge at WrestleMania 39 in 2023.
In comments made in 2024, Balor would reflect on the use of ‘The Demon, ‘ saying:
“I feel like The Demon’s kind of something that we haven’t executed very well the last couple years, and I’d rather not-not do it than do it in a way that I’m not happy with…”
Balor would describe ‘The Demon’ as a bulldozer of a character who “goes in for the kill”. Of his thirteen appearances so far across NXT and the main roster, ‘The Demon’ has only lost three matches: NXT TakeOver: The End against Samoa Joe in 2016, Extreme Rules in 2021 against Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship, and the aforementioned Edge match.
GUNTHER vs. The Demon can work
There were arguments to be made that GUNTHER was wasted in his feud with Danhausen, particularly after retiring John Cena in December of last year and AJ Styles at this year’s Royal Rumble.
Not qualifying for the Money in the Bank ladder match seemed like another example of WWE not utilizing the star to his full potential. Looking further back, GUNTHER last won a match on SmackDown on August 14, defeating Matt Cardona.
Despite all this, GUNTHER has continued to entertain, with ample time given to segments where he just talks, showcasing a level of charisma that is often overlooked in favor of his in-ring work. GUNTHER engaging with Danhausen allowed the star to shine further, particularly compared to a character who can steal the spotlight from others. Seeing the Austrian star butt heads with Nick Aldis, leading to their match at SummerSlam, was also a joy to watch.
For GUNTHER, the feud with Danhausen could be seen as bringing out new layers to a star who has already proven his position at the top of the card and feuding with Finn Balor, in and out of his Demon persona, can only add to that.
While GUNTHER may not have been impressed by Danhausen, seeing his reaction to ‘The Demon’ harks back to Triple H reacting to Mankind transforming into Cactus Jack ahead of their Royal Rumble match in 2000. He could have downplayed it; he could have been confident, but fear was shown.
The challenge for WWE, however, is whether to keep Balor strong in his alter ego or to have GUNTHER vanquish a demon of his own coming out of the program with Danhausen.
To make sure you stay up to date with all the biggest wrestling and WrestleTalk news, follow us on Threads by clicking this link!
