Over the past year, GUNTHER has earned the moniker of “The Career Killer” in WWE by retiring the likes of John Cena, Goldberg and AJ Styles.
This should mean that WWE would have multiple plans for “The Ring General” at WrestleMania 42, but it does not seem to be the case with his potential match for the event not even teased as of yet.
With reports indicating that rumored opponent Rey Mysterio is still injured, it seems like WWE will have to look at the roster to find a new option for GUNTHER to face at “The Showcase of the Immortals.”
Here are eight GUNTHER WWE WrestleMania 42 opponents to potentially replace Rey Mysterio.
8. Sami Zayn
Back at WWE WrestleMania 40, Sami Zayn defeated GUNTHER to end his historic 666-day Intercontinental Championship run.
This victory has been referenced on several occasions, including when Zayn challenged and failed in his bid to dethrone GUNTHER for the World Heavyweight Championship later in 2024.
As of late, Zayn has been showcasing more frustration in regards to his current position after losing to Drew McIntyre in an Undisputed WWE Championship match at Royal Rumble 2026.
GUNTHER could target Zayn to redeem one of the most defining losses of his WWE main roster run so far at WrestleMania 42 this year.
7. Penta
As previously mentioned, GUNTHER made history when he became the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion with a 666-day run.
More recently, Penta defeated Dominik Mysterio to become the new Intercontinental Champion on the March 2 episode of Friday Night SmackDown.
Wanting to prove himself as a fighting champion, Penta has been defending his title in open challenges on Monday Night Raw.
Penta wanting to defend the IC Title against what many fans feel is the greatest champion in the belt’s history in GUNTHER would make for a major match that could steal the show at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas.
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6. Carmelo Hayes
Another champion who has made a name for himself through a series of open challenges is Carmelo Hayes.
Adopting the United States Championship Open Challenge brought back by Sami Zayn and continued by Ilja Dragunov, Hayes has made his mark with the title through a series of showstealing bouts.
Melo has cemented his spot as a fighting champion and looks to continue these open challenges heading into WrestleMania 42.
If Hayes chooses to put the US Title up for grabs in another open challenge at Mania, GUNTHER could be a perfect option to answer this and potentially walk out “The Showcase of the Immortals” with a new championship to add to his resumè.
5. Je’Von Evans
Back in November, GUNTHER defeated then-NXT star Je’Von Evans in the John Cena Last Time Is Now Tournament.
This showing by Evans played a significant role in WWE choosing to call up “The Young OG” to the main roster.
Now a regular part of the Monday Night Raw roster, it remains to be seen what Evans will be doing at WrestleMania 42.
Evans wanting to avenge one of his first losses on the WWE main roster by facing GUNTHER at Mania would be very intriguing in a number of ways and help him to further solidify himself on Monday Night Raw moving forward.
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4. LA Knight
LA Knight is currently embroiled in a rivalry with The Vision that has spanned for nearly a year now on Monday Night Raw.
However, it looks like The Vision’s Logan Paul and Austin Theory are set to face The Usos for the World Tag Team Championships at WrestleMania 42.
Meanwhile, it leaves Knight without a dance partner for the Mania card on April 18 and 19 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Considering that both men are two of the top stars on Raw, it feels like a solid consolidation prize for Knight and GUNTHER to do battle against one another on the WrestleMania 42 stage.
3. Seth Rollins
Someone else on the WWE roster who seems to not have a clear direction for WrestleMania 42 at the time of this writing is Seth Rollins.
Returning at WWE Elimination Chamber 2026, Rollins and his band of masked men have been making life a living hell for Paul Heyman and the rest of The Vision.
Most reports leading up to his return indicated that Rollins was being discussed for a match against Bron Breakker at “The Show of Shows,” but the second-generation star is currently sidelined after an emergency hernia surgery.
Heyman and The Vision hiring GUNTHER to take down Rollins would be an interesting way to use “The Ring General” and present a fresh, new matchup that could easily garner plenty of attention on the road to WrestleMania 42.
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2. Chris Jericho
Over the past year, the status and future of Chris Jericho has become a hot topic in the wrestling world.
While he remains under AEW contract at the time of this writing, it feels like Jericho could wind up back in WWE when he does become a free agent once again.
Considering how big WrestleMania 42 will be, many fans feel like Jericho could become available and make his return in time for “The Show of Shows.”
GUNTHER holding an open challenge against a legend could be the perfect scenario to have Jericho make his return to the company and make for a tantalizing encounter for the WrestleMania 42 premium live event.
1. Ilja Dragunov
The rivalry between GUNTHER and Ilja Dragunov is one that is the stuff of legends from their time on the European independent scene to their iconic battles in NXT UK.
“The Mad Dragon” is currently in the midst of a crisis of confidence after several singles losses and cannot find it in himself to challenge his friend Carmelo Hayes for the United States Championship.
Wanting to rediscover his passion for the business and his best self, Dragunov could seek out another brutal battle against his career rival.
Having GUNTHER and Dragunov tear down the house at WrestleMania 42 would be thrilling and completely turn the entire card for “The Showcase of the Immortals” on its head in a massive way.
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